Response of river channel patterns to the spatially varying suspended sediment concentrations |
| |
Authors: | Jiongxin Xu |
| |
Institution: | (1) Institute of Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China |
| |
Abstract: | River channel pattern transformation is dealt with in a broad background of suspended sediment concentration, varying from
low, medium, high to hyperconcentration. Based on data from about 100 alluvial rivers in China, suspended sediment transport
rate has been plotted against mean annual water discharge, showing that all points can be divided into four belts by three
straight lines, as stable braided pattern, meandering pattern with ordinary sediment concentrations, wandering braided pattern,
and meandering pattern with hyperconcentration of sediment. This picture of channel pattern transformation can be well explained
by the law of the water flow's energy expenditure varying with its sediment concentration. The energy expenditure increases
with sediment concentration, reaching a maximum, then declines. Rivers falling in different ranges of sediment concentrations
adjust their own energy expenditure in different manners, leading to occurrence of different channel patterns.
Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49671011). |
| |
Keywords: | channel pattern transformation energy expenditure of rivers suspended sediment concentration river channel adjustment China |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|