Late-Holocene counterpoint deposition in the Lower Rhine River

Abstract

Channel deposits from meandering rivers have proven to be far more complex than the well-known lithofacies model consisting of coarse-grained channel, gravelly channel-lag and fine-grained overbank deposits. Sharp bends in rivers are subject to different hydraulic processes than bends with lower curvatures, enabling erosion of inner banks and deposition of fine-grained sediments in the outer bend, resulting in downstream migration of river bends. This phenomenon is known as counterpoint deposition, forming counterpoint bars. This research investigates whether scroll bars associated with a sharp bend in the Lower Rhine River, The Netherlands, are such a counterpoint-bar deposit. A counterpoint bar is expected based on: (i) the surface morphology of the scroll bar; (ii) the confinement of the river course by an ice-pushed ridge resulting in a sharp bend; and (iii) the archaeological context of successive Roman settlements atop the ice-pushed ridge, potentially moving downstream with the migrating river bend. This hypothesis is tested through detailed borehole descriptions combined with optically stimulated luminescence dating, the latter being a novel approach to identifying counterpoint deposits. The deposits consist of clays and sandy clays with fine sand laminations, and sporadic larger sand bodies. Further upstream these deposits grade into channel deposits dominated by coarser sands with gravels. These lithologies are explained using earlier proposed mechanisms for counterpoint formation; substrata match those described in previously studied counterpoint deposits and their point bar counterparts. Optically stimulated luminescence dates indicate that the Lower Rhine River bend migrated downstream, confirming counterpoint deposition. A migration rate of 1.93 m/year was established through weighted linear regression. This study demonstrates the potential of optically stimulated luminescence dating to investigate counterpoint bar presence. The identified counterpoint bars and associated bend migration provide insight into meandering river dynamics that is crucial for river management and in aiding river restoration and rewilding initiatives.