2025 CSDMS meeting-092
From CSDMS
(if you haven't already)
Log in (or create account for non-CSDMS members)
Forgot username? Search or email:CSDMSweb@colorado.edu
Browse abstracts
Morphodynamic Response of River Deltas to Unsteady Discharge and Sediment Supply
Zhenwei Wu,
Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana, United States. zwu22@lsu.edu
Muriel Brückner, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana, United States. mbruckner@lsu.edu
River delta morphology is shaped by complex interactions between sediment supply and discharge variability, influencing their resilience to environmental changes. This study employs Delft3D-Flow to investigate how different discharge scenarios—constant discharge, a unimodal flood hydrograph, and a monthly flood hydrograph—affect the long-term evolution of a river-dominated delta modeled after the Wax Lake Delta, Louisiana. Over a 50-year simulation period, results indicate that unsteady discharge promotes a more symmetric delta morphology with broader sediment deposition, while constant discharge leads to localized deposition near the river mouth, resulting in an elongated delta with fewer channels. These findings highlight the role of discharge variability in delta formation, with implications for coastal management and restoration strategies.
