Articles | Volume 9, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-47-2021
© Author(s) 2021. 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-9-47-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
04 Feb 2021
Research article |
| 04 Feb 2021
| 04 Feb 2021
Coupling threshold theory and satellite-derived channel width to estimate the formative discharge of Himalayan foreland rivers
Kumar Gaurav
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
François Métivier
Institute de Physique du Globe de Paris, 1 Rue Jussieu, 75005 Paris CEDEX 05, France
A V Sreejith
School of Mathematics and Computer Science, Indian Institute of Technology, Ponda 403401, Goa, India
Rajiv Sinha
Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208016, India
Amit Kumar
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
Sampat Kumar Tandon
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462066, India
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A. Singh, G. K. Meena, S. Kumar, and K. Gaurav
ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., IV-5, 197–202, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-IV-5-197-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-IV-5-197-2018, 2018
Saroj Kumar Dash and Rajiv Sinha
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-47, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-47, 2022
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ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., IV-5, 197–202, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-IV-5-197-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-IV-5-197-2018, 2018
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Earth Surf. Dynam., 6, 1011–1021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-1011-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-1011-2018, 2018
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The grain-size distribution of ancient alluvial systems is commonly determined from sections of gravel deposits exposed vertically to reconstruct paleo-environments or changes in tectonics and/or climate. To test whether such a grain-size distribution is equivalent to one of the sediments that was in direct contact with the flow at the time of deposition, we dug a large trench in an active gravel-bedded, braided river. We show that the granulometry is uniform at the scale of the active layer.
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Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2471–2485, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2471-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2471-2018, 2018
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Several rivers basins in the Ganga plains suffer from very high sediment production in their catchment and there are no good estimates of sediment yield from these basins due to a lack of gauge data. The RUSLE model offers an alternative approach and the same has been applied in a small basin in the Ganga plains. The study demonstrated the usefulness of the proposed methodology for quantifying uncertainty in soil erosion and sediment yield estimates at ungauged basins.
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Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 239–252, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-239-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-239-2017, 2017
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Alluvial fans are sedimentary deposits that take place at the outlet of mountain range. This location makes them the first sedimentary archive where sediments, eroded from mountains, are deposed. Their morphology is controlled by the water and sediment discharges and sediment characteristics. By using controlled laboratory experiments, we show that an alluvial fan composed of two distinct sediments has a characteristic shape; it can be decomposed into two fans made up of one sediment.
François Métivier, Eric Lajeunesse, and Olivier Devauchelle
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 187–198, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-187-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-187-2017, 2017
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More than a century of experiments have demonstrated that many features of natural rivers can be reproduced in the laboratory. Here, we revisit some of these experiments to show that, regardless of the river's planform (single-thread or braiding), laboratory rivers behave like their natural counterparts. We further suggest that sediment transport could be responsible for the transition into a braided river, which could, in turn, explain the scarcity of laboratory single-thread channels.
Jimmy O'Keeffe, Wouter Buytaert, Ana Mijic, Nicholas Brozović, and Rajiv Sinha
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 1911–1924, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1911-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1911-2016, 2016
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Semi-structured interviews provide an effective and efficient way of collecting qualitative and quantitative data on water use practices. Interviews are organised around a topic guide, which helps lead the conversation while allowing sufficient opportunity to identify issues previously unknown to the researcher. The use of semi-structured interviews could significantly and quickly improve insight on water resources, leading to more realistic future management options and increased water security.
François Métivier, Olivier Devauchelle, Hugo Chauvet, Eric Lajeunesse, Patrick Meunier, Koen Blanckaert, Peter Ashmore, Zhi Zhang, Yuting Fan, Youcun Liu, Zhibao Dong, and Baisheng Ye
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 273–283, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-273-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-273-2016, 2016
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In meandering rivers, flow and sediments are carried in a single thread whereas in braided rivers they are carried through numerous threads. The geometry of single-thread follows scaling relationships with discharge. The most famous of these, "Lacey's law", states that a river's width scales with the square root of its discharge. We here show that threads from braided rivers also accord with Lacey's law, and that the geometry of meandering and braided threads cannot be differenciated.
K. Gaurav, F. Métivier, O. Devauchelle, R. Sinha, H. Chauvet, M. Houssais, and H. Bouquerel
Earth Surf. Dynam., 3, 321–331, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-321-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-321-2015, 2015
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This study mainly focused on the comparison between braided river channels and meandering river channels. We show that the morphology of braided and meandering channels are comparable and their width, depth and slope scale in same way against water discharge. This is the key finding of our study and it has never been tested before.
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Paul A. Jarvis, Clement Narteau, Olivier Rozier, and Nathalie M. Vriend
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 803–815, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-803-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-803-2023, 2023
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Adrian Ringenbach, Peter Bebi, Perry Bartelt, Andreas Rigling, Marc Christen, Yves Bühler, Andreas Stoffel, and Andrin Caviezel
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 779–801, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-779-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-779-2023, 2023
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Colin K. Bloom, Corinne Singeisen, Timothy Stahl, Andrew Howell, and Chris Massey
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 757–778, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-757-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-757-2023, 2023
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Rishitosh K. Sinha, Dwijesh Ray, Tjalling De Haas, Susan J. Conway, and Axel Noblet
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 713–730, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-713-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-713-2023, 2023
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Our detailed investigation of Martian gullies formed in different substrates in 29 craters distributed between 30°–75° S latitude suggests that they can be differentiated from one another in terms of (1) morphology and length of alcoves and (2) mean gradient of the gully fans. The comparison between the Melton ratio, alcove length, and fan gradient of Martian and terrestrial gullies suggests that Martian gullies were likely formed by terrestrial debris-flow-like processes in the past.
Christopher J. Skinner and Thomas J. Coulthard
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 695–711, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-695-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-695-2023, 2023
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Landscape evolution models allow us to simulate the way the Earth's surface is shaped and help us to understand relevant processes, in turn helping us to manage landscapes better. The models typically represent the land surface using a grid of square cells of equal size, averaging heights in those squares. This study shows that the size chosen by the modeller for these grid cells is important, with larger sizes making sediment output events larger but less frequent.
Hossein Hosseiny, Claire C. Masteller, Jedidiah E. Dale, and Colin B. Phillips
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 681–693, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-681-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-681-2023, 2023
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It is of great importance to engineers and geomorphologists to predict the rate of bed load in rivers. In this contribution, we used a large dataset of measured data and developed an artificial neural network (ANN), a machine learning algorithm, for bed load prediction. The ANN model predicted the bed load flux close to measured values and better than the ones obtained from four standard bed load models with varying degrees of complexity.
Ian Delaney, Leif Anderson, and Frédéric Herman
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 663–680, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-663-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-663-2023, 2023
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This paper presents a two-dimensional subglacial sediment transport model that evolves a sediment layer in response to subglacial sediment transport conditions. The model captures sediment transport in supply- and transport-limited regimes across a glacier's bed and considers both the creation and transport of sediment. Model outputs show how the spatial distribution of sediment and water below a glacier can impact the glacier's discharge of sediment and erosion of bedrock.
Sam Y. J. Huang, Steven Y. J. Lai, Ajay B. Limaye, Brady Z. Foreman, and Chris Paola
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 615–632, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-615-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-615-2023, 2023
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We use experiments and a model to study the effects of confinement width and the inflow-to-sediment discharge ratio on the evolution of submarine braided channels. We find that confinement width controls most of the morphological changes. These trends are consistent for submarine braided channels both with and without confinement width effects and similar to fluvial braided rivers. Furthermore, we built a model that can simulate the flow bifurcation and confluence of submarine braided channels.
Alice Lefebvre and Julia Cisneros
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 575–591, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-575-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-575-2023, 2023
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Underwater dunes are found in various environments with strong hydrodynamics and sandy sediment. Using a numerical model, we investigated how the dune shape influences flow velocity and turbulence. We propose a classification with three types of dunes, depending on their mean lee side angles (low-angle dunes, intermediate-angle dunes and high-angle dunes). We discuss the implications of this classification on the interaction between dune morphology, flow and sediment transport.
Haggai Eyal, Moshe Armon, Yehouda Enzel, and Nadav G. Lensky
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 547–574, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-547-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-547-2023, 2023
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Extracting paleoenvironmets from sedimentologic and geomorphic records is a main goal in Earth sciences. We study a chain of processes connecting causative Mediterranean cyclones, coeval floods, storm waves generated by mesoscale funneled wind, and coastal gravel transport. This causes northward dispersion of gravel along the modern Dead Sea coast, which has also persisted since the late Pleistocene, resulting in beach berms and fan deltas always being deposited north of channel mouths.
Rémi Bossis, Vincent Regard, and Sébastien Carretier
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 529–545, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-529-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-529-2023, 2023
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This study presents a method to calculate the volume of rock eroded by the sea on volcanic islands, by reconstructing their pre-erosion shape and size. The method has been applied on Corvo Island (Azores). We show that before the island was eroded, it was roughly 8 km wide and 1 km high. The island has lost more than 6 km3 of rock and 80 % of its surface. We also show that the erosion of sea cliffs is mainly due to the moderate and most frequent waves.
Nicolas Steeb, Virginia Ruiz-Villanueva, Alexandre Badoux, Christian Rickli, Andrea Mini, Markus Stoffel, and Dieter Rickenmann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 487–509, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-487-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-487-2023, 2023
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Various models have been used in science and practice to estimate how much large wood (LW) can be supplied to rivers. This contribution reviews the existing models proposed in the last 35 years and compares two of the most recent spatially explicit models by applying them to 40 catchments in Switzerland. Differences in modelling results are discussed, and results are compared to available observations coming from a unique database.
Ci-Jian Yang, Pei-Hao Chen, Erica D. Erlanger, Jens M. Turowski, Sen Xu, Tse-Yang Teng, Jiun-Chuan Lin, and Jr-Chuang Huang
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 475–486, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-475-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-475-2023, 2023
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Observations of the interaction between extreme physical erosion and chemical weathering dynamics are limited. We presented major elements of stream water in the badland catchment at 3 h intervals during a 3 d typhoon. The excess sodium in the evaporite deposits causes material dispersion through deflocculation, which enhances the suspended sediment flux. Moreover, we observed a shift from predominantly evaporite weathering at peak precipitation to silicate weathering at peak discharge.
Slim Mtibaa and Haruka Tsunetaka
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 461–474, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-461-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-461-2023, 2023
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We explore the relation between the spatial patterns of rainfall return levels for various timespans (1–72 h) and landslide density during a rainfall event that triggered widespread landslides. We found that landslide density increases with increased rainfall return levels for the various examined timespans. Accordingly, we conclude that whether rainfall intensities reached exceptional return levels for a wide time range is a key determinant of the spatial distribution of landslides.
Jennifer R. Shadrick, Dylan H. Rood, Martin D. Hurst, Matthew D. Piggott, Klaus M. Wilcken, and Alexander J. Seal
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 429–450, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-429-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-429-2023, 2023
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This study uses a coastal evolution model to interpret cosmogenic beryllium-10 concentrations and topographic data and, in turn, quantify long-term cliff retreat rates for four chalk sites on the south coast of England. By using a process-based model, clear distinctions between intertidal weathering rates have been recognised between chalk and sandstone rock coast sites, advocating the use of process-based models to interpret the long-term behaviour of rock coasts.
Jayaram Hariharan, Kyle Wright, Andrew Moodie, Nelson Tull, and Paola Passalacqua
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 405–427, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-405-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-405-2023, 2023
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We simulate the transport of material through numerically simulated river deltas under natural and human-modified (embankment construction and channel dredging) scenarios to understand their impacts on material transport. Human modifications reduce the total area visited by passive particles and alter the amount of time spent within the delta relative to natural conditions. This work can help us understand how future construction may impact land building or ecosystem restoration projects.
Livia Piermattei, Tobias Heckmann, Sarah Betz-Nutz, Moritz Altmann, Jakob Rom, Fabian Fleischer, Manuel Stark, Florian Haas, Camillo Ressl, Michael H. Wimmer, Norbert Pfeifer, and Michael Becht
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 383–403, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-383-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-383-2023, 2023
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Alpine rivers have experienced strong changes over the last century. In the present study, we explore the potential of historical multi-temporal elevation models, combined with recent topographic data, to quantify 66 years (from 1953 to 2019) of river changes in the glacier forefield of an Alpine catchment. Thereby, we quantify the changes in the river form as well as the related sediment erosion and deposition.
Amande Roque-Bernard, Antoine Lucas, Eric Gayer, Pascal Allemand, Céline Dessert, and Eric Lajeunesse
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 363–381, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-363-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-363-2023, 2023
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Sediment transport in rivers is an important matter in Earth surface dynamics. We offer a new framework of understanding of the suspended sediment transport through observatory chronicles and a simple model that is able to catch the behavior during a flood event as well as time series in a steep river catchment. We validate our approach in both tropical and alpine environments, which also offers additional estimates of the size of the suspended sediment.
Matthew C. Morriss, Benjamin Lehmann, Benjamin Campforts, George Brencher, Brianna Rick, Leif Anderson, Alexander L. Handwerger, Irina Overeem, and Jeffrey Moore
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-697, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-697, 2023
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In this manuscript, we investigated the June 28th, 2022 collapse of the Chaos Canyon landslide in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. We found the landslide was moving prior to its collapse, took place at peak spring snowmelt, and temperature modeling indicates the potential presence of permafrost, indicating this collapse could be due to permafrost thaw. We hypothesize this landslide could be part of the broader landscape evolution changes to alpine terrain caused by a warming climate.
Andrea Gasparotto, Stephen E. Darby, Julian Leyland, and Paul A. Carling
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 343–361, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-343-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-343-2023, 2023
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In this study the processes leading to bank failures in the hypertidal Severn Estuary are studied employing numerical models and field observations. Results highlight that the periodic fluctuations in water levels drive an imbalance in the resisting (hydrostatic pressure) versus driving (pore water pressure) forces causing a frequent oscillation of bank stability between stable (at high tide) and unstable states (at low tide) both on semidiurnal bases and in the spring–neap transition.
Jens Martin Turowski, Gunnar Pruß, Anne Voigtländer, Andreas Ludwig, Angela Landgraf, Florian Kober, and Audrey Bonnelye
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-76, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-76, 2023
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Rivers can cut into rocks and their strength modulates the river's erosion rates. Yet, it is poorly understood which properties of the rock control its response to erosive action. Here, we describe parallel experiments to measure rock erosion rates under fluvial impact erosion and the rock's geotechnical properties such as fracture strength, elasticity and density. Erosion rates vary over a factor of million between different rock types. We use the data to improve current theory.
Emma Lodes, Dirk Scherler, Renee van Dongen, and Hella Wittmann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 305–324, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-305-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-305-2023, 2023
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We explored the ways that boulders and bedrock affect the shapes of hills and valleys by testing how quickly they erode compared to soil. We found that bedrock and boulders mostly erode more slowly than soil and predict that fracture patterns affect where they exist. We also found that streams generally follow fault orientations. Together, our data imply that fractures influence landscapes by weakening bedrock, causing it to erode faster and to eventually form a valley where a stream may flow.
Thomas O. Hoffmann, Yannik Baulig, Stefan Vollmer, Jan H. Blöthe, Karl Auerswald, and Peter Fiener
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 287–303, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-287-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-287-2023, 2023
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We analyzed more than 440 000 measurements from suspended sediment monitoring to show that suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in large rivers in Germany strongly declined by 50 % between 1990 and 2010. We argue that SSC is approaching the natural base level that was reached during the mid-Holocene. There is no simple explanation for this decline, but increased sediment retention in upstream headwaters is presumably the major reason for declining SSC in the large river channels studied.
Ngai-Ham Chan, Moritz Langer, Bennet Juhls, Tabea Rettelbach, Paul Overduin, Kimberly Huppert, and Jean Braun
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 259–285, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-259-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-259-2023, 2023
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Arctic river deltas influence how nutrients and soil organic carbon, carried by sediments from the Arctic landscape, are retained or released into the Arctic Ocean. Under climate change, the deltas themselves and their ecosystems are becoming more vulnerable. We build upon previous models to reproduce for the first time an important feature ubiquitous to Arctic deltas and simulate its future under climate warming. This can impact the future of Arctic deltas and the carbon release they moderate.
Kelly Sanks, John Shaw, Samuel Zapp, José Silvestre, Ripul Dutt, and Kyle Straub
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-545, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-545, 2023
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River deltas encompass many depositional environments (like channels and wetlands) that interact to produce coastal environments that change through time. The processes leading to sedimentation in wetlands are often neglected from physical delta models. We show that wetland sedimentation constrains flow to the channels, changes sedimentation rates, and produces channels more akin to field-scale deltas. These results have implications for management of these vulnerable coastal landscapes.
Katharina Wetterauer and Dirk Scherler
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-630, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-630, 2023
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In glacial landscapes, debris supply rates vary spatially and temporally. Rockwall erosion rates derived from cosmogenic 10Be concentrations in medial moraine debris at five adjacent Swiss glaciers indicate an increase in erosion from the end of the Little Ice Age towards deglaciation, but temporally more stable rates over the last ~100 years. Rockwall erosion rates are higher where rockwalls are steep and north-facing, suggesting a potential slope and temperature control.
Sarah Betz-Nutz, Tobias Heckmann, Florian Haas, and Michael Becht
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 203–226, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-203-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-203-2023, 2023
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The geomorphic activity of LIA lateral moraines is of high interest due to its implications for the sediment fluxes and hazards within proglacial areas. We derived multitemporal models from historical aerial images and recent drone images to investigate the morphodynamics on moraine slopes over time. We found that the highest erosion rates occur on the steepest moraine slopes, which stay active for decades, and that the slope angle explains morphodynamics better than the time since deglaciation.
Haojie Huang
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 167–181, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-167-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-167-2023, 2023
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Straw checkerboard barriers (SCBs) have been widely used in anti-desertification projects. However, research on this mechanism and its laying length are still lacking. The significance of our work is to analyze some results, which seem simple but lack a theoretical basis from the perspective of turbulence through this model. This study may provide theoretical support for the minimum laying length of SCBs in anti-desertification projects.
Taylor Dorn and Mackenzie Day
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 149–165, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-149-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-149-2023, 2023
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Planetary surfaces are shaped by both wind and water, and their resulting surface features are commonly observed by aerial images. Deep Springs playa, CA, provides a comparable wet-to-dry-transitioning landscape as experienced in Mars' past. Our results, made through collected weather data and drone footage, show that some features, when observed solely by aerial imagery, might be interpreted as being formed by wind when in fact other processes were more influential in their formation.
Daniel Draebing, Tobias Gebhard, and Miriam Pheiffer
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 71–88, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-71-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-71-2023, 2023
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Scarpland formation produced low-inclined slopes susceptible to deep-seated landsliding on geological scales. These landslide-affected slopes are often used for forestry activities today, and interaction between geology and vegetation controls shallow landsliding. Our data show that Feuerletten clays control deep-seated landsliding processes that can be reactivated. When trees are sufficiently dense to provide lateral root cohesion, trees can prevent the occurrence of shallow landslides.
Mohamad Nasr, Adele Johannot, Thomas Geay, Sebastien Zanker, Jules Le Guern, and Alain Recking
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-68, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-68, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
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Hydrophones are used to monitor sediment transport in the river by listing to the acoustic noise generated by particles 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.
Christoph Rettinger, Mina Tabesh, Ulrich Rüde, Stefan Vollmer, and Roy M. Frings
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-72, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-72, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
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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.
Pascal Allemand, Eric Lajeunesse, Olivier Devauchelle, and Vincent J. Langlois
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 21–32, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-21-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-21-2023, 2023
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We recorded yearly images of a bar of the Vieux-Habitants river, a river located on Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe). These images, combined with measurements of the river discharge, allow us to monitor the evolution of the population of boulders. We estimate the smallest discharge that can move the boulders and calculate the effective transport time. We show that the likelihood of a given boulder remaining at the same location decreases exponentially, with an effective residence time of 17 h.
Shawn M. Chartrand, A. Mark Jellinek, Marwan A. Hassan, and Carles Ferrer-Boix
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 1–20, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-1-2023, 2023
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Rivers with alternating patterns of shallow and deep flows are commonly observed where a river widens and then narrows, respectively. But what if width changes over time? We use a lab experiment to address this question and find it is possible to decrease and then increase river width at a specific location and observe that flows deepen and then shallow consistent with expectations. Our observations can inform river restoration and climate adaptation programs that emphasize river corridors.
Chendi Zhang, Yuncheng Xu, Marwan A. Hassan, Mengzhen Xu, and Pukang He
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1253–1272, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1253-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1253-2022, 2022
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Step-pool morphology is common in mountain streams. The geomorphic processes of step-pool features closely interact with hydraulic properties, which have limited access due to measurement difficulties. We established a combined approach using both physical experiments and numerical simulations to acquire detailed three-dimensional hydraulics for step-pool morphology, which improves the understanding of the links between hydraulics and morphology for a step-pool feature.
Hemanti Sharma and Todd A. Ehlers
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-65, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-65, 2022
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
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Seasonality in precipitation (P) and vegetation (V) jointly influence 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.
Yan Yan, Yifei Cui, Xinghui Huang, Jiaojiao Zhou, Wengang Zhang, Shuyao Yin, Jian Guo, and Sheng Hu
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1233–1252, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1233-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1233-2022, 2022
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Landslides present a significant hazard for humans, but continuous landslide monitoring is not yet possible due to their unpredictability. Our study has demonstrated that combing landslide seismic signal analysis, dynamic inversion, and numerical simulation provides a comprehensive and accurate method for studying the landslide process. The approach outlined in this study could be used to support hazard prevention and control in sensitive areas.
Samuel Anderson, Nicole Gasparini, and Joel Johnson
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1285, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-1285, 2022
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We measured rock strength and amount of fracturing in the two different rock types, sandstones and carbonates, in Last Chance Canyon, New Mexico, USA. Where there is more carbonate bedrock, hills and channels steepen in Last Chance Canyon. This is because the carbonate type bedrock tends to be more thickly bedded, is less fractured, and is stronger. The carbonate bedrock produces larger boulders than the sandstone bedrock which can protect the more fractured sandstone bedrock from erosion.
Wei Shi, Hanchao Jiang, Hongyan Xu, Siyuan Ma, Jiawei Fan, Siqi Zhang, Qiaoqiao Guo, and Xiaotong Wei
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1195–1209, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1195-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1195-2022, 2022
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Alpine valleys reduce the preservation potential of Quaternary sediment in bedrock valley regions, which seriously hinders the study of modern tectonic activity. We report a new method to reveal regional tectonic activity by analyzing fluvial sediments in tectonically active regions. Our analyses identify three segments of different tectonic activities along the upper Min River, eastern Tibet. This method provides a key framework to reveal tectonic activity in other regions of the world.
Sibylle Knapp, Michael Schwenk, and Michael Krautblatter
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1185–1193, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1185-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1185-2022, 2022
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The Flims area in the Swiss Alps has fascinated the researchers with its complex geological history ever since. Especially the order of events related to the Tamins and Flims rockslides has long been debated. This paper presents novel results based on up to 160 m deep geophysical profiles, which show onlaps of the Bonaduz Formation onto the Tamins deposits (Ils Aults) and thus indicate that the Tamins rockslide occurred first. The consecutive evolution of this landscape is shown in four phases.
Dieter Rickenmann, Lorenz Ammann, Tobias Nicollier, Stefan Boss, Bruno Fritschi, Gilles Antoniazza, Nicolas Steeb, Zheng Chen, Carlos Wyss, and Alexandre Badoux
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1165–1183, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1165-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1165-2022, 2022
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The Swiss plate geophone system has been installed and tested in more than 20 steep gravel-bed streams. It is an indirect bedload transport measuring system. We compare the performance of this system with three alternative surrogate measuring systems, using calibration measurements with direct bedload samples from three field sites and an outdoor flume facility. Three of the four systems resulted in robust calibration relations between signal impulse counts and transported bedload mass.
Alexander Anatol Ermilov, Gergely Benkő, and Sándor Baranya
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-56, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2022-56, 2022
Revised manuscript accepted for ESurf
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A novel, artificial intelligence-based riverbed sediment analysis methodology is introduced, which uses underwater images to identify the characteristic sediment classes. The main novelties of the procedure are the followings: underwater images are used; the method enables continuous mapping of the riverbed along the measurement vessel’s route contrary to conventional techniques; cost-efficient; works without scaling.
Anya S. Leenman and Brett C. Eaton
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1097–1114, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1097-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1097-2022, 2022
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The supply of sediment (sand and gravel) carried by a stream out of a steep mountain valley is widely thought to control the gradient of the fan-shaped landforms that streams often build where they leave their valley. We tested this idea in a set of
sandboxexperiments with oscillating high and low sediment supply. Even though the average sediment supply never changed, longer oscillations built flatter fans, indicating how wetter climates might affect these mountain landforms.
Shanbai Wu, Ruihua Zhao, Liping Liao, Yunchuan Yang, Yao Wei, and Wenzhi Wei
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1079–1096, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1079-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1079-2022, 2022
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Granite residual soil landslides are widely distributed in southeastern Guangxi Province, China. To understand the failure mode, the landslide can provide a scientific basis for early warning and prevention. In this study, we conducted artificial flume model tests to investigate the failure mode of granite residual soil landslide. The research provides valuable references for the prevention and early warning of granite residual soil landslide in the southeast of Guangxi.
Shiuan-An Chen, Katerina Michaelides, David A. Richards, and Michael Bliss Singer
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1055–1078, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1055-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1055-2022, 2022
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Drainage basin erosion rates influence landscape evolution through controlling land surface lowering and sediment flux, but gaps remain in understanding their large-scale patterns and drivers between timescales. We analysed global erosion rates and show that long-term erosion rates are controlled by rainfall, former glacial processes, and basin landform, whilst human activities enhance short-term erosion rates. The results highlight the complex interplay of controls on land surface processes.
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Short summary
This study demonstrates an innovative methodology to estimate the formative discharge of alluvial rivers from remote sensing images. We have developed an automated algorithm in Python 3 to extract the width of a river channel from satellite images. Finally, this channel width is translated into discharge using a semi-empirical regime equation developed from field measurements and threshold channel theory that explains the first-order geometry of alluvial channels.
This study demonstrates an innovative methodology to estimate the formative discharge of...
