The aim of the TRACE CLIMATE program ( supported by ERASMUS+ project 2023-1-RO01-KA220-HED-000160375) is to offer students the opportunity to discover new landscapes, to understand how similar landforms have developed in different geological settings, and to examine the imprints of climate change and tectonic movements. In doing so, the program renews and deepens knowledge acquired in Geomorphology courses through the application of modern techniques and methodologies.

Among the various environments investigated, we have focused on the coastline of the Rhône delta through a historical analysis of shoreline position. The Rhône delta is one of the major deltas of the Mediterranean, strongly influenced by river sediment supply, storms, and sea-level rise. Like all Mediterranean deltas, it is highly sensitive to climatic variability and records the signatures of environmental change.

Through this website, students and interested readers will be able to undertake a virtual visit of the delta. Most of the documentation has been synthesized specifically for the TRACE CLIMATE project and represents the outcome of 25 years of research and field measurements.

This website is organized into two complementary sections.

The first section, General Coastal Processes, provides the theoretical framework and should be read first. It presents the main mechanisms controlling coastal morphodynamics, including wave dynamics, sediment transport, and shoreline evolution.

The second section, Virtual Field Trip, accessible via the yellow button at the top left, offers a guided exploration along the coastline of the Rhône delta. It follows the shoreline and stops at key locations where specific geomorphological processes are illustrated through concrete examples.

Together, these sections link theory and field observations to better understand the dynamics of this deltaic coast.