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Dr. Kim Cohen

Assistant Professor 
Geosciences
Physical Geography
Global Change Geomorphology
Global Change Geomorphology
Vening Meineszgebouw A
Princetonlaan 8a
Kamer 4.34
3584 CB Utrecht

Dr. Kim Cohen

Assistant Professor
Global Change Geomorphology
+31 30 253 5774
k.m.cohen@uu.nl
Profile CV Publications Activities Research Teaching Ancillary activities RM Delta dataset infrastructure Contact
Profile CV Publications Activities Research Teaching Ancillary activities RM Delta dataset infrastructure Contact
Areas of expertise
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On the Rhine-Meuse delta dataset infrastructure

Utrecht University holds a long tradition of mapping and cataloging the landscape, geomorphology and subsurface architecture of the Rhine-Meuse Delta (RMD). These datasets contain an up-to-date reconstruction of successive channel belts in the subsurface of the Rhine-Meuse delta in the Netherlands.

  • A series of Rhine-Meuse delta datasets exist, that are cross-referenced in various ways (not solely on x,y,z but also on sample and coring ID and biblio reference and perhaps most importantly: on age, i.e. their dating in years before present as known from integrated geological, archaeological and historical information). 
  • We are actively upgrading the infrastructure storing the RMD data sets (self funded, funded from faculty policy means). The 1.0 versions of the late 1990ies (e.g. Berendsen & Stouthamer 2001; at the time not open data) and the 2.0 versions (e.g. Cohen et al. 2012; files shared as open data, using DANS archaeology.datastations.nl as the archiving repository) will be succeeded by a version 3.0, for which we are setting up a public server that combine WFS-service (= cloud-delivered GIS data) and 'wiki' functionality (= communal editing) of structured databases (tabular datasets, linked to attributes of GIS data).
  • The spatial extent of the datasets tends to expand with every major update. The area that the databases currently cover well exceeds the Rhine-Meuse delta proper (where this research line began in the 1950ies and of which the coverage was completed in 2001). Beyond the Rhine-Meuse delta proper it includes: The IJssel valley and the central Netherlands' lagoon; the Holland back-barrier coastal plain; the Holocene tidal inlets along the entire Dutch coast (incl. Wadden Sea); the Lower Meuse valley ('Limburg') and the Lower Rhine valley (Niederrhein) in Northrhine-Westfalen, Germany.


Main links to data repositories (as per January 2025):

 

List of full suite of RM delta datasets:

  1. Borehole description database 'LLG'  (Low Land Genesis / Laaglandgenese , v2005, v2010, v2017, v2019, v2021)
    • 134,000 in digital table form, a further ca. 90,000 1960-1990ies additional legacy coring descriptions on paper only (awaiting data-entry digitalization)
    • including the original field maps from surveys by undergraduate students, graduate students, research staff
    • makes use of a 1:many Header:Body table structure, with 9-position unique borehole IDs  YYYYGRNNN (Year, group, 001-999)
    • makes use of a tailored XML-data scheme (LLG2012Dataset.xsd) to contain and exchanged hand-augered borehole description subsets.
    • for offline fieldwork-support (new data entry, existing data intake, plotting cross-section half products) has tailored software LLG2012 
    • for online data querying has public web interface to the LLG database
    • offline export/conversion routines allow to append the data to queries from national infrastructure (Dinoloket, BRO; v2017)
    • for bulk use has an easy.DANS.knaw.nl archived repository, with extra fields holding data conversions (B&S1967/B&S2001 to NEN5104/SBB).
    • Analogue database maintained since 1968. Digital database maintained since 1990. Past digital formats have been LLG93.DBF, LLG2008.MDB.
    • Legacy boreholes logged by research staff: Open Data since 2017. Legacy boreholes logged by students: anonymized Open Data since 2021 (release completed 2024). 
    • Inclusion of UU-LLG data in key registry subsurface (Basisregistratie Ondergrond: BRO): ongoing, catalogue completed and approved 2024. Import in 2025 (subset of geological borehole data).
  2. Digital Basemaps for Rhine-Meuse delta Palaeogeography and query infrastructure
    • Map layer of channel belt ages RMD (zandbanen; (v 2001, v2012, v2015/2017, v2021). Contacts: Cohen, Stouthamer(UU), Berendsen (deceased).
    • Map layer of palaeovalley surface ages (v 2012, v2015/2017, v2021). Contacts: Cohen, Hoek (UU), Woolderink (WEnR, VU, UU: Meuse)
    • Map layer of tidal inlet system ages (v 2015): Contacts: Cohen (UU), Pierik (RCE, UU) 
    • Map layer of coastal barrier ridge ages and drowning age (v 2015). Contacts: Cohen (UU), Pierik (RCE, UU) 
    • Map layer of inland dunes age and drowning age (v 2015). Contacts: Cohen (UU)
    • Map layer of embanked floodplain ages (v 2014). Contacts: Cohen (UU)
    • Map layer of common era natural levee systems (v 2016). Contacts: Cohen (UU), Pierik (RCE, UU) 
  3. Annotated Radiocarbon dating databases (underpinning the age maps) (v2001, v2012, v2017, v2019, v2024). Contacts: Cohen (UU), DeWit (UU)
  4. Annotated Geological cross-section databases (v1993, v2003, v2007, v2009)
  5. 4D accommodation space models (volume evolving over time)
    • 3D-interpolated (v2003, v2010, v2016, v2025) integrating:
    • palaeovalley subsurface mapping (collaborations with TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands)
    • relative sea-level rise and groundwater table rise reconstruction (v2003, v2019, v2024)
    • reconstructions of historic land surface (original land elevation prior to human induced land subsidence)
  6. RMD organic and clastic deposits property databases (v2009, v2017, v2025): see nwa-loss.nl
    • bulk density and other properties of peats in various natural and antropogenic compacted states and burial positions.
    • grain-size distributions of bed load, overbank and palaeochannel fill (flood palaeohydrology)
    • and some more including Embanked Floodplain detailed datasets
  7. Time-sliced Holocene and Last Interglacial sediment budgets for the full RMD system (v2009, v2018)
  8. PalaeoDEMs for various stages of Holocene delta evolution
    • Lateglacial/Early Holocene situation prior to transgression (v2003, v2017)
    • developed Middle Holocene situation with high stand established (v 2017)
    • Roman and Early Medieval times (v 2017, v2019, v2021, v2024)
  9. Rhine-Meuse delta palaeodischarge division schemes (v2016, v2019, v2021)
    • network of branches with bifurcation and confluence nodes for time steps between avulsions (Pierik, Cohen, Stouthamer, Kleinhans)
    • contemporary bankfull discharge division estimates (Pierik, Cohen, Van Dinter, Kleinhans)
  10. Regional Mapping study GIS files, research datasets and legacy maps, digitalisations, e.g.

 

Permanent academic staff involved:

Dr. K.M. Cohen, Dr. W.Z. Hoek, Dr. M. van der Perk, Dr. T.H. Donders, Prof. E. Stouthamer, Prof. H. Middelkoop, Prof. M.G. Kleinhans

 

Frequent external cooperations / power users / users:

  • fellow universities: VU Amsterdam, WUR Wageningen, RUG Groningen, UL Leiden, UT Twente, TUD Delft, KU Leuven, Univ Leeds, Univ Cambridge
  • research institutes: TNO Geological Survey of the Netherlands, Deltares Research Institute, NIOZ Texel/Yerseke, WEnR Wageningen
  • national government & agencies: RCE cultural heritage agency, RWS Rijkswaterstaat directorate for Public Works
  • regional government: Provinces, Waterboards and Municipalities.
  • engineering/geotechnical/geohydrological consultancy firms (dike safety assessment; hydrological assessments)
  • archaeological/landscape/soil management consultancy firms (desk study, prospection, planning, excavation prepping)
  • geography/geology/landscape educational and geotourism sectors (incl. local museums).
  • general interested public (local/regional historical and natural societies)

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