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1.
Valley setting and confinement (or lack thereof) are primary controls on river character and behaviour. Although there are various proxies for valley confinement, direct measures that quantify the nature and extent of confinement are generally lacking and/or inconsistently described. As such they do not lend themselves to consistent analysis over large spatial scales. Here we clearly define forms of confinement to aid in quantification of degrees of confinement. Types of margin that can induce confinement are differentiated as a valley margin, valley bottom margin, and/or anthropogenic margin. Such margins sometimes overlap and share the same location, and in other situations are separated, giving immediate clues as to the valley setting. We apply this framework to examples from Australia, United States and New Zealand, showing how this framework can be applied across the spectrum of river diversity. This method can help to inform interpretations of reach‐scale river behaviour, highlighting the role of antecedent controls on contemporary forms and processes. Clear definitions of confinement are shown to support catchment‐scale analysis of river patterns along longitudinal profiles, and appraisals of the geomorphic effectiveness of floods and sediment flux in catchments (e.g. process zone distribution, lateral sediment inputs and (dis)connectivity). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

2.
In variably confined carbonate platforms, impermeable confining units collect rainfall over large areas and deliver runoff to rivers or conduits in unconfined portions of platforms. Runoff can increase river stage or conduit heads in unconfined portions of platforms faster than local infiltration of rainfall can increase groundwater heads, causing hydraulic gradients between rivers, conduits and the aquifer to reverse. Gradient reversals cause flood waters to flow from rivers and conduits into the aquifer where they can dissolve limestone. Previous work on impacts of gradient reversals on dissolution has primarily emphasized individual caves and little research has been conducted at basin scales. To address this gap in knowledge, we used legacy data to assess how a gradient of aquifer confinement across the Suwannee River Basin, north‐central Florida affected locations, magnitudes and processes of dissolution during 2005–2007, a period with extreme ranges of discharge. During intense rain events, runoff from the confining unit increased river stage above groundwater heads in unconfined portions of the platform, hydraulically damming inputs of groundwater along a 200 km reach of river. Hydraulic damming allowed allogenic runoff with SICAL < ?4 to fill the entire river channel and flow into the aquifer via reversing springs. Storage of runoff in the aquifer decreased peak river discharges downstream and contributed to dissolution within the aquifer. Temporary storage of allogenic runoff in karst aquifers represents hyporheic exchange at a scale that is larger than found in streams flowing over non‐karst aquifers because conduits in karst aquifers extend the area available for exchange beyond river beds deep into aquifers. Post‐depositional porosity in variably confined carbonate platforms should thus be enhanced along rivers that originate on confining units. This distribution should be considered in models of porosity distribution used to manage water and hydrocarbon resources in carbonate rocks. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

3.
This study examined the effects of natural and anthropogenic changes in confining margin width by applying remote sensing techniques – fusing LiDAR topography with image‐derived bathymetry – over a large spatial extent: 58 km of the Snake River, Wyoming, USA. Fused digital elevation models from 2007 and 2012 were differenced to quantify changes in the volume of stored sediment, develop morphological sediment budgets, and infer spatial gradients in bed material transport. Our study spanned two similar reaches that were subject to different controls on confining margin width: natural terraces versus artificial levees. Channel planform in reaches with similar slope and confining margin width differed depending on whether the margins were natural or anthropogenic. The effects of tributaries also differed between the two reaches. Generally, the natural reach featured greater confining margin widths and was depositional, whereas artificial lateral constriction in the leveed reach produced a sediment budget that was closer to balanced. Although our remote sensing methods provided topographic data over a large area, net volumetric changes were not statistically significant due to the uncertainty associated with bed elevation estimates. We therefore focused on along‐channel spatial differences in bed material transport rather than absolute volumes of sediment. To complement indirect estimates of sediment transport derived by morphological sediment budgeting, we collected field data on bed mobility through a tracer study. Surface and subsurface grain size measurements were combined with bed mobility observations to calculate armoring and dimensionless sediment transport ratios, which indicated that sediment supply exceeded transport capacity in the natural reach and vice versa in the leveed reach. We hypothesize that constriction by levees induced an initial phase of incision and bed armoring. Because levees prevented bank erosion, the channel excavated sediment by migrating rapidly across the restricted braidplain and eroding bars and islands. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

4.
The worldwide availability of digital elevation models (DEMs) has enabled rapid (semi-)automated mapping of earth surface landforms. In this paper, we first present an approach for delineating valley bottom extent across a large catchment using only publicly available, coarse-resolution DEM input. We assess the sensitivity of our results to variable DEM resolution and find that coarse-resolution datasets (90 m resolution) provide superior results. We also find that LiDAR-derived DEMs produce more realistic results than satellite-derived DEMs across the full range of topographic settings tested. Satellite-derived DEMs perform more effectively in moderate topographic settings, but fail to capture the subtleties of valley bottom extent in mild gradient, low-lying topography and in narrow headwater reaches. Second, we present a semi-automated technique within ArcGIS for delineating valley bottom segments using DEM-derived network scale metrics of valley bottom width and slope. We use an unsupervised machine-learning technique based on the k-means clustering algorithm to solve a conundrum in GIS-based geomorphic analysis of rivers: the delineation of valley bottom segments of variable length. The delineation of valley bottom segments provides a coarse-scale entry point into automated geomorphic analysis and characterization of river systems. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

5.
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6.
Geomorphological analyses of the morphology, lithostratigraphy and chronology of Holocene alluvial fills in a 2·75 km long piedmont reach of the wandering gravel‐bed River South Tyne at Lambley in Northumberland, northern England, have identified spatial and temporal patterns of late Holocene channel and floodplain development and elucidated the relationship between reach‐ and subreach‐scale channel transformation and terrace formation. Five terraced alluvial fills have been dated to periods sometime between c. 1400 BC –AD 1100, AD 1100–1300, AD 1300–1700, AD 1700–1850 and from AD 1850 to the present. Palaeochannel morphology and lithofacies architecture of alluvial deposits indicate that the past 3000 years has been characterized by episodic channel and floodplain change associated with development and subsequent recovery of subreach‐scale zones of instability which have been fixed in neither time nor space. Cartographic and photographic evidence spanning the past 130 years suggests channel transformation can be accomplished in as little as 50 years. The localized and episodic nature of fluvial adjustment at Lambley points to the operation of subreach‐scale controls of coarse sediment transfers. These include downstream propagation of sediment waves, as well as internal controls imposed by differing valley floor morphology, gradient and boundary materials. However, the preservation of correlated terrace levels indicates that major phases of floodplain construction and entrenchment have been superimposed over locally complex patterns of sediment transfer. Reach‐scale lateral and vertical channel adjustments at Lambley appear to be closely related to climatically driven changes in flood frequency and magnitude, with clusters of extreme floods being particularly important for accomplishing entrenchment and reconfiguring the pattern of localized instability zones. Confinement of flood flows by valley entrenchment, and contamination of catchment river courses by metal‐rich fine sediments following recent historic mining operations, have combined to render the South Tyne at Lambley increasingly sensitive to changes in flood regimes over the past 1000 years. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

7.
Extensive valley fills at the base of the escarpment in upper Wolumla Creek, on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, have formed from a combination of ‘cut and fill’ processes. The valley fills comprise series of alternating, horizontally bedded sand and mud units, reflecting reworking of detritus from deeply weathered granites of the Bega Batholith. Sand units are deposited as sand sheets or splays on floodplain surfaces or in floodouts that form atop intact valley fill surfaces downstream of discontinuous gullies. Alternatively, sands are deposited from bedload and form bars or part of the valley floor within channel fills. Organic-rich mud units are deposited from suspension in swamps or in seepage zones at the distal margin of floodouts. Within 5 km of the escarpment, valley deposits grade downstream from sand sheet and splay deposition in floodouts, to mud deposition in swamp and seepage zones. Radiocarbon dates indicate that virtually the entire valley fill of upper Wolumla Creek was excavated prior to 6000 years BP . Remnant terraces are evident at valley margins. The valley subsequently filled between 6000 years BP and 1000 years BP producing valley fills around 12 m deep, but no greater than 300 m wide. Reincision into the valley fill, on a scale smaller than the present incision phase, is indicated at around 1000 years BP , following which the channel refilled. Portion plans dated from 1865 refer to the study area as ‘Wolumla Big Flat’, and show large areas of swampy terrain, suggesting that the valley fill had re-established by this time. Within a few decades of European settlement the valley fill incised once more. Upper Wolumla Creek now has a channel over 10 m deep and 100 m wide in places, draining a catchment area of less than 20 km2. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

8.
How rock resistance or erodibility affects fluvial landforms and processes is an outstanding question in geomorphology that has recently garnered attention owing to the recognition that the erosion rates of bedrock channels largely set the pace of landscape evolution. In this work, we evaluate valley width, terrace distribution, and bedload provenance in terms of reach scale variation in lithology in the study reach and discuss the implications for landscape evolution in a catchment with relatively flat‐lying stratigraphy and very little uplift. A reach of the Buffalo National River in Arkansas was partitioned into lithologic reaches and the mechanical and chemical resistance of the main lithologies making up the catchment was measured. Valley width and the spatial distribution of terraces were compared among the different lithologic reaches. The surface grain size and provenance of coarse (2–90 mm) sediment of both modern gravel bars and older terrace deposits that make up the former bedload were measured and defined. The results demonstrate a strong impact of lithology upon valley width, terrace distribution, and bedload provenance and therefore, upon landscape evolution processes. Channel down‐cutting through different lithologies creates variable patterns of resistance across catchments and continents. Particularly in post‐tectonic and non‐tectonic landscapes, the variation in resistance that arises from the exhumation of different rocks in channel longitudinal profiles can impact local base levels, initiating responses that can be propagated through channel networks. The rate at which that response is transmitted through channels is potentially amplified and/or mitigated by differences between the resistance of channel beds and bedload sediment loads. In the study reach, variation in lithologic resistance influences the prevalence of lateral and vertical processes, thus producing a spatial pattern of terraces that reflects rock type rather than climate, regional base level change, or hydrologic variability. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

9.
Google Earth provides potential for exploiting an enormous reservoir of freely-available remotely sensed data to support river science and management. In this paper, we consider how the platform can support investigation of river physical forms and processes by developing an empirically-based reach-scale classification of semi-natural European single thread to transitional rivers. Using strict reach and image selection criteria, we identified 194 reaches of 68 rivers for analysis. Measurements of channel dimensions and counts of in-channel and floodplain features, standardised for reach length and channel width where necessary, were used to derive a series of geomorphologically-relevant process indicators. A suite of multivariate analyses were then applied to this data set, resulting in the discrimination of five river types: laterally stable, laterally active sinuous-meandering; transitional (near-braided); bedrock; and cascade/step dominated. The results of the classification were tested by examining the characteristics and distribution of the river classes in relation to known independent controls of river form including reach-scale energy and valley confinement conditions. Our results show that if methods of data extraction are carefully developed, physically meaningful river reach discrimination can be achieved using Google Earth. Although there are limits to the types of information that can be extracted such that field investigations cannot always be avoided, there is enormous potential to mine Google Earth across different space and time scales, supporting the assembly of large, reliable data sets relevant to river forms and processes in a very cost-effective way. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

10.
Logjams that span the bankfull channel strongly influence hydraulics and downstream fluxes of diverse materials. Several studies quantify the longitudinal distribution of channel-spanning logjams, but fewer studies examine changes in longitudinal distribution in response to disturbances such as floods. We use 10 years of annual surveys of a population of channel-spanning logjams along mountain streams in the Southern Rocky Mountains. Surveys from 2010 to 2019 bracket substantial interannual variability in the snowmelt peak flow as well as a rainfall flood in 2013. We characterised the number of logjams per unit length of valley (logjam distribution density) within and between reaches designated based on longitudinally consistent channel and valley geometry. Our primary objectives are to evaluate the influences on logjam distribution density of (i) spatial variations in valley and channel geometry and (ii) temporal variations in peak annual flow. We hypothesized that logjam distribution densities are resilient to disturbance at both spatial scales. At the creek scale, logjam distribution density correlates significantly with increasing ratio of floodplain width to channel width and wood piece length to channel width. Wide, low gradient reaches with greater distribution density exhibit greater interannual variation in distribution density. These reaches lost jams during the 2013 flood but returned to pre-flood distribution density values by the end of the study. The pattern of greater logjam distribution density in unconfined reaches relative to confined and partially confined reaches is also consistent over the period of the study. We interpret these results as indicating the resilience of logjam distributions to disturbance. The persistence of greater numbers of logjams in wide, low gradient reaches suggests that river restoration employing engineered logjams and wood reintroduction can focus most effectively on these reaches.  相似文献   

11.
Reach-scale morphological channel classifications are underpinned by the theory that each channel type is related to an assemblage of reach- and catchment-scale hydrologic, topographic, and sediment supply drivers. However, the relative importance of each driver on reach morphology is unclear, as is the possibility that different driver assemblages yield the same reach morphology. Reach-scale classifications have never needed to be predicated on hydrology, yet hydrology controls discharge and thus sediment transport capacity. The scientific question is: do two or more regions with quantifiable differences in hydrologic setting end up with different reach-scale channel types, or do channel types transcend hydrologic setting because hydrologic setting is not a dominant control at the reach scale? This study answered this question by isolating hydrologic metrics as potential dominant controls of channel type. Three steps were applied in a large test basin with diverse hydrologic settings (Sacramento River, California) to: (1) create a reach-scale channel classification based on local site surveys, (2) categorize sites by flood magnitude, dimensionless flood magnitude, and annual hydrologic regime type, and (3) statistically analyze two hydrogeomorphic linkages. Statistical tests assessed the spatial distribution of channel types and the dependence of channel type morphological attributes by hydrologic setting. Results yielded 10 channel types. Nearly all types existed across all hydrologic settings, which is perhaps a surprising development for hydrogeomorphology. Downstream hydraulic geometry relationships were statistically significant. In addition, cobble-dominated uniform streams showed a consistent inverse relationship between slope and dimensionless flood magnitude, an indication of dynamic equilibrium between transport capacity and sediment supply. However, most morphological attributes showed no sorting by hydrologic setting. This study suggests that median hydraulic geometry relations persist across basins and within channel types, but hydrologic influence on geomorphic variability is likely due to local influences rather than catchment-scale drivers. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

12.
Preferential groundwater discharge features along stream corridors are ecologically important at local and stream network scales, yet we lack quantification of the multiscale controls on the spatial patterning of groundwater discharge. Here we identify physical attributes that best explain variation in the presence and lateral extent of preferential groundwater discharges along two 5th order streams, the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers, and 32 1st to 4th order reaches across the Farmington River network. We mapped locations of preferential groundwater discharge exposed along streambanks using handheld thermal infrared cameras paired with high-resolution topographic and land use land cover datasets, surficial soil characteristic maps, and depth-to-bedrock geophysical measurements. The unconfined Housatonic River, MA, USA (12 km) had fewer discharge locations and less lateral extent (41 discharge locations with 38 m of active discharge/km of river) compared to the partially confined Farmington River, CT, USA (26 km; 169 discharge locations with 129 m of active discharge/km of river). Using a moving window analysis, we found along both rivers that discharge was more likely to occur where bank slopes were steeper, floodplain extent was narrower, and degree of confinement was higher. Along the Farmington River, groundwater discharge was more likely to occur where saturated hydraulic conductivity was higher and depth-to-bedrock was shallower. Among the 32 stream reaches surveyed (33.2 km of total stream length) within the Farmington River watershed, preferential discharge was observed in all but two stream reaches, varied from 0 to 25% of lateral extent along stream banks (mean = 6%), and was more likely to occur where stream reach slopes were steep, saturated hydraulic conductivity was high, and watershed urbanization was low. Our results show that, though both surface (e.g., topographic, land use land cover) and subsurface (e.g., soil characteristics, bedrock depth) factors control the prevalence of streambank preferential groundwater discharge, the dominant controls vary across valley settings and stream sizes.  相似文献   

13.
Topographic change processes (TCPs) are the mechanisms by which a landscape is interpreted to be experiencing landform deformation, and are defined by the specific actions occurring within a contiguous, localized region that cause sediment to be either deposited or eroded. Past topographic change studies have mostly been focused at the site scale. The goal of this study was to identify and delineate spatially explicit TCP types across the valley width in a 34‐km long cobble‐gravel river at the scale of one‐tenth of the bankfull channel width over a period of seven to nine years. To accomplish this, a new procedure was developed that analyzes spatial patterns of topographic change evident from differencing two raster digital elevation models and accounting for sources of uncertainty, then identifying and classifying those changes using a decision tree framework that invokes the locations of those changes as they relate to the locations of specific geographic characteristics. Once mapped, TCP polygons were analyzed for areal patterns and volumetric rates of change. Results showed that 19 unique TCP types occurred and that they have organized but complex spatial patterns. Within this study segment, overbank storage processes occurred over the most area and displaced the most net volume of sediment, while cohesive bank retreat created the largest net change in topographic elevations. Analyses of the TCPs reveal that the regulated lower Yuba River (LYR) is not experiencing the expected combination of channel incision and floodplain deposition commonly reported below dams. Instead, the LYR is a dynamic valley that is still adjusting valley‐wide to the upstream dam with a diverse suite of processes that cause the channel and floodplains to scour and fill in concert. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

14.
Wood load, channel parameters and valley parameters were surveyed in 50 contiguous stream segments each 25 m in length along 12 streams in the Colorado Front Range. Length and diameter of each piece of wood were measured, and the orientation of each piece was tallied as a ramp, buried, bridge or unattached. These data were then used to evaluate longitudinal patterns of wood distribution in forested headwater streams of the Colorado Front Range, and potential channel‐, valley‐ and watershed‐scale controls on these patterns. We hypothesized that (i) wood load decreases downstream, (ii) wood is non‐randomly distributed at channel lengths of tens to hundreds of meters as a result of the presence of wood jams and (iii) the proportion of wood clustered into jams increases with drainage area as a result of downstream increases in relative capacity of a stream to transport wood introduced from the adjacent riparian zone and valley bottom. Results indicate a progressive downstream decrease in wood load within channels, and correlations between wood load and drainage area, elevation, channel width, bed gradient and total stream power. Results support the first and second hypotheses, but are inconclusive with respect to the third hypothesis. Wood is non‐randomly distributed at lengths of tens to hundreds of meters, but the proportion of pieces in jams reaches a maximum at intermediate downstream distances within the study area. We use these results to propose a conceptual model illustrating downstream trends in wood within streams of the Colorado Front Range. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

15.
River networks have been shown to obey power scaling laws and to follow self‐organization principles. Their self‐similar (fractal) properties open a path to relate small scale and large scale hydrological processes, such as erosion, deposition or geological movements. However, the existence of a self‐similar dimension has only been checked using either the whole channel network or, on the contrary, a single channel link. No study has explicitly addressed the possible spatial variation of the self‐similar properties between these two extreme geomorphologic objects. Here, a new method based on self‐similarity maps (SSM) is proposed to spatially explore the stream length self‐similar dimension Dl within a river network. The mapping principle consists in computing local self‐similar dimensions deduced from a fit of stream length estimations using increasing divider sizes. A local uncertainty related to the fit quality is also computed and localized on every stream. To assess the efficiency of the approach, contrasted river networks are simulated using optimal channel networks (OCN), where each network is characterized by an exponent γ conditioning its overall topology. By building SSM of these networks, it is shown that deviations from uniform self‐similarity across space occur. Depending on the type of network (γ parameter), these deviations are or are not related to Strahler's order structure. Finally, it is found numerically that the structural averaged stream length self‐similar dimension Dl is closely related to the more functional γ parameter. Results form a bridge between the studies on river sinuosity (single channel) and growth of channel networks (watershed). As for every method providing spatial information where they were lacking before, the SSM may soon help to accurately interpret natural networks and help to simulate more realistic channel networks. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

16.
Historical range of variability (HRV) describes the range of temporal and spatial variations in river variables such as flow regime or channel planform prior to intensive human alteration of the ecosystem. In mountainous river networks, HRV is most usefully applied to spatially differentiated geomorphic process domains with distinctive form and process. Using the Colorado Front Range as an example, three examples of how knowledge of HRV can assist river management and restoration are discussed. The examples involve instream wood load and channel morphology, beaver colonies and valley‐bottom form and process, and flow thresholds in regulated rivers. The question of what a river should look like – that is, what range of process and form the river included prior to intensive human alteration – can be addressed by (i) placing the river within a process domain, (ii) establishing correlations between form parameters that can be remotely sensed and reach‐scale process and form, so that the spatial extent, connectivity, and rarity of process domains within a river network or a region can be quickly assessed, (iii) inferring characteristics of the river prior to intensive alteration by documenting characteristics of the least altered reference rivers and by using proxy indicators of pre‐alteration conditions, and (iv) establishing process thresholds that must be exceeded to maintain form (e.g. flow thresholds to mobilize bed sediment). Once this context has been established, resource managers can better evaluate the options for restoring altered riverine form and function. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

17.
This paper examined sequence‐stratigraphic features of a gravelly fluvial system of the Iwaki Formation, which developed in a forearc‐basin setting in Northeast Japan during the Eocene through Oligocene. On the basis of three‐dimensional architectural element analysis, we discriminated three major cycles of channel complexes, which contain ten component channel deposits in total in the fluvial succession. Component channel deposits in the uppermost part of each cycle are sandier and associated with overbank muddy deposits and coal beds as compared with those in the lower part of the cycle. Mean clast‐size also decreases upsection in the entire gravelly fluvial deposits. The fluvial succession is interpreted to have been deposited in response to an overall rise in relative sea level that was superimposed by three short‐term relative sea‐level rises on the basis of vertical stacking patterns and component lithofacies features of channel deposits, and of correlation of the fluvial succession with an age‐equivalent marine succession in an area about 50 km offshore. However, geometry and stacking patterns of the channel complexes do not exhibit any distinct temporal variation and amalgamated channel and bar deposits are dominant throughout the transgressive fluvial succession. On the other hand, an overall fining‐upward pattern of the entire Iwaki Formation fluvial deposits in association with three component fining‐upward patterns is distinct, and is interpreted to be consistent with the tenet of the standard fluvial sequence‐stratigraphic models. This indicates that the present example represents one type of variation in the standard fluvial sequence‐stratigraphic models, possibly reflecting the forearc‐basin setting, which is generally represented by higher valley slope, higher shedding of coarse‐grained sediments, and shorter longitudinal profiles to the coastal area as compared with a passive‐continental‐margin setting.  相似文献   

18.
Quantifying the morphology of braided rivers is a key task for understanding braided river behaviour. In the last decade, developments in geomatics technologies and associated data processing methods have transformed the production of precise, reach‐scale topographic datasets. Nevertheless, generating accurate Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) remains a demanding task, particularly in fluvial systems. This paper identifies a threefold set of challenges associated with surveying these dynamic landforms: complex relief, inundated shallow channels and high rates of sediment transport, and terms these challenges the ‘morphological’, ‘wetted channel’ and ‘mobility’ problems, respectively. In an attempt to confront these issues directly, this paper presents a novel survey methodology that combines mobile terrestrial laser scanning and non‐metric aerial photography with data reduction and surface modelling techniques to render DEMs from the resulting very high resolution datasets. The approach is used to generate and model a precise, dense topographic dataset for a 2.5 km reach of the braided Rees River, New Zealand. Data were acquired rapidly between high flow events and incorporate over 5 x 109 raw survey observations with point densities of 1600 pts m‐2 on exposed bar and channel surfaces. A detailed error analysis of the resulting sub‐metre resolution is described to quantify DEM quality across the entire surface model. This reveals unparalleled low vertical errors for such a large and complex surface model; between 0.03 and 0.12 m in exposed and inundated areas of the model, respectively. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

19.
Small inland valley wetlands contribute substantially to the livelihoods of rural communities in East Africa. Their conversion into farmland is driven by water availability. We quantified spatial-temporal dynamics of water availability in a headwater wetland in the humid zone of Kenya. Climatic conditions, soil moisture contents, groundwater levels and discharge data were monitored. A land-use map and a digital elevation model of the valley bottom were created to relate variations in soil moisture to dominant land uses and valley morphology.Upland crops occupied about a third of the wetland area, while approximately a quarter of the wet, central part of the valley bottom was designated for flood-tolerant taro, grown either by itself or in association or in rotation with upland crops. Finally, natural vegetation was found in 3% of the mapped area, mainly in sections with nearpermanent soil saturation.The HBV rainfall-runoff model's overestimation of stream discharge during the long dry season of the hydrological year 2010/2011 can be explained by the strong seasonal impact of water abstraction on the wetland's water balance.Our study vividly demonstrates the necessity of multi-method approaches for assessing the impact of management practices on water availability in valley bottom wetlands in East Africa.  相似文献   

20.
Three types of sinkhole have been mapped in a 50 km2 stretch of the Ebro River valley downstream of Zaragoza: large collapse sinkholes, large shallow subsidence depressions and small cover-collapse sinkholes. The sinkholes relate to the karstification of evaporitic bedrock that wedges out abruptly downstream, giving way to a shale substratum. Twenty-three collapse sinkholes, up to 50 m in diameter by 6 m deep, and commonly hosting saline ponds, have been identified in the floodplain. They have been attributed to the upward stoping of dissolutional cavities formed within the evaporitic bedrock by rising groundwater flows. Twenty-four large shallow subsidence depressions were mapped in the floodplain. These may reach 850 m in length and were formed by structurally controlled interstratal karstification of soluble beds (halite or glauberite? and gypsum) by rising groundwater flow and the progressive settlement of the overlying bedrock and overburden sediments. A total of 447 small cover-collapse, or dropout, sinkholes have been recognized in a perched alluvial level along the southern margin of the valley. These sinkholes result from the upward propagation of voids through the alluvial mantle caused by the downward migration of detrital sediments into dissolutional voids. The majority of these sinkholes, commonly 1·5–2 m in diameter, are induced by human activities. Over the karstic bedrock, there is a significant increase in sinkhole density downstream. This is interpreted as being a result of the evaporitic bedrock wedging out and the convergence of the groundwater flow lines in the karstic aquifer. The collapse sinkholes in this area, locally with a probability of occurrence higher than 140 sinkholes/km2/year, cause substantial damage to the linear infrastructures, buildings and agriculture, and they might eventually cause the loss of human lives. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

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