Rivers turned to rock: Late Quaternary alluvial induration influencing the behaviour and morphology of an anabranching river in the Australian monsoon tropics     

Gerald C. Nanson  Brian G. Jones  David M. Price  Timothy J. Pietsch 《Geomorphology》2005,70(3-4):398

Late Quaternary alluvial induration has greatly influenced contemporary channel morphology on the anabranching Gilbert River in the monsoon tropics of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Gilbert, one of a number of rivers in this region, has contributed to an extensive system of coalescing low-gradient and partly indurated riverine plains. Extensive channel sands were deposited by enhanced flow conditions during marine oxygen isotope (OI) Stage 5. Subsequent flow declined, probably associated with increased aridity, however, enhanced runoff recurred again in OI Stages 4–3 (65–50 ka). Aridity then capped these plains with 4–7 m of mud. A widespread network of sandy distributary channels was incised into this muddy surface from sometime after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the mid Holocene during a fluvial episode more active than the present but less so than those of OI Stages 5 and 3. This network is still partly active but with channel avulsion and abandonment now occurring largely proximal to the main Gilbert flow path.A tropical climate and reactive catchment lithology have enhanced chemical weathering and lithification of alluvium along the river resulting in the formation of small rapids, waterfalls and inset gorges, features characteristic more of bedrock than alluvial systems. Thermoluminescence (TL) and comparative optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of the sediments are presented along with U/Th ages of pedogenic calcrete and Fe/Mn oxyhydroxide/ oxide accumulations. They show that calcrete precipitated during the Late Quaternary at times similar to those that favoured ferricrete formation, possibly because of an alternating wet–dry climate. Intense chemical alteration of the alluvium leading to induration appears to have prevailed for much of the Late Quaternary but, probably due to exceptional dryness, not during the LGM. The result has been restricted channel migration and a reduced capacity for the channel to adjust and accommodate sudden changes in bedload. Consequent avulsions have caused local stream powers to increase by an order of magnitude, inducing knickpoint erosion, local incision and the sudden influx of additional bedload that has triggered further avulsions. The Gilbert River, while less energetic than its Pleistocene ancestors, is clearly an avulsive system, and emphasizes the importance in some tropical rivers of alluvial induration for reinforcing the banks, generating nickpoints, reworking sediment and thereby developing and maintaining an indurated and anabranching river style.  相似文献   

Channel adjustments of the lower Trinity River,Texas, downstream of Livingston Dam     

Jonathan D. Phillips  Michael C. Slattery  Zachary A. Musselman 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2005,30(11):1419-1439

Channel cross‐sectional changes since construction of Livingston Dam and Lake Livingston in 1968 were studied in the lower Trinity River, Texas, to test theoretical models of channel adjustment, and to determine controls on the spatial extent of channel response. High and average flows were not significantly modified by the dam, but sediment transport is greatly reduced. The study is treated as an opportunistic experiment to examine the effects of a reduction in sediment supply when discharge regime is unchanged. Channel scour is evident for about 60 km downstream, and the general phenomena of incision, widening, coarsening of channel sediment and a decrease in channel slope are successfully predicted, in a qualitative sense, by standard models of channel response. However, there is no consistent channel response within this reach, as various qualitatively different combinations of increases, decreases or no change in width, depth, slope and roughness occur. These multiple modes of adjustment are predicted by the unstable hydraulic geometry model. Between about 60 km and the Trinity delta 175 km downstream of the dam, no morphological response to the dam is observed. Rather than a diminution of the dam's effects on fluvial processes, this is due to a fundamental change in controls of the fluvial system. The downstream end of the scour zone corresponds to the upstream extent of channel response to Holocene sea level rise. Beyond 60 km downstream, the Trinity River is characterized by extensive sediment storage and reduced conveyance capacity, so that even after dam construction sediment supply still exceeds transport capacity. The channel bed of much of this reach is near or below sea level, so that sea level rise and backwater effects from the estuary are more important controls on the fluvial system than upstream inputs. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Channel geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand     

Ellen E. Wohl  Andrew Wilcox 《Journal of Hydrology》2005,300(1-4):252-266

A dataset of 21 study reaches in the Porter and Kowai rivers (eastern side of the South Island), and 13 study reaches in Camp Creek and adjacent catchments (western side of the South Island) was used to examine downstream hydraulic geometry of mountain streams in New Zealand. Streams in the eastern and western regions both exhibit well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry, as indicated by strong correlations between channel top width, bankfull depth, mean velocity, and bankfull discharge. Exponents for the hydraulic geometry relations are similar to average values for rivers worldwide. Factors such as colluvial sediment input to the channels, colluvial processes along the channels, tectonic uplift, and discontinuous bedrock exposure along the channels might be expected to complicate adjustment of channel geometry to downstream increases in discharge. The presence of well-developed downstream hydraulic geometry relations despite these complicating factors is interpreted to indicate that the ratio of hydraulic driving forces to substrate resisting forces is sufficiently large to permit channel adjustment to relatively frequent discharges.  相似文献   

Estimation of runoff distribution within river systems: Application to the Lena Basin (Siberia)     

N. Kosheleva  E. Karabanov  A. Kositskiy  D. Williams  S. Armstrong 《Journal of Geochemical Exploration》2006,88(1-3):118

A channel account approach is proposed to estimate longitudinal changes in runoff along large river systems. This new method provides a quantitative basis for describing the fluvial transport of suspended particulate material and dissolved substances. This method includes an evaluation of basic elements of water balance in separate sections of the river network and subsequent correction of channel accounting equations for the entire system using a maximum likelihood principle. To calculate water discharges of tributaries that have no hydrological information, structural analysis of river network is performed. This approach provides less error in comparison with traditional methods of estimating lateral inflow. The method is used to trace water discharge with increasing distance along the Lena river basin and to evaluate the contribution of geologically and lithologically uneven sub-basins in water discharge formation during a summer low water period.  相似文献   

广州珠江西航道,流溪河有机污染特征与感潮作用   总被引：6，自引：3，他引：6  

王新明  闵育顺 《地球化学》1997,26(3):54-59

珠江西航道和流溪河在广州市区上游，为广州市主要水源区。由于感潮作用，受市区严重污染的水体因涨潮上溯而上游传输。严重影响上游水质。因此，弄清感潮作用对广州水源区水质的影响程度和范围，对水源保护与利用有重要意义。本研究从下游到上游，对水源区底泥中有机物特征进行了分析，结果表明：（１）从上游到上游，受感潮作用影响逐渐减小，污染程度逐渐减轻；（２）水源区有机物特征呈有规律变化。从靠近城市的下游到远离城市的  相似文献   

Predicting channel patterns   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

John Lewin  Paul A. Brewer   《Geomorphology》2001,40(3-4)

The proposed distinction between meandering and braided river channel patterns, on the basis of bankfull specific stream power and bed material size, is analysed and rejected. Only by using regime-based estimates of channel widths (rather than actual widths) has discrimination been achieved, and it is argued that this procedure is unacceptable.An alternative is to explore the patterning processes underlying the marked pattern scatter on bankfull stream power/bed material size plots. Of the five sets of patterning processes, large-scale bedform development and stability is seen as especially important for meandering and braiding. For gravel-bed rivers, bedforms developed at around or above bankfull stage appear important for pattern generation, with braiding relating to higher excess shear stress and Froude number. There seems to be an upper threshold to both meandering and braiding which is achieved at extreme discharges and steep gradients, as on steep alluvial fans, rather than for the rivers with available flow data here considered. For sand-bed rivers with greater excess shear stress, the equivalent upper plane bed threshold may occur below bankfull, with bed material mobility and bedform modification occurring over a wider range of sub-bankfull discharges. Sand-bed channel margin outlines appear to be less perturbed by bedform effects than gravel bed planforms, and they may have naturally straight or sinuous planforms. Bedform relief may nevertheless lead to some being designated as braided when viewed at low flows.It is concluded that the use of a single-stage stream power measure and bed material size alone is unlikely to achieve meandering/braiding discrimination.  相似文献   

Transport and deposition of large woody debris in streams: a flume experiment   总被引：4，自引：0，他引：4  

Christian A. Braudrick  Gordon E. Grant 《Geomorphology》2001,41(4)

Large woody debris (LWD) is an integral component of forested streams of the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, yet little is known about how far wood is transported and where it is deposited in streams. In this paper, we report the results of flume experiments that examine interactions among hydraulics, channel geometry, transport distance and deposition of floating wood. These experiments were carried out in a 1.22-m-wide×9.14-m-long gravel bed flume using wooden dowels of various sizes as surrogate logs. Channel planforms were either self-formed or created by hand, and ranged from meanders to alternate bars. Floating pieces tended to orient with long axes parallel to flow in the center of the channel. Pieces were deposited where channel depth was less than buoyant depth, typically at the head of mid-channel bars, in shallow zones where flow expanded, and on the outside of bends. We hypothesize that the distance logs travel may be a function of the channel's debris roughness, a dimensionless index incorporating ratios of piece length and diameter to channel width, depth and sinuosity. Travel distance decreased as the ratio of piece length to both channel width and radius of curvature increased, but the relative importance of these variables changed with channel planform. Large pieces can move further than our debris roughness models predict if greater than 50% of the active channel area is deeper than the buoyant depth of the piece, or if momentum is high enough to carry pieces across shallows. Our debris roughness model allows first-order prediction of the amount of wood transport under various channel geometries.  相似文献   

Living with floods: victims' perceptions in Beijiang, Guangdong, China   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Koon-Kwai Wong  & Xiaobin Zhao 《Area》2001,33(2):190-201

This study revealed the collective values of the flood victims in the Beijiang area, Guangdong, China, as a result of a hazardous flood in 1994. The victims were sceptical of large flood-prevention engineering structures. They believed that flooding was unavoidable, but by extending support networks, applying hazard-resistant designs, and developing loss-sharing adjustments the disastrous effects of a flood could be mitigated. Seemingly, victims were prepared to live with floods and adopted functional adjustments to lessen flood impact.  相似文献   

FY-1C可见光通道衰减分析及订正试验          下载免费PDF全文

谷松岩 邱红刘玉洁  范天锡 《应用气象学报》2002,13(6):734-740

利用FY-1C连续两年的遥感资料，以敦煌辐射校正场为分析区，系统分析了FY-1C可见光、近红外通道的衰减特征，开展了通道衰减订正试验。分析结果表明，FY-1C除可见光通道1衰减强烈外，其它各可见光、近红外通道衰减性能稳定。利用统计分析法，可以建立定标系数衰减订正量随时间的变化关系。订正后的定标系数与2000年辐射校正场外定标实验结果一致性很好。更新后的定标系数可以有效克服通道衰减带来的通道反射率测值误差，提高FY-1C可见光、近红外通道遥感资料定量应用的精度。  相似文献   

Simulation of flow over pool-riffle topography: A consideration of the velocity reversal hypothesis     

P. A. Carling  N. Wood 《地球表面变化过程与地形》1994,19(4):319-332

Computer flow simulations using the HEC-2 step-backwater routine are used to demonstrate the effect of systematically varying river channel width, riffle spacing and channel roughness on the shear velocity, section-mean velocity and energy slope in fixed-bed pool-riffle sequences. Initial scaling is obtained by utilizing published information on hydraulic parameters within reaches of the River Severn. Subsequently this restriction is relaxed and the effect of varying parameter combinations within realistic limits is explored. The purpose of this exercise is to isolate those scenarios which may preclude or promote the occurrence of a competence ‘reversal’, such that pools scour at high flow whilst deposition occurs on riffles. It is concluded that rivers in which pools are hydraulically rougher than riffles are likely to demonstrate a competence reversal. For prescribed conditions, the critical discharge at which a reversal occurs is a negative function of riffle spacing and riffle width relative to pool width. Downstream variation in hydraulic roughness also has implications for the phase relationship of shear velocity maxima and minima in relation to the extremes in pool-riffle topography.  相似文献