Articles | Volume 7, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-879-2019
© Author(s) 2019. 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-7-879-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 Sep 2019
Research article |
| 20 Sep 2019
| 20 Sep 2019
River channel width controls blocking by slow-moving landslides in California's Franciscan mélange
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Kiara N. Broudy
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Alexander L. Nereson
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Joshua J. Roering
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
97403, USA
Alexander L. Handwerger
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology,
Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
Georgina Bennett
School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK
Related authors
Chuxuan Li, Alexander L. Handwerger, Jiali Wang, Wei Yu, Xiang Li, Noah J. Finnegan, Yingying Xie, Giuseppe Buscarnera, and Daniel E. Horton
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2317–2345, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2317-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2317-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In January 2021 a storm triggered numerous debris flows in a wildfire burn scar in California. We use a hydrologic model to assess debris flow susceptibility in pre-fire and postfire scenarios. Compared to pre-fire conditions, postfire conditions yield dramatic increases in peak water discharge, substantially increasing debris flow susceptibility. Our work highlights the hydrologic model's utility in investigating and potentially forecasting postfire debris flows at regional scales.
Solomon H. Gebrechorkos, Julian Leyland, Simon J. Dadson, Sagy Cohen, Louise Slater, Michel Wortmann, Philip J. Ashworth, Georgina L. Bennett, Richard Boothroyd, Hannah Cloke, Pauline Delorme, Helen Griffith, Richard Hardy, Laurence Hawker, Stuart McLelland, Jeffrey Neal, Andrew Nicholas, Andrew J. Tatem, Ellie Vahidi, Yinxue Liu, Justin Sheffield, Daniel R. Parsons, and Stephen E. Darby
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3099–3118, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3099-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3099-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study evaluated six high-resolution global precipitation datasets for hydrological modelling. MSWEP and ERA5 showed better performance, but spatial variability was high. The findings highlight the importance of careful dataset selection for river discharge modelling due to the lack of a universally superior dataset. Further improvements in global precipitation data products are needed.
Matthew C. Morriss, Benjamin Lehmann, Benjamin Campforts, George Brencher, Brianna Rick, Leif S. Anderson, Alexander L. Handwerger, Irina Overeem, and Jeffrey Moore
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1251–1274, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1251-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we investigate the 28 June 2022 collapse of the Chaos Canyon landslide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. We find that the landslide was moving prior to its collapse and took place at peak spring snowmelt; temperature modeling indicates the potential presence of permafrost. We hypothesize that this landslide could be part of the broader landscape evolution changes to alpine terrain caused by a warming climate, leading to thawing alpine permafrost.
Alessandro Sgarabotto, Irene Manzella, Kyle Roskilly, Miles J. Clark, Georgie L. Bennett, Chunbo Luo, and Aldina M. A. Franco
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2596, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2596, 2023
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
Smart sensors have been installed in boulders embedded in landslides to monitor the movements and characterise their hazards. Here, we present laboratory experiments to investigate how to use smart sensors to describe the movements of a cobble down an inclined plane and transmit the recorded motion data via a wireless network. This study contributes to understanding how to make the best use of smart sensors to describe boulder motion and assess the practicalities of their use in field settings.
Joshua N. Jones, Georgina L. Bennett, Claudia Abancó, Mark A. M. Matera, and Fibor J. Tan
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 1095–1115, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1095-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-1095-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We modelled where landslides occur in the Philippines using landslide data from three typhoon events in 2009, 2018, and 2019. These models show where landslides occurred within the landscape. By comparing the different models, we found that the 2019 landslides were occurring all across the landscape, whereas the 2009 and 2018 landslides were mostly occurring at specific slope angles and aspects. This shows that landslide susceptibility must be considered variable through space and time.
Jeffrey S. Munroe and Alexander L. Handwerger
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 543–557, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-543-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-543-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Rock glaciers are mixtures of ice and rock debris that are common landforms in high-mountain environments. We evaluated the role of rock glaciers as a component of mountain hydrology by collecting water samples during the summer and fall of 2021. Our results indicate that the water draining from rock glaciers late in the melt season is likely derived from old buried ice; they further demonstrate that this water collectively makes up about a quarter of streamflow during the month of September.
Chuxuan Li, Alexander L. Handwerger, Jiali Wang, Wei Yu, Xiang Li, Noah J. Finnegan, Yingying Xie, Giuseppe Buscarnera, and Daniel E. Horton
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2317–2345, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2317-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2317-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In January 2021 a storm triggered numerous debris flows in a wildfire burn scar in California. We use a hydrologic model to assess debris flow susceptibility in pre-fire and postfire scenarios. Compared to pre-fire conditions, postfire conditions yield dramatic increases in peak water discharge, substantially increasing debris flow susceptibility. Our work highlights the hydrologic model's utility in investigating and potentially forecasting postfire debris flows at regional scales.
Alexander L. Handwerger, Mong-Han Huang, Shannan Y. Jones, Pukar Amatya, Hannah R. Kerner, and Dalia B. Kirschbaum
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 753–773, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-753-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-753-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Rapid detection of landslides is critical for emergency response and disaster mitigation. Here we develop a global landslide detection tool in Google Earth Engine that uses satellite radar data to measure changes in the ground surface properties. We find that we can detect areas with high landslide density within days of a triggering event. Our approach allows the broader hazard community to utilize these state-of-the-art data for improved situational awareness of landslide hazards.
George Brencher, Alexander L. Handwerger, and Jeffrey S. Munroe
The Cryosphere, 15, 4823–4844, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4823-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4823-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use satellite InSAR to inventory and monitor rock glaciers, frozen bodies of ice and rock debris that are an important water resource in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA. Our inventory contains 205 rock glaciers, which occur within a narrow elevation band and deform at 1.94 cm yr-1 on average. Uinta rock glacier movement changes seasonally and appears to be driven by spring snowmelt. The role of rock glaciers as a perennial water resource is threatened by ice loss due to climate change.
Clàudia Abancó, Georgina L. Bennett, Adrian J. Matthews, Mark Anthony M. Matera, and Fibor J. Tan
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1531–1550, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-1531-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-1531-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In 2018 Typhoon Mangkhut triggered thousands of landslides in the Itogon region (Philippines). An inventory of 1101 landslides revealed that landslides mostly occurred in slopes covered by wooded grassland in clayey materials, predominantly facing E-SE. Satellite rainfall and soil moisture data associated with Typhoon Mangkhut and the previous months in 2018 were analyzed. Results showed that landslides occurred during high-intensity rainfall that coincided with the highest soil moisture values.
Benedetta Dini, Georgina L. Bennett, Aldina M. A. Franco, Michael R. Z. Whitworth, Kristen L. Cook, Andreas Senn, and John M. Reynolds
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 295–315, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-295-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-295-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use long-range smart sensors connected to a network based on the Internet of Things to explore the possibility of detecting hazardous boulder movements in real time. Prior to the 2019 monsoon season we inserted the devices in 23 boulders spread over debris flow channels and a landslide in northeastern Nepal. The data obtained in this pilot study show the potential of this technology to be used in remote hazard-prone areas in future early warning systems.
Alexander L. Handwerger, Shannan Y. Jones, Mong-Han Huang, Pukar Amatya, Hannah R. Kerner, and Dalia B. Kirschbaum
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2020-315, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2020-315, 2020
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
The rapid and accurate mapping of landslides is critical for emergency response, disaster mitigation, and understanding landslide processes. Here we present a new approach to detect landslides anywhere in the world using freely available synthetic aperture radar data and open source tools in Google Earth Engine. Importantly, our methods do not require specialized processing software or training, which allows the broader hazards community to utilize these state-of-the-art remote sensing tools.
Related subject area
Physical: Geomorphology (including all aspects of fluvial, coastal, aeolian, hillslope and glacial geomorphology)
A landslide runout model for sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hazard assessment applications
Tracking slow-moving landslides with PlanetScope data: new perspectives on the satellite's perspective
Topographic metrics for unveiling fault segmentation and tectono-geomorphic evolution with insights into the impact of inherited topography, Ulsan Fault Zone, South Korea
Acceleration of coastal-retreat rates for high-Arctic rock cliffs on Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard, over the past decade
The impact of bedrock meander cutoffs on 50 kyr scale incision rates, San Juan River, Utah
How water, temperature, and seismicity control the preconditioning of massive rock slope failure (Hochvogel)
Large structure simulation for landscape evolution models
Terrace formation linked to outburst floods at the Diexi palaeo-landslide dam, upper Minjiang River, eastern Tibetan Plateau
Pliocene shorelines and the epeirogenic motion of continental margins: a target dataset for dynamic topography models
Decadal-scale decay of landslide-derived fluvial suspended sediment after Typhoon Morakot
Role of the forcing sources in morphodynamic modelling of an embayed beach
A machine learning approach to the geomorphometric detection of ribbed moraines in Norway
Stream hydrology controls on ice cliff evolution and survival on debris-covered glaciers
Time-varying drainage basin development and erosion on volcanic edifices
Geomorphic risk maps for river migration using probabilistic modeling – a framework
Evolution of submarine canyons and hanging-wall fans: insights from geomorphic experiments and morphodynamic models
Riverine sediment response to deforestation in the Amazon basin
Physical modeling of ice-sheet-induced salt movements using the example of northern Germany
Downstream rounding rate of pebbles in the Himalaya
Post-fire Variability in Sediment Transport by Ravel in the Diablo Range
Landscape response to tectonic deformation and cyclic climate change since ca. 800 ka in the southern Central Andes
A physics-based model for fluvial valley width
Implications for the resilience of modern coastal systems derived from mesoscale barrier dynamics at Fire Island, New York
Quantifying the migration rate of drainage divides from high-resolution topographic data
Validating floc settling velocity models in rivers and freshwater wetlands
Long-term monitoring (1953–2019) of geomorphologically active sections of Little Ice Age lateral moraines in the context of changing meteorological conditions
Coevolving edge rounding and shape of glacial erratics: the case of Shap granite, UK
A simple model for faceted topographies at normal faults based on an extended stream-power law
Dimensionless argument: a narrow grain size range near 2 mm plays a special role in river sediment transport and morphodynamics
Path length and sediment transport estimation from DEMs of difference: a signal processing approach
Influence of cohesive clay on wave–current ripple dynamics captured in a 3D phase diagram
Statistical characterization of erosion and sediment transport mechanics in shallow tidal environments – Part 1: Erosion dynamics
Statistical characterization of erosion and sediment transport mechanics in shallow tidal environments – Part 2: Suspended sediment dynamics
Geomorphological and hydrological controls on sediment export in earthquake-affected catchments in the Nepal Himalaya
Optimization of passive acoustic bedload monitoring in rivers by signal inversion
River suspended-sand flux computation with uncertainty estimation, using water samples and high-resolution ADCP measurements
Stochastic properties of coastal flooding events – Part 2: Probabilistic analysis
Field monitoring of pore water pressure in fully and partly saturated debris flows at Ohya landslide scar, Japan
Analysis of autogenic bifurcation processes resulting in river avulsion
Bedload transport fluctuations, flow conditions, and disequilibrium ratio at the Swiss Erlenbach stream: results from 27 years of high-resolution temporal measurements
Stochastic properties of coastal flooding events – Part 1: convolutional-neural-network-based semantic segmentation for water detection
Coexistence of two dune scales in a lowland river
Alpine hillslope failure in the western US: insights from the Chaos Canyon landslide, Rocky Mountain National Park, USA
Barchan swarm dynamics from a Two-Flank Agent-Based Model
Using repeat UAV-based laser scanning and multispectral imagery to explore eco-geomorphic feedbacks along a river corridor
Numerical modelling of the evolution of a river reach with a complex morphology to help define future sustainable restoration decisions
Method to evaluate large-wood behavior in terms of the convection equation associated with sediment erosion and deposition
Effects of seasonal variations in vegetation and precipitation on catchment erosion rates along a climate and ecological gradient: insights from numerical modeling
On the use of convolutional deep learning to predict shoreline change
On the use of packing models for the prediction of fluvial sediment porosity
Jeffrey Keck, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Benjamin Campforts, Gregory Tucker, and Alexander Horner-Devine
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1165–1191, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1165-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1165-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
MassWastingRunout (MWR) is a new landslide runout model designed for sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hazard assessment applications. MWR is written in Python and includes a calibration utility that automatically determines best-fit parameters for a site and empirical probability density functions of each parameter for probabilistic model implementation. MWR and Jupyter Notebook tutorials are available as part of the Landlab package at https://github.com/landlab/landlab.
Ariane Mueting and Bodo Bookhagen
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1121–1143, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1121-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1121-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the use of optical PlanetScope data for offset tracking of the Earth's surface movement. We found that co-registration accuracy is locally degraded when outdated elevation models are used for orthorectification. To mitigate this bias, we propose to only correlate scenes acquired from common perspectives or base orthorectification on more up-to-date elevation models generated from PlanetScope data alone. This enables a more detailed analysis of landslide dynamics.
Cho-Hee Lee, Yeong Bae Seong, John Weber, Sangmin Ha, Dong-Eun Kim, and Byung Yong Yu
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1091–1120, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1091-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1091-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Topographic metrics were used to understand changes due to tectonic activity. We evaluated the relative tectonic activity along the Ulsan Fault Zone (UFZ), one of the most active fault zones in South Korea. We divided the UFZ into five segments, based on the spatial variation in activity. We modeled the landscape evolution of the study area and interpreted tectono-geomorphic history during which the northern part of the UFZ experienced asymmetric uplift, while the southern part did not.
Juditha Aga, Livia Piermattei, Luc Girod, Kristoffer Aalstad, Trond Eiken, Andreas Kääb, and Sebastian Westermann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1049–1070, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1049-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1049-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal rock cliffs on Svalbard are considered to be fairly stable; however, long-term trends in coastal-retreat rates remain unknown. This study examines changes in the coastline position along Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard, using aerial images from 1970, 1990, 2010, and 2021. Our analysis shows that coastal-retreat rates accelerate during the period 2010–2021, which coincides with increasing storminess and retreating sea ice.
Aaron T. Steelquist, Gustav B. Seixas, Mary L. Gillam, Sourav Saha, Seulgi Moon, and George E. Hilley
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1071–1089, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1071-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1071-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The rates at which rivers erode their bed can be used to interpret the geologic history of a region. However, these rates depend significantly on the time window over which you measure. We use multiple dating methods to determine an incision rate for the San Juan River and compare it to regional rates with longer timescales. We demonstrate how specific geologic events, such as cutoffs of bedrock meander bends, are likely to preserve material we can date but also bias the rates we measure.
Johannes Leinauer, Michael Dietze, Sibylle Knapp, Riccardo Scandroglio, Maximilian Jokel, and Michael Krautblatter
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1027–1048, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1027-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1027-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Massive rock slope failures are a significant alpine hazard and change the Earth's surface. Therefore, we must understand what controls the preparation of such events. By correlating 4 years of slope displacements with meteorological and seismic data, we found that water from rain and snowmelt is the most important driver. Our approach is applicable to similar sites and indicates where future climatic changes, e.g. in rain intensity and frequency, may alter the preparation of slope failure.
Julien Coatléven and Benoit Chauveau
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 995–1026, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-995-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-995-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The aim of this paper is to explain how to incorporate classical water flow routines into landscape evolution models while keeping numerical errors under control. The key idea is to adapt filtering strategies to eliminate anomalous numerical errors and mesh dependencies, as confirmed by convergence tests with analytic solutions. The emergence of complex geomorphic structures is now driven exclusively by nonlinear heterogeneous physical processes rather than by random numerical artifacts.
Jingjuan Li, John D. Jansen, Xuanmei Fan, Zhiyong Ding, Shugang Kang, and Marco Lovati
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 953–971, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-953-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-953-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we investigated the geomorphology, sedimentology, and chronology of Tuanjie (seven terraces) and Taiping (three terraces) terraces in Diexi, eastern Tibetan Plateau. Results highlight that two damming and three outburst events occurred in the area during the late Pleistocene, and the outburst floods have been a major factor in the formation of tectonically active mountainous river terraces. Tectonic activity and climatic changes play a minor role.
Andrew Hollyday, Maureen E. Raymo, Jacqueline Austermann, Fred Richards, Mark Hoggard, and Alessio Rovere
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 883–905, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-883-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-883-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Sea level was significantly higher during the Pliocene epoch, around 3 million years ago. The present-day elevations of shorelines that formed in the past provide a data constraint on the extent of ice sheet melt and the global sea level response under warm Pliocene conditions. In this study, we identify 10 escarpments that formed from wave-cut erosion during Pliocene times and compare their elevations with model predictions of solid Earth deformation processes to estimate past sea level.
Gregory A. Ruetenik, Ken L. Ferrier, and Odin Marc
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 863–881, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-863-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-863-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial sediment fluxes increased dramatically in Taiwan during Typhoon Morakot in 2009, which produced some of the heaviest landsliding on record. We analyzed fluvial discharge and suspended sediment concentration data at 87 gauging stations across Taiwan to quantify fluvial sediment responses since Morakot. In basins heavily impacted by landsliding, rating curve coefficients sharply increased during Morakot and then declined exponentially with a characteristic decay time of <10 years.
Nil Carrion-Bertran, Albert Falqués, Francesca Ribas, Daniel Calvete, Rinse de Swart, Ruth Durán, Candela Marco-Peretó, Marta Marcos, Angel Amores, Tim Toomey, Àngels Fernández-Mora, and Jorge Guillén
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 819–839, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-819-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-819-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The sensitivity to the wave and sea-level forcing sources in predicting a 6-month embayed beach evolution is assessed using two different morphodynamic models. After a successful model calibration using in situ data, other sources are applied. The wave source choice is critical: hindcast data provide wrong results due to an angle bias, whilst the correct dynamics are recovered with the wave conditions from an offshore buoy. The use of different sea-level sources gives no significant differences.
Thomas J. Barnes, Thomas V. Schuler, Simon Filhol, and Karianne S. Lilleøren
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 801–818, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we use machine learning to automatically outline landforms based on their characteristics. We test several methods to identify the most accurate and then proceed to develop the most accurate to improve its accuracy further. We manage to outline landforms with 65 %–75 % accuracy, at a resolution of 10 m, thanks to high-quality/high-resolution elevation data. We find that it is possible to run this method at a country scale to quickly produce landform inventories for future studies.
Eric Petersen, Regine Hock, and Michael G. Loso
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 727–745, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-727-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-727-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Ice cliffs are melt hot spots that increase melt rates on debris-covered glaciers which otherwise see a reduction in melt rates. In this study, we show how surface runoff streams contribute to the generation, evolution, and survival of ice cliffs by carving into the glacier and transporting rocky debris. On Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, 33 % of ice cliffs are actively influenced by streams, while nearly half are within 10 m of streams.
Daniel O'Hara, Liran Goren, Roos M. J. van Wees, Benjamin Campforts, Pablo Grosse, Pierre Lahitte, Gabor Kereszturi, and Matthieu Kervyn
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 709–726, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-709-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-709-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding how volcanic edifices develop drainage basins remains unexplored in landscape evolution. Using digital evolution models of volcanoes with varying ages, we quantify the geometries of their edifices and associated drainage basins through time. We find that these metrics correlate with edifice age and are thus useful indicators of a volcano’s history. We then develop a generalized model for how volcano basins develop and compare our results to basin evolution in other settings.
Brayden Noh, Omar Wani, Kieran B. J. Dunne, and Michael P. Lamb
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 691–708, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-691-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-691-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we propose a framework for generating risk maps that provide the probabilities of erosion due to river migration. This framework uses concepts from probability theory to learn the river migration model's parameter values from satellite data while taking into account parameter uncertainty. Our analysis shows that such geomorphic risk estimation is more reliable than models that do not explicitly consider various sources of variability and uncertainty.
Steven Y. J. Lai, David Amblas, Aaron Micallef, and Hervé Capart
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 621–640, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-621-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-621-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores the creation of submarine canyons and hanging-wall fans on active faults, which can be defined by gravity-dominated breaching and underflow-dominated diffusion processes. The study reveals the self-similarity in canyon–fan long profiles, uncovers Hack’s scaling relationship and proposes a formula to estimate fan volume using canyon length. This is validated by global data from source-to-sink systems, providing insights into deep-water sedimentary processes.
Anuska Narayanan, Sagy Cohen, and John R. Gardner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 581–599, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates the profound impact of deforestation in the Amazon on sediment dynamics. Novel remote sensing data and statistical analyses reveal significant changes, especially in heavily deforested regions, with rapid effects within a year. In less disturbed areas, a 1- to 2-year lag occurs, influenced by natural sediment shifts and human activities. These findings highlight the need to understand the consequences of human activity for our planet's future.
Jacob Hardt, Tim P. Dooley, and Michael R. Hudec
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 559–579, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-559-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-559-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the reaction of salt structures on ice sheet transgressions. We used a series of sandbox models that enabled us to experiment with scaled-down versions of salt bodies from northern Germany. The strongest reactions occurred when large salt pillows were partly covered by the ice load. Subsurface salt structures may play an important role in the energy transition, e.g., as energy storage. Thus, it is important to understand all processes that affect their stability.
Prakash Pokhrel, Mikael Attal, Hugh D. Sinclair, Simon M. Mudd, and Mark Naylor
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 515–536, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-515-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-515-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Pebbles become increasingly rounded during downstream transport in rivers due to abrasion. This study quantifies pebble roundness along the length of two Himalayan rivers. We demonstrate that roundness increases with downstream distance and that the rates are dependent on rock type. We apply this to reconstructing travel distances and hence the size of ancient Himalaya. Results show that the ancient river network was larger than the modern one, indicating that there has been river capture.
Hayden L. Jacobson, Danica L. Roth, Gabriel Walton, Margaret Zimmer, and Kerri Johnson
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2694, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2694, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Loose grains travel farther after a fire because no vegetation is left to stop them. This matters since loose grains at the base of a slope can turn into a debris flow if it rains. To find if grass growing back after a fire had different impacts on grains of different sizes on slopes of different steepness, we dropped thousands of natural grains and measured how far they went. Large grains went farther 7 months after the fire than 11 months after, and small grain movement didn’t change much.
Elizabeth Orr, Taylor Schildgen, Stefanie Tofelde, Hella Wittmann, and Ricardo Alonso
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-784, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-784, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial terraces and alluvial fans in the Toro Basin, NW Argentina record river evolution and global climate cycles over time. Landform dating reveals lower-frequency climate cycles (100-kyr) preserved downstream and higher-frequency cycles (21/40-kyr) upstream, supporting theoretical predications that longer rivers filter out higher-frequency climate signals. This finding improves our understanding of the spatial distribution of sedimentary paleoclimate records within landscapes.
Jens Martin Turowski, Aaron Bufe, and Stefanie Tofelde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 493–514, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-493-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-493-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fluvial valleys are ubiquitous landforms, and understanding their formation and evolution affects a wide range of disciplines from archaeology and geology to fish biology. Here, we develop a model to predict the width of fluvial valleys for a wide range of geographic conditions. In the model, fluvial valley width is controlled by the two competing factors of lateral channel mobility and uplift. The model complies with available data and yields a broad range of quantitative predictions.
Daniel J. Ciarletta, Jennifer L. Miselis, Julie C. Bernier, and Arnell S. Forde
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 449–475, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-449-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-449-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We reconstructed the evolution of Fire Island, a barrier island in New York, USA, to identify drivers of landscape change. Results reveal Fire Island was once divided into multiple inlet-separated islands with distinct features. Later, inlets closed, and Fire Island’s landscape became more uniform as human activities intensified. The island is now less mobile and less likely to resist and recover from storm impacts and sea level rise. This vulnerability may exist for other stabilized barriers.
Chao Zhou, Xibin Tan, Yiduo Liu, and Feng Shi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 433–448, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-433-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-433-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The drainage-divide stability provides new insights into both the river network evolution and the tectonic and/or climatic changes. Several methods have been proposed to determine the direction of drainage-divide migration. However, how to quantify the migration rate of drainage divides remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a new method to calculate the migration rate of drainage divides from high-resolution topographic data.
Justin A. Nghiem, Gen K. Li, Joshua P. Harringmeyer, Gerard Salter, Cédric G. Fichot, Luca Cortese, and Michael P. Lamb
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-524, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-524, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Fine sediment grains in freshwater can cohere into faster settling particles called flocs, but floc settling velocity theory has not been fully validated. Data from the Wax Lake Delta verify a semi-empirical model relying on turbulence and geochemical factors. We showed that the representative grain diameter within flocs relies on floc structure and that floc internal flow follows a model in which flocs consist of permeable grain clusters, thus improving a physics-based settling velocity model.
Moritz Altmann, Madlene Pfeiffer, Florian Haas, Jakob Rom, Fabian Fleischer, Tobias Heckmann, Livia Piermattei, Michael Wimmer, Lukas Braun, Manuel Stark, Sarah Betz-Nutz, and Michael Becht
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 399–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-399-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-399-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We show a long-term erosion monitoring of several sections on Little Ice Age lateral moraines with derived sediment yield from historical and current digital elevation modelling (DEM)-based differences. The first study period shows a clearly higher range of variability of sediment yield within the sites than the later periods. In most cases, a decreasing trend of geomorphic activity was observed.
Paul A. Carling
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 381–397, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-381-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-381-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Edge rounding in Shap granite glacial erratics is an irregular function of distance from the source outcrop in northern England, UK. Block shape is conservative, evolving according to block fracture mechanics – stochastic and silver ratio models – towards either of two attractor states. Progressive reduction in size occurs for blocks transported at the sole of the ice mass where the blocks are subject to compressive and tensile forces of the ice acting against a bedrock or till surface.
Stefan Hergarten
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-336, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-336, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Faceted topographies are impressing footprints of active tectonics in geomorphology. This paper investigates the evolution of faceted topographies at normal faults and its interaction with the river network theoretically and numerically. As a main result beyond several relations for the the geometry of facets, the horizontal displacement associated to normal faults is crucial for the dissection of initially polygonal facets into triangular facets bounded by almost parallel rivers.
Gary Parker, Chenge An, Michael P. Lamb, Marcelo H. Garcia, Elizabeth H. Dingle, and Jeremy G. Venditti
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 367–380, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-367-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-367-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River morphology has traditionally been divided by the size 2 mm. We use dimensionless arguments to show that particles in the 1–5 mm range (i) are the finest range not easily suspended by alluvial flood flows, (ii) are transported preferentially over coarser gravel, and (iii), within limits, are also transported preferentially over sand. We show how fluid viscosity mediates the special status of sediment in this range.
Lindsay Marie Capito, Enrico Pandrin, Walter Bertoldi, Nicola Surian, and Simone Bizzi
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 321–345, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-321-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-321-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We propose that the pattern of erosion and deposition from repeat topographic surveys can be a proxy for path length in gravel-bed rivers. With laboratory and field data, we applied tools from signal processing to quantify this periodicity and used these path length estimates to calculate sediment transport using the morphological method. Our results highlight the potential to expand the use of the morphological method using only remotely sensed data as well as its limitations.
Xuxu Wu, Jonathan Malarkey, Roberto Fernández, Jaco H. Baas, Ellen Pollard, and Daniel R. Parsons
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 231–247, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-231-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-231-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The seabed changes from flat to rippled in response to the frictional influence of waves and currents. This experimental study has shown that the speed of this change, the size of ripples that result and even whether ripples appear also depend on the amount of sticky mud present. This new classification on the basis of initial mud content should lead to improvements in models of seabed change in present environments by engineers and the interpretation of past environments by geologists.
Andrea D'Alpaos, Davide Tognin, Laura Tommasini, Luigi D'Alpaos, Andrea Rinaldo, and Luca Carniello
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 181–199, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-181-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-181-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Sediment erosion induced by wind waves is one of the main drivers of the morphological evolution of shallow tidal environments. However, a reliable description of erosion events for the long-term morphodynamic modelling of tidal systems is still lacking. By statistically characterizing sediment erosion dynamics in the Venice Lagoon over the last 4 centuries, we set up a novel framework for a synthetic, yet reliable, description of erosion events in tidal systems.
Davide Tognin, Andrea D'Alpaos, Luigi D'Alpaos, Andrea Rinaldo, and Luca Carniello
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 201–218, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-201-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-201-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Reliable quantification of sediment transport processes is necessary to understand the fate of shallow tidal environments. Here we present a framework for the description of suspended sediment dynamics to quantify deposition in the long-term modelling of shallow tidal systems. This characterization, together with that of erosion events, allows one to set up synthetic, yet reliable, models for the long-term evolution of tidal landscapes.
Emma L. S. Graf, Hugh D. Sinclair, Mikaël Attal, Boris Gailleton, Basanta Raj Adhikari, and Bishnu Raj Baral
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 135–161, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-135-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-135-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using satellite images, we show that, unlike other examples of earthquake-affected rivers, the rivers of central Nepal experienced little increase in sedimentation following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Instead, a catastrophic flood occurred in 2021 that buried towns and agricultural land under up to 10 m of sediment. We show that intense storms remobilised glacial sediment from high elevations causing much a greater impact than flushing of earthquake-induced landslides.
Mohamad Nasr, Adele Johannot, Thomas Geay, Sebastien Zanker, Jules Le Guern, and Alain Recking
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 117–134, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-117-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-117-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrophones are used to monitor sediment transport in the river by listening to the acoustic noise generated by particle impacts on the riverbed. However, this acoustic noise is modified by the river flow and can cause misleading information about sediment transport. This article proposes a model that corrects the measured acoustic signal. Testing the model showed that the corrected signal is better correlated with bedload flux in the river.
Jessica Laible, Guillaume Dramais, Jérôme Le Coz, Blaise Calmel, Benoît Camenen, David J. Topping, William Santini, Gilles Pierrefeu, and François Lauters
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2348, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2348, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Suspended-sand fluxes in rivers vary with time and space, complicating their measurement. The proposed method captures the vertical and lateral variations of suspended-sand concentration throughout a river cross section. It merges water samples taken at various positions throughout the cross section with high-resolution acoustic velocity and discharge measurements. The method also determines the sand flux uncertainty and can be easily applied to other sites using the available open-source code.
Byungho Kang, Rusty A. Feagin, Thomas Huff, and Orencio Durán Vinent
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 105–115, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-105-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-105-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We provide a detailed characterization of the frequency, intensity and duration of flooding events at a site along the Texas coast. Our analysis demonstrates the suitability of relatively simple wave run-up models to estimate the frequency and intensity of coastal flooding. Our results validate and expand a probabilistic model of coastal flooding driven by wave run-up that can then be used in coastal risk management in response to sea level rise.
Shunsuke Oya, Fumitoshi Imaizumi, and Shoki Takayama
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 67–86, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-67-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-67-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The monitoring of pore water pressure in fully and partly saturated debris flows was performed at Ohya landslide scar, central Japan. The pore water pressure in some partly saturated flows greatly exceeded the hydrostatic pressure. The depth gradient of the pore water pressure in the lower part of the flow was generally higher than the upper part of the flow. We conclude that excess pore water pressure is present in many debris flow surges and is an important mechanism in debris flow behavior.
Gabriele Barile, Marco Redolfi, and Marco Tubino
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 87–103, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-87-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-87-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
River bifurcations often show the closure of one branch (avulsion), whose causes are still poorly understood. Our model shows that when one branch stops transporting sediments, the other considerably erodes and captures much more flow, resulting in a self-sustaining process. This phenomenon intensifies when increasing the length of the branches, eventually leading to branch closure. This work may help to understand when avulsions occur and thus to design sustainable river restoration projects.
Dieter Rickenmann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 11–34, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-11-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-11-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Field measurements of the bedload flux with a high temporal resolution in a steep mountain stream were used to analyse the transport fluctuations as a function of the flow conditions. The disequilibrium ratio, a proxy for the solid particle concentration in the flow, was found to influence the sediment transport behaviour, and above-average disequilibrium conditions – associated with a larger sediment availability on the streambed – substantially affect subsequent transport conditions.
Byungho Kang, Rusty A. Feagin, Thomas Huff, and Orencio Durán Vinent
Earth Surf. Dynam., 12, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal flooding can cause significant damage to coastal ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities and is expected to increase in frequency with the acceleration of sea level rise. In order to respond to it, it is crucial to measure and model their frequency and intensity. Here, we show deep-learning techniques can be successfully used to automatically detect flooding events from complex coastal imagery, opening the way to real-time monitoring and data acquisition for model development.
Judith Y. Zomer, Bart Vermeulen, and Antonius J. F. Hoitink
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1283–1298, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1283-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1283-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Secondary bedforms that are superimposed on large, primary dunes likely play a large role in fluvial systems. This study demonstrates that they can be omnipresent. Especially during peak flows, they grow large and can have steep slopes, likely affecting flood risk and sediment transport dynamics. Primary dune morphology determines whether they continuously or intermittently migrate. During discharge peaks, the secondary bedforms can become the dominant dune scale.
Matthew C. Morriss, Benjamin Lehmann, Benjamin Campforts, George Brencher, Brianna Rick, Leif S. Anderson, Alexander L. Handwerger, Irina Overeem, and Jeffrey Moore
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1251–1274, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1251-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we investigate the 28 June 2022 collapse of the Chaos Canyon landslide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. We find that the landslide was moving prior to its collapse and took place at peak spring snowmelt; temperature modeling indicates the potential presence of permafrost. We hypothesize that this landslide could be part of the broader landscape evolution changes to alpine terrain caused by a warming climate, leading to thawing alpine permafrost.
Dominic T. Robson and Andreas C. W. Baas
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2900, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2900, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We present simulations of large populations (swarms) of a type of sand dune known as barchans. Our findings reveal that the rate at which sand moves inside an asymmetric barchan is vital to the behaviour of swarms and that many observed properties of the dunes can be explained by similar rates. We also show that different directions of the wind and the density of dunes added to swarms play important roles in shaping their evolution.
Christopher Tomsett and Julian Leyland
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1223–1249, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1223-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1223-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Vegetation influences how rivers change through time, yet the way in which we analyse vegetation is limited. Current methods collect detailed data at the individual plant level or determine dominant vegetation types across larger areas. Herein, we use UAVs to collect detailed vegetation datasets for a 1 km length of river and link vegetation properties to channel evolution occurring within the study site, providing a new method for investigating the influence of vegetation on river systems.
Rabab Yassine, Ludovic Cassan, Hélène Roux, Olivier Frysou, and François Pérès
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1199–1221, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1199-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1199-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Predicting river morphology evolution is very complicated, especially for mountain rivers with complex morphologies such as the Lac des Gaves reach in France. A 2D hydromorphological model was developed to reproduce the channel's evolution and provide reliable volumetric predictions while revealing the challenge of choosing adapted sediment transport and friction laws. Our model can provide decision-makers with reliable predictions to design suitable restoration measures for this reach.
Daisuke Harada and Shinji Egashira
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1183–1197, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1183-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1183-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper proposes a method for describing large-wood behavior in terms of the convection equation and the storage equation, which are associated with active sediment erosion and deposition. Compared to the existing Lagrangian method, the proposed method can easily simulate the behavior of large wood in the flow field with active sediment transport. The method is applied to the flood disaster in the Akatani River in 2017, and the 2-D flood flow computations are successfully performed.
Hemanti Sharma and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1161–1181, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1161-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1161-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Seasonality in precipitation (P) and vegetation (V) influences catchment erosion (E), although which factor plays the dominant role is unclear. In this study, we performed a sensitivity analysis of E to P–V seasonality through numerical modeling. Our results suggest that P variations strongly influence seasonal variations in E, while the effect of seasonal V variations is secondary but significant. This is more pronounced in moderate and least pronounced in extreme environmental settings.
Eduardo Gomez-de la Peña, Giovanni Coco, Colin Whittaker, and Jennifer Montaño
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1145–1160, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1145-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1145-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Predicting how shorelines change over time is a major challenge in coastal research. We here have turned to deep learning (DL), a data-driven modelling approach, to predict the movement of shorelines using observations from a camera system in New Zealand. The DL models here implemented succeeded in capturing the variability and distribution of the observed shoreline data. Overall, these findings indicate that DL has the potential to enhance the accuracy of current shoreline change predictions.
Christoph Rettinger, Mina Tabesh, Ulrich Rüde, Stefan Vollmer, and Roy M. Frings
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1097–1115, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1097-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1097-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Packing models promise efficient and accurate porosity predictions of fluvial sediment deposits. In this study, three packing models were reviewed, calibrated, and validated. Only two of the models were able to handle the continuous and large grain size distributions typically encountered in rivers. We showed that an extension by a cohesion model is necessary and developed guidelines for successful predictions in different rivers.
Cited articles
Baum, R. L., Savage, W. Z., and Wasowski, J.: Mechanics of Earthflows, in:
Proceedings of the International Conference FLOWS, Sorrento, 11–13 May 2003, Italy, 2003.
Bennett, G. L., Roering, J. J., Mackey, B. H., Handwerger, A. L., Schmidt,
D. A., and Guillod, B. P.: Historic drought puts the brakes on earthflows in
Northern California, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 5725–5731,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068378, 2016a.
Bennett, G. L., Miller, S. R., Roering, J. J., and Schmidt, D. A.:
Landslides, threshold slopes, and the survival of relict terrain in the wake
of the Mendocino Triple Junction, Geology, 44, 363–366,
https://doi.org/10.1130/G37530.1, 2016b.
Booth, A. M., Hurley, R., Lamb, M. P., and Andrade, J. E.: Force chains as
the link between particle and bulk friction angles in granular material,
Geophys. Res. Lett., 41, 8862–8869, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL061981, 2014.
Brummer, C. J. and Montgomery, D. R.: Influence of coarse lag formation on
the mechanics of sediment pulse dispersion in a mountain stream, Squire
Creek, North Cascades, Washington, United States, Water Resour. Res., 42, W07412, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005WR004776, 2006.
Bull, W. B.: Stream-terrace genesis: implications for soil development,
Geomorphology, 3, 351–367, https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-555X(90)90011-E, 1990.
Burbank, D. W., Leland, J., Fielding, E., Anderson, R. S., Brozovic, N.,
Reid, M. R., and Duncan, C.: Bedrock incision, rock uplift and threshold
hillslopes in the northwestern Himalayas, Nature, 379, 505–510,
https://doi.org/10.1038/379505a0, 1996.
Clark, M. K., Royden, L. H., Whipple, K. X., Burchfiel, B. C., Zhang, X., and
Tang, W.: Use of a regional, relict landscape to measure vertical
deformation of the eastern Tibetan Plateau, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth,
111, F03002, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JF000294, 2006.
Cook, K. L., Turowski, J. M., and Hovius, N.: A demonstration of the
importance of bedload transport for fluvial bedrock erosion and knickpoint
propagation, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 38, 683–695,
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3313, 2013.
Cook, K. L., Andermann, C., Gimbert, F., Adhikari, B. R., and Hovius, N.:
Glacial lake outburst floods as drivers of fluvial erosion in the Himalaya,
Science, 362, 53–57, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat4981, 2018.
Costa, J. E. and Schuster, R. L.: The formation and failure of natural dams,
GSA Bull., 100, 1054–1068, https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1988)100<1054:TFAFON>2.3.CO;2, 1988.
Croissant, T., Lague, D., Steer, P., and Davy, P.: Rapid post-seismic
landslide evacuation boosted by dynamic river width, Nat. Geosci., 10,
680–684, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo3005, 2017.
Crosby, B. T., Whipple, K. X., Gasparini, N. M., and Wobus, C. W.: Formation
of fluvial hanging valleys: Theory and simulation, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 112, F03S10, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000566, 2007.
Dunne, T. and Leopold, L. B.: Water in Environmental Planning, Macmillan, New York,
1978.
Finnegan, N.: Long Profiles and Valley Width Data for Arroyo Hondo, Alameda Creek, and the Eel River [Data set], Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3403345, 2019a.
Finnegan, N.: Earthflow-Derived Boulder Size Distributions for Arroyo Hondo and the Eel River [Data set], Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3403338, 2019b.
Finnegan, N.: Annual Earthflow Displacement [Data set], Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3403350, 2019c.
Fleming, R. W. and Johnson, A. M.: Structures associated with strike-slip
faults that bound landslide elements, Eng. Geol., 27, 39–114,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(89)90031-8, 1989.
Gilbert, G. K.: Geology of the Henry Mountains, USGS Unnumbered Series,
Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., available at:
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70038096 (last access: 17 April 2019), 1877.
Goldstein, R. M. and Werner, C. L.: Radar interferogram filtering for
geophysical applications, Geophys. Res. Lett., 4035–4038,
https://doi.org/10.1029/1998GL900033, 1998.
Golly, A., Turowski, J. M., Badoux, A., and Hovius, N.: Controls and
feedbacks in the coupling of mountain channels and hillslopes, Geology,
45, 307–310, https://doi.org/10.1130/G38831.1, 2017.
Handwerger, A. L., Roering, J. J., Schmidt, D. A., and Rempel, A. W.:
Kinematics of earthflows in the Northern California Coast Ranges using
satellite interferometry, Geomorphology, 246, 321–333,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.06.003, 2015.
Handwerger, A. L., Huang, M.-H., Fielding, E. J., Booth, A. M., and
Bürgmann, R.: A shift from drought to extreme rainfall drives a stable
landslide to catastrophic failure, Sci. Rep., 9, 1569,
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38300-0, 2019a.
Handwerger, A. L., Fielding, E. J., Huang, M.-H., Bennett, G. L., Liang, C.,
and Schulz, W. H.: Widespread Initiation, Reactivation, and Acceleration of
Landslides in the Northern California Coast Ranges due to Extreme Rainfall,
J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 124, 1782–1797, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005035,
2019b.
Hungr, O., Leroueil, S., and Picarelli, L.: The Varnes classification of
landslide types, an update, Landslides, 11, 167–194,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-013-0436-y, 2014.
Iverson, R. M. and Major, J. J.: Rainfall, ground-water flow, and seasonal
movement at Minor Creek landslide, northwestern California: Physical
interpretation of empirical relations, GSA Bull., 99, 579–594,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1987)99<579:RGFASM>2.0.CO;2,
1987.
Keefer, D. K. and Johnson, A. M.: Earth flows; morphology, mobilization, and
movement, USGS Numbered Series, U.S. G.P.O., available at:
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1264 (last access: 21 April 2019), 1983.
Kelsey, H. M.: Earthflows in Franciscan melange, Van Duzen River basin,
California, Geology, 6, 361–364, https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1978)6<361:EIFMVD>2.0.CO;2, 1978.
Korup, O.: Recent research on landslide dams - a literature review with
special attention to New Zealand, Prog. Phys. Geogr. Earth Environ., 26,
206–235, https://doi.org/10.1191/0309133302pp333ra, 2002.
Korup, O., Strom, A. L., and Weidinger, J. T.: Fluvial response to large
rock-slope failures: Examples from the Himalayas, the Tien Shan, and the
Southern Alps in New Zealand, Geomorphology, 78, 3–21,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.01.020, 2006.
Korup, O., Montgomery, D. R., and Hewitt, K.: Glacier and landslide feedbacks
to topographic relief in the Himalayan syntaxes, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,
107, 5317–5322, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0907531107, 2010.
Larsen, I. J. and Montgomery, D. R.: Landslide erosion coupled to tectonics
and river incision, Nat. Geosci., 5, 468–473, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1479,
2012.
Mackey, B. H. and Roering, J. J.: Sediment yield, spatial characteristics,
and the long-term evolution of active earthflows determined from airborne
LiDAR and historical aerial photographs, Eel River, California, GSA Bull.,
123, 1560–1576, https://doi.org/10.1130/B30306.1, 2011.
Mackey, B. H., Roering, J. J., and Lamb, M. P.: Landslide-dammed paleolake
perturbs marine sedimentation and drives genetic change in anadromous fish,
P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 108, 18905–18909, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1110445108,
2011.
McLaughlin, R. J., Ellen, S. D., Blake Jr., M. C., Jayko, A. S., Irwin, W.
P., Aalto, K. R., Carver, G. A., Clarke Jr., S. H., Barnes, J. B., Cecil, J.
D., and Cyr, K. A.: Geology of the Cape Mendocino, Eureka, Garberville, and
Southwestern Part of the Hayfork 30 x 60 Minute Quadrangles and Adjacent
Offshore Area, Northern California, USGS Numbered Series, U.S. Geological
Survey, available at: http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/mf2336
(last access: 1 May 2019), 2000.
Mey, J., Scherler, D., Zeilinger, G., and Strecker, M. R.: Estimating the
fill thickness and bedrock topography in intermontane valleys using
artificial neural networks: ESTIMATING VALLEY-FILL THICKNESSES, J. Geophys.
Res.-Earth, 120, 1301–1320, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JF003270, 2015.
Miller, S. R., Roering, J. J., and Schmidt, D. A.: Landslides, threshold
slopes, and the survival of relict terrain in the wake of the Mendocino
Triple Junction, Geology, 44, 363–366, https://doi.org/10.1130/G37530.1, 2016.
Murphy, C., Finnegan, N. J., Oberle, F. J., and Perkins, J. P.: Evidence for
a Positive Feedback Between Shallow Groundwater Flow and Shear Failure in an
Active Earthflow, AGU Fall Meet. Abstr., available at:
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018AGUFMEP24B..05M (last access: 25 April 2019),
2018.
NASA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, UAVSAR,
Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar, available at: https://uavsar.jpl.nasa.gov/ (last access: 28 August 2018), 2019.
Nereson, A. L. and Finnegan, N. J.: Drivers of earthflow motion revealed by
an 80 yr record of displacement from Oak Ridge earthflow, Diablo Range,
California, USA, GSA Bull., 131, 389–402, https://doi.org/10.1130/B32020.1, 2019.
Ouimet, W. B., Whipple, K. X., Royden, L. H., Sun, Z., and Chen, Z.: The
influence of large landslides on river incision in a transient landscape:
Eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (Sichuan, China), GSA Bull.,
119, 1462–1476, https://doi.org/10.1130/B26136.1, 2007.
Ouimet, W. B., Whipple, K. X., Crosby, B. T., Johnson, J. P., and Schildgen,
T. F.: Epigenetic gorges in fluvial landscapes, Earth Surf. Proc. Land.,
33, 1993–2009, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1650, 2008.
Prancevic, J. P. and Lamb, M. P.: Particle friction angles in steep mountain
channels: Friction angles in mountain channels, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 120, 242–259, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JF003286, 2015.
Reneau, S. L. and Dietrich, W. E.: Erosion rates in the southern oregon
coast range: Evidence for an equilibrium between hillslope erosion and
sediment yield, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 16, 307–322,
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290160405, 1991.
Roering, J. J., Mackey, B. H., Handwerger, A. L., Booth, A. M., Schmidt, D.
A., Bennett, G. L., and Cerovski-Darriau, C.: Beyond the angle of repose: A
review and synthesis of landslide processes in response to rapid uplift, Eel
River, Northern California, Geomorphology, 236, 109–131,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.02.013, 2015.
Rosen, P. A., Gurrola, E., Sacco, G. F., and Zebker, H.: The InSAR scientific computing environment, EUSAR 2012, 9th European Conference on Synthetic Aperture Radar, 23–26 April 2012,
Nuremberg, 730–733, 2012.
Scheingross, J. S., Minchew, B. M., Mackey, B. H., Simons, M., Lamb, M. P.,
and Hensley, S.: Fault-zone controls on the spatial distribution of
slow-moving landslides, GSA Bull., 125, 473–489,
https://doi.org/10.1130/B30719.1, 2013.
Schneider, J. M., Rickenmann, D., Turowski, J. M., Schmid, B., and Kirchner,
J. W.: Bed load transport in a very steep mountain stream (Riedbach,
Switzerland): Measurement and prediction: BED LOAD TRANSPORT RIEDBACH, Water
Resour. Res., 52, 9522–9541, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016WR019308, 2016.
Schoenbohm, L. M., Whipple, K. X., Burchfiel, B. C., and Chen, L.: Geomorphic
constraints on surface uplift, exhumation, and plateau growth in the Red
River region, Yunnan Province, China, GSA Bull., 116, 895–909,
https://doi.org/10.1130/B25364.1, 2004.
Schuerch, P., Densmore, A. L., McArdell, B. W., and Molnar, P.: The influence
of landsliding on sediment supply and channel change in a steep mountain
catchment, Geomorphology, 78, 222–235,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.01.025, 2006.
Schumm, S. A. and Stevens, M. A.: Abrasion in Place: A Mechanism for
Rounding and Size Reduction of Coarse Sediments in Rivers, Geology, 1,
37–40, https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1973)1<37:AIPAMF>2.0.CO;2, 1973.
Shobe, C. M., Tucker, G. E., and Anderson, R. S.: Hillslope-derived blocks
retard river incision, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, 5070–5078,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069262, 2016.
Simoni, A., Ponza, A., Picotti, V., Berti, M., and Dinelli, E.: Earthflow
sediment production and Holocene sediment record in a large Apennine
catchment, Geomorphology, 188, 42–53, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.12.006,
2013.
Sklar, L. S. and Dietrich, W. E.: Sediment and rock strength controls on
river incision into bedrock, Geology, 29, 1087–1090,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2001)029<1087:SARSCO>2.0.CO;2,
2001.
Sklar, L. S. and Dietrich, W. E.: A mechanistic model for river incision
into bedrock by saltating bed load: Bedrock Incision By Saltating Bed Load,
Water Resour. Res., 40, W06301, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003WR002496, 2004.
Stolle, A., Schwanghart, W., Andermann, C., Bernhardt, A., Fort, M., Jansen,
J. D., Wittmann, H., Merchel, S., Rugel, G., Adhikari, B. R., and Korup, O.:
Protracted river response to medieval earthquakes, Earth Surf. Proc.
Land., 44, 331–341, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4517, 2019.
U.S. Department of the Interior/U.S. Geological Survey: NWIS Site Information for USA: Site Inventory, USGS 11173200 ARROYO HONDO NR SAN JOSE CA, available at: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory/?site_no=11173200&agency_cd=USGS (last access: 23 July 2018), 2019a.
U.S. Department of the Interior/U.S. Geological Survey: NWIS Site Information for USA: Site Inventory, USGS 11475000 EEL R A FORT SEWARD CA, available at: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory/?site_no=11475000&agency_cd=USGS (last access: 23 July 2018), 2019b.
Vulliet, L. and Hutter, K.: Viscous-type sliding laws for landslides, Can.
Geotech. J., 25, 467–477, https://doi.org/10.1139/t88-052, 1988.
Wakabayashi, J.: Nappes, Tectonics of Oblique Plate Convergence, and
Metamorphic Evolution Related to 140 Million Years of Continuous Subduction,
Franciscan Complex, California, J. Geol., 100, 19–40,
https://doi.org/10.1086/629569, 1992.
Whipple, K. X.: Bedrock Rivers and the Geomorphology of Active Orogens,
Annu. Rev. Earth Pl. Sc., 32, 151–185,
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.32.101802.120356, 2004.
Wobus, C. W., Crosby, B. T., and Whipple, K. X.: Hanging valleys in fluvial
systems: Controls on occurrence and implications for landscape evolution, J.
Geophys. Res.-Earth, 111, F02017, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JF000406, 2006.
Wolman, M. G. and Miller, J. P.: Magnitude and Frequency of Forces in
Geomorphic Processes, J. Geol., 68, 54–74, https://doi.org/10.1086/626637, 1960.
Yanites, B. J., Tucker, G. E., Mueller, K. J., and Chen, Y.-G.: How rivers
react to large earthquakes: Evidence from central Taiwan, Geology, 38,
639–642, https://doi.org/10.1130/G30883.1, 2010.
Zhang, X., Phillips, C., and Marden, M.: Internal deformation of a
fast-moving earthflow, Raukumara Peninsula, New Zealand, Geomorphology,
4, 145–154, https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-555X(91)90025-6, 1991.
Zimmermann, A., Church, M., and Hassan, M. A.: Step-pool stability: Testing
the jammed state hypothesis, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 115, F02008,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JF001365, 2010.
Short summary
In some settings, landslides trigger valley blockages that impound huge volumes of sediment, often drastically changing river habitat and habitability. In other settings, landslides appear to have little effect on rivers. In this study, we explore what governs the different sensitivity of rivers to blocking from landslide debris. We accomplish this by comparing two sites in California with dramatic differences in blocking from otherwise similar slow-moving landslides.
In some settings, landslides trigger valley blockages that impound huge volumes of sediment,...
