Revised palaeogeographical reconstruction and avulsion history of the Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta, The Netherlands

Abstract

In the Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta, the geography, architecture, and chronology of the channel belts and their flood basins is known in exceptional high detail. This is due to a long history of intensive geological, geomorphological, and archeological research by various universities and knowledge institutes and archaeological consultancy companies. A first reconstruction showing the build-up and palaeogeographical development of the delta in 500 year time-slices was published in 2001 by Berendsen and Stouthamer. The mapping turned out to be of great value for academic and applied studies in archaeology, hydrology, and sedimentary geology. Now, more than a decade later, knowledge of the evolving delta river network has majorly grown in both coverage and accuracy.