Progradation and retrogradation of the Medjerda delta during the 20th century (Tunisia, western Mediterranean)

Thouraya Ben Moussa 1 Oula Amrouni 2 Abderraouf Hzami 2 Laurent Dezileau 3 Gil Mahé 4 Saadi Abdeljaouad 1
1 UTM - Université Tunis El Manar
2 INSTM - Institut National des Sciences et Techniques de la Mer
3 M2C - Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière
4 HSM - Hydrosciences Montpellier
Abstract : The aim of this study is the reconstitution of the recent morpho-sedimentary evolution of the Medjerda River delta. We examine the spatio-temporal evolution of the Medjerda shoreline between 1936 and 2016 using satellite images, complemented by sedimentological and geochemical analyses and 210Pbex and 137Cs radiometric data. The general tendency of the shoreline evolution shows an increasing progradation (300 ± 12 m) between 1936 and 2016. Yet the mesoscale Net Shoreline Movement position (NSM) and the End Point Rate (EPR) reveal an erosion pattern estimated to be −20 m ± 0.15 m/yr during the period 1988–1999. The sedimentological analyses reveal four main lithostratigraphic units. The fine sand substratum layer (Md = 0.08 mm) decreases toward clay and silt facies (Md < 0.063 mm), rich in continental plant debris. The geochemical results reveal gradual incoming of the terrigenous component instead of marine deposits. The 137Cs/210Pbex radiometric dating confirms the functioning of the new river flow by the 1950s with the highest sedimentation rate being 3.3 cm/yr. Our results show that the Sidi-Salem dam impoundment (1981) led to a dramatic reduction of sediment discharge, a decrease of the grain size with nearly no more sand reaching the coast, and the shoreline retreat.
Keywords : Gulf of Tunis Delta Progradation Retrogradation Human management 137Cs 210Pbex Radiometric dating
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Article dans une revue
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https://hal-normandie-univ.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02194111
Contributeur : Pierre Weill <>
Soumis le : jeudi 25 juillet 2019 - 11:22:54
Dernière modification le : vendredi 26 juillet 2019 - 01:27:31

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COMUE-NORMANDIE | CNRS | AGROPOLIS | M2C | INSU | UNIV-MONTPELLIER | B3ESTE | UNIROUEN | UNICAEN

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Thouraya Ben Moussa, Oula Amrouni, Abderraouf Hzami, Laurent Dezileau, Gil Mahé, et al.. Progradation and retrogradation of the Medjerda delta during the 20th century (Tunisia, western Mediterranean). Comptes Rendus Géoscience, Elsevier Masson, 2019, 351 (4), pp.340-350. ⟨10.1016/j.crte.2018.10.004⟩. ⟨hal-02194111⟩

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