Geomorphological evolution of the Nete basin: identification of past events to assess the future evolution

Identification of crucial landscape forming events is necessary to assess the future evolution of the landscape. This report deals with the past and future evolution of the Nete basin and surroundings and gives direct and indirect input to SFC1. In the first part of this report, the past evolution of the Nete basin is evaluated according to state-of-the-art knowledge on the geomorphology and Quaternary geology of the Campine region and adjacent areas. This will be translated into useful elements that would aid assessment of the future evolution (e.g., soil erosion, river behaviour, etc.). The evolution will be put in broader perspective, and it will be shown that the evolution of the Flemish Valley and the English Channel are closely linked with the evolution of the Nete basin. In the second part of the report, theoretical considerations are made regarding climate forcing of soil erosion and river behaviour based on generic output from various studies. Finally, an overall summary of landscape reconstruction and evolution will be given. It should be stressed that internal (uplift/subsidence) and external (climate change) geodynamics are strongly interrelated, and it is often very difficult to distinguish between climatic and tectonic control on landscape evolution.