Deltas and estuaries are dynamic landscapes shaped by interactions among river flow, tides, waves, sediment transport, and biota. Their hydrology and geomorphology support ecosystems and human activities, while interactions with ecological and biogeochemical processes influence their physical evolution. Accelerating sea-level rise, changes in river discharge and sediment supply, extreme storms and floods, subsidence, and human interventions are reshaping the delicate balance of processes that sustain these environments. Understanding how landscapes respond to these pressures, including nonlinear responses and thresholds of change, is essential for assessing their future trajectories and developing effective adaptation and management strategies.
This session brings together research on the biophysical processes shaping deltaic and estuarine landscapes and on strategies for their adaptation, restoration, and sustainable management. It aims to connect understanding of hydrological and biogeomorphological responses to climatic and anthropogenic pressures with the assessment of management interventions.
We welcome research on the hydrology, morphodynamics, and biogeomorphology of deltas and estuaries, for example addressing river–marine interactions, sediment transport and budgets, feedback between biota and sediment dynamics, and morphological change. Contributions may address the effects of sea-level rise, changing river discharge, storms and floods, subsidence, and human activities, including nonlinear landscape responses and the implications of crossing thresholds. Contributions on adaptation, restoration, and management are equally welcome, including studies of nature-based solutions and conventional engineering approaches grounded in an understanding of physical processes, biogeomorphological interactions, and landscape dynamics. The session embraces theoretical, numerical, and data-driven approaches, including AI, as well as field observations, remote sensing, and experimental studies. We encourage interdisciplinary contributions that connect understanding of physical and biogeomorphological processes with decisions about the future of deltas and estuaries.