Source-to-Sink Analysis of Sediments: Implications for Coastal Management

Sediment generation studies provide efficient knowledge on source-to-sink sand dispersal pathways and useful strategies for their management. The multiscale approach in an ideal transect between headwaters (I-order sand), through the main channel (II-order sand), until coast and basin (III-order sand) is essential to identify the different sand composition. Here we present case studies of the western Mediterranean area (Calabria and Alboran Domain) that evidences how the production of detritus is the response of the source rock lithology to weathering, relief, transport and depositional environment processes. In particular, differences between single and multiple inputs in the final deposition (III-order sand) demonstrate how the overwhelming of ones of the involved inputs can influence the final composition.