Modelling the long‐term fluvial erosion of the River Somme during the last million years

Abstract

Abstract A process‐based model that simulates fluvial erosion in the River Somme Valley over the last million years is presented here. The model takes into account lithology and climatic influences and allows the simulating of undercapacity and overcapacity sediment transport behaviour. The model has been calibrated to a family of terraces within the River Somme Valley. When matched to this field data, simulation trials suggest that bedrock incision occurred principally from 120 to 60–40 kyr during the last climatic cycle and before the last glaciation. The impact of a progressive tectonic uplift ( c. 60 m over c . 1 million years) on the River Somme has also been studied here. Extended over a longer period of time, the simulations suggest that 1 million years ago the profile of the River Somme had a lower slope gradient than today, with little relief throughout the Paris Basin.