Articles | Volume 14, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-247-2026
© 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-14-247-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Limited influence of bedrock strength on river profiles: the dominant role of sediment dynamics
Nanako Yamanishi
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Division of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
Hajime Naruse
Division of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 429–444, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-429-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-429-2024, 2024
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This study estimates the behavior of the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami from its deposit distributed in the Joban coastal area. In this study, the flow characteristics of the tsunami were reconstructed using the DNN (deep neural network) inverse model, suggesting that the tsunami inundation occurred in the very high-velocity condition.
Koji Ohata, Hajime Naruse, and Norihiro Izumi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 961–977, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-961-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-961-2023, 2023
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We investigated the influence of sediment transport modes on the formation of bedforms using theoretical analysis. The results of the theoretical analysis were verified with published data of plane beds obtained by fieldwork and laboratory experiments. We found that suspended sand particles can promote the formation of plane beds on a fine-grained bed, which suggests that the presence of suspended particles suppresses the development of dunes under submarine sediment-laden gravity currents.
Hajime Naruse and Kento Nakao
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1091–1109, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1091-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1091-2021, 2021
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This paper proposes a method to reconstruct the hydraulic conditions of turbidity currents from turbidites. We investigated the validity and problems of this method in application to actual field datasets using artificial data. Once this method is established, it is expected that the method will elucidate the generation process of turbidity currents and will help to predict the geometry of resultant turbidites in deep-sea environments.
Koji Ohata, Hajime Naruse, and Norihiro Izumi
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2021-60, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2021-60, 2021
Publication in ESurf not foreseen
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We investigated the influence of sediment transport modes on the formation of bedforms using theoretical analysis. The results of the theoretical analysis were verified with published data of plane beds obtained by fieldwork and laboratory experiments. We found that suspended sand particles can promote the formation of plane beds on a fine-grained bed, which suggests that the presence of suspended particles suppresses the development of dunes under submarine sediment-laden gravity currents.
Rimali Mitra, Hajime Naruse, and Shigehiro Fujino
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1667–1683, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-1667-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-1667-2021, 2021
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A case study on the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was conducted at the Phra Thong island, Thailand, using a deep neural network (DNN) inverse model. The model estimated tsunami characteristics from the deposits at Phra Thong island. The uncertainty quantification of the result was evaluated. The predicted flow conditions and the depositional characteristics were compared with the reported observed values. This DNN model can serve as an essential tool for tsunami hazard mitigation at coastal cities.
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Editorial statement
A common perception is that changes in rock type (lithology) directly alter the long profile (or longtitudinal shape) of a river bed. However, this study finds that changes in lithology cannot be directly detected by looking at the long profile of a river, and the reason why it cannot be detected, is of broad interest to students of bedrock rivers and landscapes.
A common perception is that changes in rock type (lithology) directly alter the long profile (or...
Short summary
Bedrock strength in bedrock river is often seen as controlling incision rates and river profiles, natural changes in rock type do not always match slope changes. In the Abukuma River basin, Japan, we measured bedrock strength and despite large strength differences, slopes were nearly uniform. Numerical tests showed that the model, which includes sediment cover and erosion effects, best explained river profiles. Thus, sediment plays a greater role than bedrock strength in shaping river profiles.
Bedrock strength in bedrock river is often seen as controlling incision rates and river...