Research

Evolution of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta in the Netherlands

The evolution of the Rhine-Meuse delta has been studied since 1959 when the field course Veldwerk Laaglandgenese started. Since then, approximately 1750 undergraduate students have participated in the course. The Rhine-Meuse delta studies website is entirely devoted to the research of the Rhine-Meuse delta (Dutch: Rijn-Maas delta). Almost 100,000 borehole descriptions are now in a digital format and are incorporated in the so-called Laaglandgenese database. They are available for scientific research on a CD-ROM.

The Rhine and its main tributaries (NASA Earthwind).

The River Meuse has been a tributary to the Rhine over most of geological history. In 1904 a canal (the Bergsche Maas) was dug that gave the Meuse its own outlet to the sea.

The Rhine-Meuse delta in the central part of the Netherlands (NASA).

Presently, mapping efforts are concentrated on the IJssel valley and the near-coastal intertidal area (the transitional area from fluvial to marine dominated sedimentation).

Characteristic picture of the Alblasserwaard, in the western part of the delta. This wood peat area has a groundwater level at just a few decimeters below the surface. Photo: H.J.A. Berendsen.

The unique potential of the database as a source for numerous aspects of fluvial sedimentology, fluvial geomorphology, Quaternary geology, environmental science and planning, hydrology and engineering geology has become increasingly recognized during the last decennium. The methods used in the Rhine-Meuse delta have been 'exported' to other deltas in the world, e.g. the Po delta, the Ombrone River delta Italy), the Mississippi delta (USA) and the Columbia River valley (Canada).

Tidal creeks in the Po plain, Italy. Photo: H.J.A. Berendsen.

Digital geological-geomorphological map

A geological-geomorphological map of the Holocene and a palaeogeographic reconstruction of the whole delta were published by Berendsen & Stouthamer (2001). A digital version of the map is now available through the authors for € 500,-.

Use of digital data

Requests for a licence to use the data should be addressed to Dr. H.J.A. Berendsen and Dr. E. Stouthamer. Authors rights have been transferred from Dr. H.J.A. Berendsen to the Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University. This means that all users have to sign a contract with the Faculty dean to be able to use the data. All references to the database should be made as follows:

Berendsen, H.J.A. (2005), De Laaglandgenese Databank. CD-ROM, Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University.

For practical applications, payment of a licence-fee is required. For more information contact: Dr. H.J.A. Berendsen and Dr. E. Stouthamer.

Esther Stouthamer and Wim Hoek show the geological-geomorphological map of the Holocene Rhine-Meuse delta during an excursion for members of the Department of Physical Geography. Photo: W. Autin.

References

  1. Berendsen, H.J.A., E.L.J.H. Faessen, A.W. Hesselink & H. Kempen (2001), Zand in banen - Zanddiepte-kaarten van het Gelders Riverengebied met inbegrip van de uiterwaarden. Sand-depth maps of the eastern part of the Rhine-Meuse delta (with a summary in English). Arnhem: Provincie Gelderland, in samenwerking met Rijkswaterstaat, Waterbedrijf Gelderland en Universiteit Utrecht, 53 p. Coloured maps.
  2. Berendsen, H.J.A. & E. Stouthamer (2001), Palaeogeographic development of the Rhine-Meuse delta, The Netherlands, Assen: Koninklijke Van Gorcum, 268 p. 3 coloured maps, CD-ROM.
  3. Stouthamer (2001), Holocene avulsions in the Rhine-Meuse delta, The Netherlands. Ph. D. Thesis, Utrecht University. Netherlands Geographical Studies 283, 224 p.