Earth Surface Sedimentary Flow Processes

The movement of sediment over the Earth’s surface has profound implications for both contemporary environmental management and interpretations of the Earth’s past palaeo-environments and climates.

Sediment movement is fundamental to global sediment budgets, provides the crucial environmental boundary for biological activity, and is a site of intense, physical, biological and geochemical activity. Understanding sedimentary flow processes at the Earth’s surface is therefore key in our comprehension and prediction of environmental systems, including the morphodynamics of rivers, estuarine, coastal and marine environments.

Understanding of sediment transport in contemporary environments can also aid our interpretations of sediments in deep geological time, and serves as an essential methodology by which the impacts of future global climate change can be better assessed. In addition, improved prediction or the timing and extent of sedimentary mass-movements may help ameliorate the risk to exposed people and resources.

This WUN series brings together a broad range of researchers across the discipline to foster discussion on key issues and engender future collaboration.