Global rates and patterns of channel migration in river deltas

Significance River deltas are home to hundreds of millions of people and are currently undergoing natural and anthropogenically forced changes to their channel networks. It is important to document current decadal rates of delta channel migration to develop a better understanding of what global-scale phenomena exert influence on rates of change. We can then use that information to predict how future changes will continue to affect deltas and those who inhabit them. After extracting channel migration vectors from 48 deltas, we reconcile rates of migration with magnitudes of fluvial forcing, sediment flux, and flood frequency. By embedding the findings of this study in delta management strategies, a balance between human habitation and the natural dynamics of deltas can potentially be reached.