Contents
Introduction
Chapter I - What sediment is in the lower Seine and where does it come from?
Geological context of the Seine Estuary
Pre-Quaternary substrate
Quaternary deposits in the lower Seine valley
The origin of mobile sediment in the estuary
Sands and gravels
Current contribution from the upstream catchment
Current intra-estuary contributions of sands and gravels
Current contributions of marine sand
Silts and muds
The modern contribution of fine particles from the catchment upstream
Mud supply from the estuary itself
Mud supply from the marine environment
Chapter II - The Seine river: an estuarine morphology under human control
Upstream from Rouen, a natural estuary
From Rouen to Quillebeuf-sur-Seine, a channelized estuary
Downstream from Quillebeuf-sur-Seine, a saline estuary
The evolution of the estuary from the 19th century to the end of the 1970s
The history of the principal modifications
The morphological evolution of the downstream estuary up until the 1970s
The evolution of the estuary over the course of the last 20 years
Modifications from 1980 to 2000
Morphological changes over the last 20 years
Chapter III – The surficial sediments of the Seine estuary and their evolution
Analytical methodology
Fluvial estuary sediments upstream from Rouen
Seine channel sediments from Rouen to Quillebeuf-sur-Seine
Estuary sediment downstream from Quillebeuf-sur-Seine
Downstream estuary sediments in the navigational channel
Sediment at the mouth of the Seine
The current situation: a map of sediments at the mouth
Evolution of sedimentation in the Seine mouth over the last century
Seasonal fluctuations in the siltation of the Seine mouth
The sediments in the eastern Bay of the Seine
A summary of sediment studies in the Seine Estuary and the nearshore area
Conclusion and perspectives
References
Glossary
