Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present‐Day Subsidence of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra Delta

Abstract The contribution of subsidence to relative sea level rise in the Ganges‐Brahmaputra delta (GBD) is largely unknown and may considerably enhance exposure of the Bengal Basin populations to sea level rise and storm surges. This paper focuses on estimating the present‐day subsidence induced by...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: M. Karpytchev, V. Ballu, Y. Krien, M. Becker, S. Goodbred, G. Spada, S. Calmant, C. K. Shum, Z. Khan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076388
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850134600417804288
author M. Karpytchev
V. Ballu
Y. Krien
M. Becker
S. Goodbred
G. Spada
S. Calmant
C. K. Shum
Z. Khan
author_facet M. Karpytchev
V. Ballu
Y. Krien
M. Becker
S. Goodbred
G. Spada
S. Calmant
C. K. Shum
Z. Khan
author_sort M. Karpytchev
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The contribution of subsidence to relative sea level rise in the Ganges‐Brahmaputra delta (GBD) is largely unknown and may considerably enhance exposure of the Bengal Basin populations to sea level rise and storm surges. This paper focuses on estimating the present‐day subsidence induced by Holocene sediment in the Bengal Basin and by oceanic loading due to eustatic sea level rise over the past 18 kyr. Using a viscoelastic Earth model and sediment deposition history based on in situ measurements, results suggest that massive sediment influx initiated in the early Holocene under a strengthened South Asian monsoon may have contributed significantly to the present‐day subsidence of the GBD. We estimate that the Holocene loading generates up to 1.6 mm/yr of the present‐day subsidence along the GBD coast, depending on the rheological model of the Earth. This rate is close to the twentieth century global mean sea level rise (1.1–1.7 mm/yr). Thus, past climate change, by way of enhanced sedimentation, is impacting vulnerability of the GBD populations.
format Article
id doaj-art-b9d704d76c7e41648ef2d01424ef0bd1
institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
1944-8007
language English
publishDate 2018-02-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-b9d704d76c7e41648ef2d01424ef0bd12025-08-20T02:31:40ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-02-014531433144210.1002/2017GL076388Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present‐Day Subsidence of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra DeltaM. Karpytchev0V. Ballu1Y. Krien2M. Becker3S. Goodbred4G. Spada5S. Calmant6C. K. Shum7Z. Khan8LIENSs UMR 7266 CNRS University of La Rochelle La Rochelle FranceLIENSs UMR 7266 CNRS University of La Rochelle La Rochelle FranceLIENSs UMR 7266 CNRS University of La Rochelle La Rochelle FranceLIENSs UMR 7266 CNRS University of La Rochelle La Rochelle FranceDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences Vanderbilt University Nashville TN USADipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate University of Urbino “Carlo Bo” Urbino ItalyLEGOS UMR5566/CNRS/CNES/IRD/UPS Toulouse FranceSchool of Earth Sciences Ohio State University Columbus OH USAInstitute of Water Modelling Dhaka BangladeshAbstract The contribution of subsidence to relative sea level rise in the Ganges‐Brahmaputra delta (GBD) is largely unknown and may considerably enhance exposure of the Bengal Basin populations to sea level rise and storm surges. This paper focuses on estimating the present‐day subsidence induced by Holocene sediment in the Bengal Basin and by oceanic loading due to eustatic sea level rise over the past 18 kyr. Using a viscoelastic Earth model and sediment deposition history based on in situ measurements, results suggest that massive sediment influx initiated in the early Holocene under a strengthened South Asian monsoon may have contributed significantly to the present‐day subsidence of the GBD. We estimate that the Holocene loading generates up to 1.6 mm/yr of the present‐day subsidence along the GBD coast, depending on the rheological model of the Earth. This rate is close to the twentieth century global mean sea level rise (1.1–1.7 mm/yr). Thus, past climate change, by way of enhanced sedimentation, is impacting vulnerability of the GBD populations.https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076388Ganges‐Brahmaputra deltaland subsidencesediment loadingrelative sea level change
spellingShingle M. Karpytchev
V. Ballu
Y. Krien
M. Becker
S. Goodbred
G. Spada
S. Calmant
C. K. Shum
Z. Khan
Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present‐Day Subsidence of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra Delta
Geophysical Research Letters
Ganges‐Brahmaputra delta
land subsidence
sediment loading
relative sea level change
title Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present‐Day Subsidence of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra Delta
title_full Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present‐Day Subsidence of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra Delta
title_fullStr Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present‐Day Subsidence of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra Delta
title_full_unstemmed Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present‐Day Subsidence of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra Delta
title_short Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present‐Day Subsidence of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra Delta
title_sort contributions of a strengthened early holocene monsoon and sediment loading to present day subsidence of the ganges brahmaputra delta
topic Ganges‐Brahmaputra delta
land subsidence
sediment loading
relative sea level change
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076388
work_keys_str_mv AT mkarpytchev contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta
AT vballu contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta
AT ykrien contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta
AT mbecker contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta
AT sgoodbred contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta
AT gspada contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta
AT scalmant contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta
AT ckshum contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta
AT zkhan contributionsofastrengthenedearlyholocenemonsoonandsedimentloadingtopresentdaysubsidenceofthegangesbrahmaputradelta