Articles | Volume 14, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-191-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-191-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Mar 2026
Research article |
| 16 Mar 2026
| 16 Mar 2026
New experiments to probe the role of fractures in bedrock on river erosion rate and processes
Marion Fournereau
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Geosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France
Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Geosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France
Philippe Steer
Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Geosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France
Jean-Jacques Kermarrec
Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Geosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France
Paul Leroy
Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Lidar Platform, OSERen, UAR3343, 35000 Rennes, France
Christophe Lanos
Univ. Rennes, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et Génie Mécanique, Rennes, 35000 France
Hélène Hivert
Univ. Rennes, Inria, Géosciences Rennes – UMR 6118, IRMAR – UMR 6625, 35000 Rennes, France
Claire Astrié
Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Geosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France
Dimitri Lague
Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Geosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France
Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Lidar Platform, OSERen, UAR3343, 35000 Rennes, France
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We use cutting-edge algorithms and conceptual simplifications to solve the equations that describe surface water flow. Using quantitative data on rainfall and elevation, GraphFlood calculates river width and depth and approximates erosive power, making it a suitable tool for large-scale hazard management and understanding the relationship between rivers and mountains.
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Lucas Pelascini, Philippe Steer, Maxime Mouyen, and Laurent Longuevergne
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Landslides represent a major natural hazard and are often triggered by typhoons. We present a new 2D model computing the respective role of rainfall infiltration, atmospheric depression and groundwater in slope stability during typhoons. The results show rainfall is the strongest factor of destabilisation. However, if the slope is fully saturated, near the toe of the slope or during the wet season, rainfall infiltration is limited and atmospheric pressure change can become the dominant factor.
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Clément Desormeaux, Vincent Godard, Dimitri Lague, Guillaume Duclaux, Jules Fleury, Lucilla Benedetti, Olivier Bellier, and the ASTER Team
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Landscape evolution is highly dependent on climatic parameters, and the occurrence of intense precipitation events is considered to be an important driver of river incision. We compare the rate of erosion with the variability of river discharge in a mountainous landscape of SE France where high-magnitude floods regularly occur. Our study highlights the importance of the hypotheses made regarding the threshold that river discharge needs to exceed in order to effectively cut down into the bedrock.
M. Letard, A. Collin, D. Lague, T. Corpetti, Y. Pastol, and A. Ekelund
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Nabil Hocini, Olivier Payrastre, François Bourgin, Eric Gaume, Philippe Davy, Dimitri Lague, Lea Poinsignon, and Frederic Pons
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Efficient flood mapping methods are needed for large-scale, comprehensive identification of flash flood inundation hazards caused by small upstream rivers. An evaluation of three automated mapping approaches of increasing complexity, i.e., a digital terrain model (DTM) filling and two 1D–2D hydrodynamic approaches, is presented based on three major flash floods in southeastern France. The results illustrate some limits of the DTM filling method and the value of using a 2D hydrodynamic approach.
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Short summary
River bedrock erosion can occur by abrasion and by the removal of entire blocks. We observe that when there is no or few fractures most erosion occurs by abrasion, whereas with more fractures, blocks can be removed at once leading to different patterns of erosion and riverbed morphology. Fractures affect barely mean erosion rate but change the location and occurrence of block removal. Our results highlight how river bedrock properties influence erosion processes and thus landscape evolution.
River bedrock erosion can occur by abrasion and by the removal of entire blocks. We observe that...
