TY - JOUR T1 - The interplay between tectonics, sediment dynamics and gateways evolution in the Danube system from the Pannonian Basin to the western Black Sea A1 - Matenco,Liviu A1 - Munteanu,Ioan A1 - Ter Borgh,Marten A1 - Stanica,Adrian A1 - Tilita,Marius A1 - Lericolais,Gilles A1 - Dinu,Corneliu A1 - Oaie,Gheorghe AD - Univ Utrecht, Fac Geosci, Utrecht, Netherlands. AD - Natl Inst Marine Geol & Geoecol GeoEcoMar, Bucharest, Romania. AD - IFREMER, Geosci Marines, Paris, France. AD - Univ Bucharest, Fac Geol & Geophys, Bucharest, Romania. UR - https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00288/39939/ DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.10.081 KW - Source to sink KW - Gateways KW - Connectivity KW - Danube Basin KW - Black Sea N2 - Understanding the natural evolution of a river–delta–sea system is important to develop a strong scientific basis for efficient integrated management plans. The distribution of sediment fluxes is linked with the natural connection between sediment source areas situated in uplifting mountain chains and deposition in plains, deltas and, ultimately, in the capturing oceans and seas. The Danube River–western Black Sea is one of the most active European systems in terms of sediment re-distribution that poses significant societal challenges. We aim to derive the tectonic and sedimentological background of human-induced changes in this system and discuss their interplay. This is obtained by analysing the tectonic and associated vertical movements, the evolution of relevant basins and the key events affecting sediment routing and deposition. The analysis of the main source and sink areas is focused in particular on the Miocene evolution of the Carpatho-Balkanides, Dinarides and their sedimentary basins including the western Black Sea. The vertical movements of mountains chains created the main moments of basin connectivity observed in the Danube system. Their timing and effects are observed in sediments deposited in the vicinity of gateways, such as the transition between the Pannonian/Transylvanian and Dacian basins and between the Dacian Basin and western Black Sea. The results demonstrate the importance of understanding threshold conditions driving rapid basins connectivity changes superposed over the longer time scale of tectonic-induced vertical movements associated with background erosion and sedimentation. The spatial and temporal scale of such processes is contrastingly different and challenging. The long-term patterns interact with recent or anthropogenic induced modifications in the natural system and may result in rapid changes at threshold conditions that can be quantified and predicted. Their understanding is critical because of frequent occurrence during orogenic evolution, as commonly observed in the Mediterranean area and discussed elsewhere. Y1 - 2016/02 PB - Elsevier Science Bv JF - Science Of The Total Environment SN - 0048-9697 VL - 543 SP - 807 EP - 827 ID - 39939 ER -