Variability of bedload transport and channel morphology in a braided river hydraulic model

1994 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 403-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Warburton ◽  
Tim Davies
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Model ◽  
Channel Morphology ◽  
Bedload Transport ◽  
Braided River

scholarly journals Geometry of meandering and braided gravel-bed threads from the Bayanbulak Grassland, Tianshan, P. R. China

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Métivier ◽  
Olivier Devauchelle ◽  
Hugo Chauvet ◽  
Eric Lajeunesse ◽  
Patrick Meunier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Sedimentary Basin ◽  
Bedload Transport ◽  
Braided River ◽  
Statistical Distributions ◽  
Meandering Rivers ◽  
Gravel Bed ◽  
Threshold Theory ◽  
Gravel Bed Rivers

Abstract. The Bayanbulak Grassland, Tianshan, P. R. China, is located in an intramontane sedimentary basin where meandering and braided gravel-bed rivers coexist under the same climatic and geological settings. We report and compare measurements of the discharge, width, depth, slope and grain size of individual threads from these braided and meandering rivers. Both types of threads share statistically indistinguishable regime relations. Their depths and slopes compare well with the threshold theory, but they are wider than predicted by this theory. These findings are reminiscent of previous observations from similar gravel-bed rivers. Using the scaling laws of the threshold theory, we detrend our data with respect to discharge to produce a homogeneous statistical ensemble of width, depth and slope measurements. The statistical distributions of these dimensionless quantities are similar for braided and meandering threads. This suggests that a braided river is a collection of intertwined threads, which individually resemble those of meandering rivers. Given the environmental conditions in Bayanbulak, we furthermore hypothesize that bedload transport causes the threads to be wider than predicted by the threshold theory.

Effects of episodic sediment supply on experimental step-pool channel morphology, bedload transport and channel stability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiamei Wang ◽  
Marwan A. Hassan ◽  
Matteo Saletti ◽  
Xingyu Chen ◽  
Xudong Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Mass Movement ◽  
Channel Morphology ◽  
Bedload Transport ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Primary Control ◽  
Channel Stability ◽  
Flume Experiments ◽  
Small Magnitude

<p>Steep step-pool streams are often coupled to adjacent hillslope, directly receiving episodic sediment supply from mass movement processes such as landslides and debris flows. The response of step-pool channels to the variations in sediment supply remains largely unexplored. We conducted flume experiments with a poorly sorted grain-size distribution in an 8%-steep, 5-m long flume with variable width at the University of British Columbia, to study the effects of episodic sediment supply on channel evolution. After a conditioning phase with no feed, the channel was subjected to sediment pulses of different magnitude and frequency under constant flow discharge. High-resolution data of hydraulics, bedload transport, bed surface grain size, and channel morphology were collected every 10-20 minutes and an additional time at the end of each pulse.</p><p>In response to sediment pulses, we recorded an increase in bedload transport rates, channel aggradation, bed surface fining, and continuous step formation and collapse. In between pulses, bedload rates dropped by several orders of magnitude, net erosion occurred, the bed surface gradually coarsened, and steps became more stable. The small-magnitude high-frequency pulses caused smaller but more frequent spikes in bedload transport, bed surface evolution, and thus step stability. Instead, the large-magnitude low-frequency pulses cause larger changes but provided a longer time for the channel to recover. This suggests that in step-pool channels pulse magnitude is a key control on channel rearrangement, while pulse frequency controls how fast and strong the recovery is.</p><p>The frequency and stability of steps varied as a function of local channel width, showing that channel geometry is a primary control on step formation and stability even under episodic sediment supply conditions. Instead, the effect of sediment pulses is less important because the total number and average survival time of steps were similar among runs with different pulses. The critical Shields stress decreased following sediment pulses, then increased immediately after, and fluctuated until the next pulse. The variations in sediment supply caused cycles in bedload transport rate, surface and bedload texture, thus controlling the variability in the threshold for motion.</p><p>Our results indicate that episodic sediment supply is a primary control on the evolution of step-pool channels, with sediment feed magnitude affecting mostly morphological changes, and sediment feed frequency controlling channel stability.</p>

scholarly journals Grain sorting in the morphological active layer of a braided river physical model

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Leduc ◽  
P. Ashmore ◽  
J. T. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Numerical Modeling ◽  
Active Layer ◽  
Bedload Transport ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Active Layer Thickness ◽  
Braided River ◽  
River Bed ◽  
Physical Scale ◽  
Bed Material

Abstract. A physical scale model of a gravel-bed braided river was used to measure vertical grain size sorting in the morphological active layer aggregated over the width of the river. This vertical sorting is important for analyzing braided river sedimentology, for numerical modeling of braided river morphodynamics, and for measuring and predicting bedload transport rate. We define the morphological active layer as the bed material between the maximum and minimum bed elevations at a point over extended time periods sufficient for braiding processes to rework the river bed. The vertical extent of the active layer was measured using 40 hourly high-resolution DEMs (digital elevation models) of the model river bed. An image texture algorithm was used to map bed material grain size of each DEM. Analysis of the 40 DEMs and texture maps provides data on the geometry of the morphological active layer and variation in grain size in three dimensions. By normalizing active layer thickness and dividing into 10 sublayers, we show that all grain sizes occur with almost equal frequency in all sublayers. Occurrence of patches and strings of coarser (or finer) material relates to preservation of particular morpho-textural features within the active layer. For numerical modeling and bedload prediction, a morphological active layer that is fully mixed with respect to grain size is a reliable approximation.

scholarly journals Hydraulic visibility: Using satellite altimetry to parameterize a hydraulic model of an ungauged reach of a braided river

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 756-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-André Garambois ◽  
Stéphane Calmant ◽  
Hélène Roux ◽  
Adrien Paris ◽  
Jérôme Monnier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Altimetry ◽  
Hydraulic Model ◽  
Braided River

Spatiotemporal response of an Alpine braided river reach to snow melt and flood events

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten Bakker ◽  
Florent Gimbert ◽  
Clément Misset ◽  
Laurent Borgniet ◽  
Alain Recking
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Change ◽  
Return Period ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Bedload Transport ◽  
Snow Melt ◽  
Braided River ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
River Bed ◽  
Extreme Flood ◽  
Braided Reach

<p>Alpine environments are responding to accelerated climate warming through the release and mobilization of large amounts of unconsolidated sediment. Sediment fluxes delivered to Alpine streams may be buffered, filtered and/or modulated as they pass through braided river reaches, which play a key role in the downstream transfer and dynamics of bed material. The functioning of these braided reaches is however still poorly understood, particularly during high magnitude events whose effects are very difficult to monitor but play an ever more prominent role in river system evolution.</p><p>In this study, we investigate the transfer of bedload material and river bed morphological change in a braided reach of the Séveraisse River (France), over the course of the melt season and two large flood events with an estimated return period of 5 and 50 years. To quantify braided reach dynamics, a multi-physical approach is employed that combines both temporally and spatially resolved techniques. We use bank-side geophones and locally derived parameters that describe seismic wave propagation in the subsurface to accurately quantify bedload transport and gain a unique insight in its temporal dynamics, particularly during the flood events. River bed elevation changes are determined from intermittent UAV-based LiDAR and photogrammetric acquisition. These are complemented with hourly (daytime) time-lapse images that register planform changes during the flood events.</p><p>Our results show strongly contrasting morphodynamic behavior with different flow conditions. During ‘normal’ bedload transport conditions driven by annual snow-melt, channel aggradation occurs leading to progressively lower bedload export from the reach for a given discharge. During the flood with a 5 year return period, which occurred at the end of the melt season, the braided riverbed morphology is rearranged and net sediment export took place. Most interestingly, in the autumn an extreme flood event led to the development of a single channel, meandering planform with significant outer bend erosion on alternating banks. Although this morphological change may be only temporary, i.e. a braided configuration may be expected to be gradually re-instated, it has important implications on the general functioning and morphological evolution of the reach and the downstream transfer of sediment.</p>

scholarly journals Morphology of meandering and braided gravel-bed streams from the Bayanbulak Grassland, Tianshan, China

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 1289-1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Métivier ◽  
O. Devauchelle ◽  
H. Chauvet ◽  
E. Lajeunesse ◽  
P. Meunier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Sedimentary Basin ◽  
Bedload Transport ◽  
Braided River ◽  
Statistical Distributions ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Meandering Streams ◽  
Gravel Bed ◽  
Threshold Theory ◽  
Gravel Bed Streams

Abstract. The Bayanbulak Grassland, Tianshan, China is located in an intramountane sedimentary basin where meandering and braided gravel-bed streams coexist under the same climatic and geological settings. We report on measurements of their discharge, width, depth, slope and grain size. Based on this data set, we compare the morphology of individual threads from braided and meandering streams. Both types of threads share statistically indistinguishable regime relations. Their depths and slopes compare well with the threshold theory, but they are wider than predicted by this theory. These findings are reminiscent of previous observations from similar gravel-bed streams. Using the scaling laws of the threshold theory, we detrend our data with respect to discharge to produce a homogeneous statistical ensemble of width, depth and slope measurements. The statistical distributions of these dimensionless quantities are similar for braided and meandering streams. This suggests that a braided river is a collection of intertwined channels, which individually resemble isolated streams. Given the environmental conditions in Bayanbulak, we furthermore hypothesize that bedload transport causes the channels to be wider than predicted by the threshold theory.

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