Earth Surface Dynamics
Earth Surface Dynamics
ESurf
Articles | Volume 14, issue 1
Articles | Volume 14, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-95-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-95-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 14, issue 1
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
05 Feb 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 05 Feb 2026

Investigating controls on fluvial grain sizes in post-glacial landscapes using citizen science

Anya H. Towers, Mikael Attal, Simon M. Mudd, and Fiona J. Clubb

Viewed

Total article views: 4,948 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
3,750 1,018 180 4,948 306 213 257
  • HTML: 3,750
  • PDF: 1,018
  • XML: 180
  • Total: 4,948
  • Supplement: 306
  • BibTeX: 213
  • EndNote: 257
Views and downloads (calculated since 22 Nov 2024)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 22 Nov 2024)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 4,948 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 4,882 with geography defined and 66 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Saved (final revised paper)

Latest update: 19 Sep 2026
Download
Editorial statement
How does grainsize vary along rivers, and what are the controls? Based on an extensive dataset compiled in a citizen-science survey across Scotland, Towers et al. find that in post-glacial landscapes commonly used global environmental factors provide little explanation. Instead, the local sediment input from glacially sculpted landforms and emplaced deposits largely determine the high spatial variability of grainsizes.
Read more
Short summary
We explore controls on channel sediment characteristics in post-glacial landscapes. In contrast to other studies that have focused on landscapes with little glacial influence, we find no apparent controls. We propose that Scotland's post-glacial legacy drives the lack of sedimentological trends, and that changes in landscape morphology and sediment sources caused by glacial processes lead to a decoupling between fluvial sediment grain size and environmental variables.
Read more
Share