Record Details
An X-radiographic study of the October 2000 Po River flood deposit, Italy
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | An X-radiographic study of the October 2000 Po River flood deposit, Italy |
| Names |
Hunt, Louise
(creator) Wheatcroft, Robert A. (advisor) |
| Date Issued | 2002-10-18 (iso8601) |
| Note | Graduation date: 2003 |
| Abstract | During October 2000 the Po River, Italy's largest river, experienced a historically significant flood, producing a deposit on the adjacent prodelta. In December 2000 an event-response study of the deposit was conducted, and during the ensuing 16 months three additional sampling cruises were conducted to study the subsequent evolution of the deposit. X-radiograph analysis techniques were developed to enable objective, quantitative measurements of deposit thickness. Two methods of objectively locating the deposit base were created and verified with a data set of x-radiographs from a previously studied flood deposit. The Po River flood deposit was found to be proximal to the river mouths with a sharp cross-shore thickness gradient, from 38-cm thick in 11-m water depth off the Pila mouth, to the deposit edge approximately 7 km seaward in 30-m water depth. Along-shore deposit thickness was varied; deposit thickness was high (> 15 cm) at near shore (10-m depth) stations proximal to river mouths and low (7 cm) at other near-shore stations. This distribution was likely a result of the low energy shelf environment allowing immediate deposition of Po River sediment load with little dispersal or resuspension. The located deposit mass was approximately 10⁷ T. Continued deposition and bioturbation occurred at most sites between December 2000 and June 2001. Sites proximal to the Pila mouth showed continued deposition through April 2002 at rates of up to 15 cm/yr. Between December 2000 and April 2002 no significant erosion occurred; consistent with the generally low velocity bottom currents measured at a benthic tripod in the study area. |
| Genre | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Topic | Po River Delta (Italy) |
| Identifier | http://hdl.handle.net/1957/22836 |
