Source-to-sink analysis

Source-to-sink (S2S) analysis examines the entire sediment pathway, from its origin (the source area) to its ultimate destination (the depositional sink). It focuses on the factors that control sediment production, transport, and accumulation, from river catchments to the deep sea. This discipline relies on an integrated geomorphological, oceanographic, and sedimentological approach, where quantification of physical and chemical processes in modern systems provides a reference for reconstructing sediment dispersal patterns in Quaternary systems. In S2S analysis, numerical modeling of ‘normal’ processes in fluvial, coastal, and marine environments is combined with the assessment of the impact of exceptional events (e.g., landslides, debris flows, floods, storms, tsunamis) and anthropogenic activities (e.g., river regulation works or coastal defence structures) on infrastructures and ecosystems.