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Deltaic plain development and environmental changes in the Petite Camargue, Rhone Delta, France, in the past 2000 years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Tony Rey ,
David Lefevre  and
Claude Vella
Tony Rey*
Affiliation:
UMR 5140 CNRS, Université Paul Valéry - Montpellier III, Route de Mende, BP 5043, 34032 Montpellier cedex, France
David Lefevre
Affiliation:
UMR 5140 CNRS, Université Paul Valéry - Montpellier III, Route de Mende, BP 5043, 34032 Montpellier cedex, France
Claude Vella
Affiliation:
UMR 6635 CEREGE, Université Aix-Marseille I et III, Europôle de l'Arbois - BP 80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 04, France
*
*Corresponding author. Email Address:tony.rey@univ-montp3.fr
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Abstract

The deltaic plain of the Petite Camargue which constitutes the western part of the Rhone Delta, began its main progradation around 2000 yr ago. Several delta lobes follow each other and have participated in the deltaic evolution. The deltaic lobes have distinct morphologies which reflect the dynamic fluvial and marine processes under the influence of climatic and human controls. Two delta lobe systems were built by the Daladel and Peccaïs channels, after which a deflected wave-influenced delta lobe was formed by the La Ville and Saint-Roman channels. The latest channel, the Rhone Vif channel, is skewed because this channel was completely canalized and engineered up to its mouth in the beginning of the 16th century. Since the avulsion of this channel about 1550 A.D., the coastline of the Petite Camargue has been especially affected by the influence of waves and currents. The spits replaced the beach ridges which juxtaposed themselves and have migrated westward since the 16th century. The formation of the western part of the delta in the last 2000 yr is affected by not only the fluvial sedimentary fluxes and the coastal dynamics to the mouth but also climatic change and human influence.

Type
Review
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 71 , Issue 3 , May 2009 , pp. 284 - 294
Copyright
University of Washington

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