Paraglacial modification of slope form

The morphological consequences of paraglacial modification of valley-side drift slopes are investigated at six sites in Norway. Here, paraglacial slope adjustment operates primarily through the development of gully systems, whereby glacigenic sediment is stripped from the upper drift slope and redeposited in debris cones downslope. This results in an overall lowering of average gradient by up to 4·5° along gully axes. In general, slope profile adjustment appears to be characterized by a convergence of slope profiles towards an ‘equilibrium form’ with an upper rectilinear slope gradient at 29°± 4° and a range of concavities of approximately 0·0 to 0·4. After initial rapid incision, further gully deepening is limited, but gullies become progressively wider as sidewall gradients decline to c. 25°, after which parallel retreat appears to predominate. The final form of mature paraglacial gully systems consists of an upper bedrock-floored source area, a mid-slope area of broad gullies whose sidewalls rest at stable, moderate gradients, and a lower slope zone where gullies discharge onto the surfaces of debris cones and fans. Some gullies appear to have attained this final form and have stabilized following exhaustion of readily entrainable sediment within decades of gully initiation. At most sites, paraglacial activity has transformed steep drift-mantled valley sides into gullied slopes where an average of c. 2–3 m of surface lowering has taken place. At the most active sites, these average amounts imply minimum erosion rates averaging c. 90 mm a⁻¹ since gully initiation, which highlights the extreme rapidity of paraglacial erosion of deglaciated drift-mantled slopes. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同厚度层状边坡动力响应的模型试验研究

采用振动台物理模拟试验方法,以4种不同覆土厚度的层状边坡模型为研究对象,水平输入振幅逐渐增大的正弦波加速度,分析了结构面上覆不同厚度土层对动力作用下边坡的稳定影响.研究了在动力作用下边坡的破坏位置和性质、破坏形式及最危险覆土厚度,验证了坡面放大效应与高程的关系,采用MIDAS/GTS软件对模型试验进行振型分析,分析了模型边坡的自振频率与覆土厚度的变化关系.试验结果表明：①模型破坏时最先出现的裂缝在边坡的中上部,且6 cm覆土厚度的模型对振动的响应最大,对应到实际工程中时12m厚度土层覆盖的边坡是最应该注意防护的.②不同厚度的土层破坏的形式不同：当土层厚度较薄时模型破坏较迅速,基本沿结构面发生整体滑动破坏,且滑动呈现一定的流体特性;当覆土较厚时裂缝先在模型中上部出现,随着振动的持续裂缝继续发展,最后发生整体性崩塌.③随着高程的增加峰值加速度总体呈放大趋势,但最大值出现在边坡中上部而非坡顶,说明不仅均质边坡有加速度的高程放大效应,层状边坡也具有加速度的高程放大效应.     

Talus slope geomorphology investigated at multiple time scales from high-resolution topographic surveys and historical aerial photographs (Sanetsch Pass,Switzerland)

Talus slopes are common places for debris storage in high-mountain environments and form an important step in the alpine sediment cascade. To understand slope instabilities and sediment transfers, detailed investigations of talus slope geomorphology are needed. Therefore, this study presents a detailed analysis of a talus slope on Col du Sanetsch (Swiss Alps), which is investigated at multiple time scales using high-resolution topographic (HRT) surveys and historical aerial photographs. HRT surveys were collected during three consecutive summers (2017–2019), using uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) measurements. To date, very few studies exist that use HRT methods on talus slopes, especially to the extent of our study area (2 km²). Data acquisition from ground control and in situ field observations is challenging on a talus slope due to the steep terrain (30–37°) and high surface roughness. This results in a poor spatial distribution of ground control points (GCPs), causing unwanted deformation of up to 2 m in the gathered UAV-derived HRT data. The co-alignment of UAV imagery from different survey dates improved this deformation significantly, as validated by the TLS data. Sediment transfer is dominated by small-scale but widespread snow push processes. Pre-existing debris flow channels are prone to erosion and redeposition of material within the channel. A debris flow event of high magnitude occurred in the summer of 2019, as a result of several convective thunderstorms. While low-magnitude (<5,000 m³) debris flow events are frequent throughout the historical record with a return period of 10–20 years, this 2019 event exceeded all historical debris flow events since 1946 in both extent and volume. Future climate predictions show an increase of such intense precipitation events in the region, potentially altering the frequency of debris flows in the study area and changing the dominant geomorphic process which are active on such talus slopes. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seepage erosion and its implication to the formation of amphitheatre valley heads: A case study at Obara,Japan

Seepage erosion was investigated in an amphitheatre with a semicircular valley head, steep slopes, and a flat bottom developed in granodiorite hills at Obara, Aichi prefecture, Japan. A high sediment yield occurred where the measuring sites were located at the base of the landslide debris in the base of the convex slopes, whereas sediment outflows were small where the measuring sites were located at the base of the strong convex slopes. This implies that the seepage erosion was an effective agent for removal of debris deposited at the base of the slope. Small landslides can be found at the lower slopes within the area of the observed amphitheatre. The slope stability analysis and subsurface water observation of the lower slope suggest that the small landslides in this amphitheatre are due to over-steepened slopes, and relatively insensitive to subsurface water status. Colluvium in the flat valley bottom thinly covers the bedrock surface. Therefore the topography of the amphitheatre was found to be formed by parallel retreat of slopes by the repetition of basal seepage erosion and subsequent small landslides.     

Accretion rates on some debris slopes in the Mt. Rae area,Canadian Rocky Mountains

Accretion of debris was monitored on six slopes in the Mt. Rae area of the Canadian Rocky Mountains for the period 1975–1982. Monitoring was accomplished by measuring annually the accumulated debris on fabric mats which were placed on the long profile of the slopes. Annual rates of accretion were extremely variable between points on the same slope, between slopes, and between years. The data do not show a systematic decrease in accretion downslope but indicate that an absence of accretion is more likely on the lower half of the slopes. In general, annual rates are comparable to previously published values from the Rockies and the maximum rates of 30 to 40 mm per year are comparable to those from Karkevagge in Scandinavia. Extremely high rates of accretion were all related to extreme events such as debris flows or full depth snow avalanches. The variation in accretion rates is not explained by single environmental factors such as lithology and slope exposure.     

Caldera formation at Volcán Colima, Mexico, by a large large holocene volcanic debris avalanche

About 4,300 years ago, 10 km³ of the upper cone of ancestral Volcán Colima collapsed to the southwest leaving a horseshoe-shaped caldera 4 km in diameter. The collapse produced a massive volcanic debris avalanche deposit covering over 1550 km² on the southern flanks of the volcano and extending at least 70 km from the former summit. The avalanche followed a steep topographic gradient unobstructed by barriers, resulting in an unusually high area/volume ratio for the Colima deposit. The apparent coefficient of friction (fall height/distance traveled) for the Colima avalanche is 0.06, a low value similar to those of other large-volume deposits. The debris avalanche deposit contains 40–75% angular volcanic clasts from the ancestral cone, a small proportion of vesicular blocks that may be juvenile, and in distal exposures, rare carbonate clasts plucked from the underlying surface by the moving avalanche. Clasts range in size to over 20 m in diameter and are brecciated to different degrees, pulverized, and surrounded by a rock-flour matrix. The upper surface of the deposit shows prominent hummocky topography with closed depressions and surface boulders. A thick, coarse-grained, compositionally zoned scoria-fall layer on the upper northeastern slope of the volcano may have erupted at the time of collapse. A fine-grained surge layer is present beneath the avalanche deposit at one locality, apparently representing an initial blast event. Most of the missing volume of the ancestral volcano has since been restored at an average rate of 0.002 km³/yr through repeated eruptions from the post-caldera cone. As a result, the southern slope of Volcán Colima may again be susceptible to collapse. Over 200,000 people are now living on primary or secondary deposits of the debris avalanche, and a repetition of this event would constitute a volcanic disaster of great magnitude.Ancestral Volcán Colima grew on the southern, trenchward flank of the earlier and larger volcano Nevado de Colima. Trenchward collapse was favored by the buttressing effect of Nevado, the rapid elevation drop to the south, and the intrusion of magma into the southern flank of the ancestral volcano. Other such trenchward-younging, paired volcanoes are known from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile, and Japan. The trenchward slopes of the younger cones are common sites for cone collapse to form avalanche deposits, as occurred at Colima and Popocatepetl in Mexico and at San Pedro Volcano in Chile.     

USING A COMBINED SLOPE HYDROLOGY/STABILITY MODEL TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE CONDITIONS FOR LANDSLIDE PREVENTION BY VEGETATION IN THE HUMID TROPICS

The susceptibility of cut slopes to landsliding can be reduced in certain circumstances by the establishment of a vegetation cover. However, the hydrological implications of allowing a cover to develop may offset the mechanical benefits of soil reinforcement by roots. The balance between hydrological and mechanical effects is critical on slopes which are susceptible to the development of an infiltration-induced transitory perched water table, a common cause of landslides in deep, tropical residual soils. This balance is likely to change both between slopes of different types as well as temporally on any given slope. The net effect of a vegetation cover must be predicted either before natural vegetation covers are allowed to encroach on bare slopes, or if engineers are considering the use of trees as a protective measure. This paper presents a method of calculating the impact of a vegetation cover on slope stability. Simulations carried out on a wide range of slope types suggest that where failure is most likely to be triggered by infiltration rather than ground water rise, large-scale vegetation covers may contribute to instability. Whether vegetation had a positive or negative impact on slope stability was controlled by the permeability of the soil matrix, whilst the magnitude of impact was controlled by the soil strength and the slope height.     

MORPHOLOGY AND GROWTH PATTERNS OF THE USRI RIVER POINT BARS, BIHAR, INDIA

1 INTRODUCTIONThe exact mechanism of accumulation of sediments in point bars is not clearly known. Many scientistsinvestigated the problem. In the river Klaralven, Sundborg (1956) observed the development of sometransverse bars in the initial stage of the point bar formation. These transverse bars tend to becomelongitudinal as they extend close to the stream bed. Martvall and Nilsson (1972) investigated the problemof point bar formation experimentally in a laboratory flume. The flume st…     

Impact of an 0.2 km3 Rock Avalanche on Lake Eibsee (Bavarian Alps,Germany) – Part II: Catchment Response to Consecutive Debris Avalanche and Debris Flow

The ~0.2 km³ Eibsee rock avalanche impacted Paleolake Eibsee and completely displaced its waters. This study analyses the lake impact and the consequences, and the catchment response to the landslide. A quasi-3D seismic reflection survey, four sediment cores from modern Lake Eibsee, reaching far down into the rock avalanche mass, nine radiocarbon ages, and geomorphic analysis allow us to distinguish the main rock avalanche event from a secondary debris avalanche and debris flow. The highly fluidized debris avalanche formed a megaturbidite and multiple swashes that are recorded in the lake sediments. The new calibrated age for the Eibsee rock avalanche of ~4080–3970 cal yr BP indicates a coincidence with rockslides in the Fernpass cluster and subaquatic landslides in Lake Piburg and Lake Plansee, and raises the possibility that a large regional earthquake triggered these events. We document a complex history of erosion and sedimentation in Lake Eibsee, and demonstrate how the catchment response and rebirth of the lake are revealed through the complementary application of geophysics, sedimentology, radiocarbon dating, and geomorphology. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Geomorphological evolution of a debris-covered glacier surface

There exists a need to advance our understanding of debris-covered glacier surfaces over relatively short timescales due to rapid, climatically induced areal expansion of debris cover at the global scale, and the impact debris has on mass balance. We applied unpiloted aerial vehicle structure-from-motion (UAV-SfM) and digital elevation model (DEM) differencing with debris thickness and debris stability modelling to unravel the evolution of a 0.15 km² region of the debris-covered Miage Glacier, Italy, between June 2015 and July 2018. DEM differencing revealed widespread surface lowering (mean 4.1 ± 1.0 m a^-1; maximum 13.3 m a^-1). We combined elevation change data with local meteorological data and a sub-debris melt model, and used these relationships to produce high resolution, spatially distributed maps of debris thickness. These maps were differenced to explore patterns and mechanisms of debris redistribution. Median debris thicknesses ranged from 0.12 to 0.17 m and were spatially variable. We observed localized debris thinning across ice cliff faces, except those which were decaying, where debris thickened. We observed pervasive debris thinning across larger, backwasting slopes, including those bordered by supraglacial streams, as well as ingestion of debris by a newly exposed englacial conduit. Debris stability mapping showed that 18.2–26.4% of the survey area was theoretically subject to debris remobilization. By linking changes in stability to changes in debris thickness, we observed that slopes that remain stable, stabilize, or remain unstable between periods almost exclusively show net debris thickening (mean 0.07 m a^-1) whilst those which become newly unstable exhibit both debris thinning and thickening. We observe a systematic downslope increase in the rate at which debris cover thickens which can be described as a function of the topographic position index and slope gradient. Our data provide quantifiable insights into mechanisms of debris remobilization on glacier surfaces over sub-decadal timescales, and open avenues for future research to explore glacier-scale spatiotemporal patterns of debris remobilization. © 2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Travel distance of failed slopes during 2004 Chuetsu earthquake and its evaluation in terms of energy

A number of slope failures during the 2004 Niigataken Chuetsu earthquake were investigated, revealing that the travel distance becomes longer as the slope gets gentler and the failed soil mass gets larger. An energy-based approach, proposed in previous research to evaluate the travel distance of failed slopes, is modified by adding the model test results and introducing a simple evaluation method. The energy approach is then applied to a number of slopes failed during the earthquake to back-calculate mobilized friction coefficients, revealing their strong dependency on initial slope inclinations. The friction coefficient was found to be smaller than the initial slope inclination for gentler slopes, indicating that the failed soil mass tends to accelerate. In contrast, that for steeper slopes was higher than initial slope inclination. The friction coefficient was found to decrease with increasing volume of failed slope, which is quite consistent with previous case studies including large non-seismic landslides.     

Controls on the stability and inclinations of hillslopes formed on hard rock

In identifying controls on rock slope form a distinction is made between: (1) rock slopes with joints which dip steeply out of a cliff and hence are subject to mass failure of the rock mass above a critical joint; and (2) rock slopes with inclinations which are either in equilibrium with the mass strength of their rocks, or have profiles which will develop towards strength equilibrium as cross joints open. In the first class of slope, stability results not just from the basic frictional resistance of the rock but also from the frictional roughness along the critical joint and from the normal stress acting across that joint. Stability may be reduced by weathering and loss of strength of the joint wall rock. As a result of normal stress variations with depth, induced by overburdens, high cliffs which are not undercut have a concave profile. The second group of slopes includes those with inclinations controlled at the scale of individual joint blocks, buttressed slopes and those on unjointed rock masses. Buttressed and unjointed rock masses develop towards a condition of mass strength equilibrium as cross joints open. Strength equilibrium slopes may be recognized by application of a rock mass strength classification proposed for geomorphic purposes. Eleven propositions are formulated which identify controls on rock slope development and some consequences of these controls.     

Pyroclastic flows from the 1991 eruption of Unzen volcano,Japan

Pyroclastic flows from Unzen were generated by gravitational collapse of the growing lava dome. As soon as the parental lobe failed at the edge of the dome, spontaneous shattering of lava occurred and induced a gravity flow of blocks and finer debris. The flows had a overhanging, tongue-like head and cone- or rollershaped vortices expanding outward and upward. Most of the flows traveled from 1 to 3 km, but some flows reached more than 4 km, burning houses and killing people in the evacuated zone of Kita-kamikoba on the eastern foot of the volcano. The velocities of the flows ranged from 15 to 25 m/s on the gentle middle flank. Observations of the flows and their deposits suggest that they consisted of a dense basal avalanche and an overlying turbulent ash cloud. The basal avalanche swept down a topographic low and formed to tongue-like lobe having well-defined levees; it is presumed to have moved as a non-Newtonian fluid. The measured velocities and runout distances of the flows can be matched to a Bingham model for the basal avalanche by the addition of turbulent resistance. The rheologic model parameters for the 29 May flow are as follows: the density is 1300 kg/m³, the yield strength is 850 Pa, the viscosity is 90 Pa s, and the thickness of the avalanche is 2 m. The ash cloud is interpreted as a turbulent mixing layer above the basal avalanche. The buoyant portions of the cloud produced ash-fall deposits, whereas the dense portions moved as a surge separated from the parental avalanche. The ash-cloud surges formed a wide devastated zone covered by very thin debris. The initial velocities of the 3 June surges, when they detached from avalanches, are determined by the runout distance and the angle of the energy-line slope. A comparison between the estimated velocities of the 3 June avalanches and the surges indicates that the surges that extended steep slopes along the avalanche path, detached directly from the turbulent heads of the avalanches. The over-running surge that reached Kita-Kamikoba had an estimated velocity higher than that of the avalanche; this farther-travelled surge is presumed to have been generated by collapse of a rising ash-cloud plume.     

泥石流坝后侵蚀坑纵剖面形态及最大深度实验研究

泥石流拦砂坝坝后侵蚀坑形态和深度是泥石流冲刷基础研究的薄弱环节。通过室内水槽实验,探讨了泥石流坝后侵蚀坑的形态和不同实验控制条件下侵蚀坑深度的变化规律等。由实验观察可知,侵蚀坑纵剖面整体上呈现两端浅中间深的形态特征,其最深点的位置随水槽坡度增大向下游方向发展;侵蚀坑坑内上游坡度较下游坡度陡,对于具有相同级配的粘性砂和无粘性砂,无粘性砂的侵蚀坑坑内坡度较粘性砂的缓;侵蚀豌的最大深度受沟床纵坡、泥石流的容重、沟床组成物质的性质（特征粒径、粘性）等因素的影响较大;泥砂粘性的存在将大大削弱侵蚀的深度。     

Stability of supraglacial debris

Rock debris on the surface of ablating glaciers is not static, and is often transported across the ice surface as relief evolves during melt. This supraglacial debris transport has a strong influence on the spatial distribution of melt, and is implicated in the formation of hummocky glacial topography in deglaciated terrain. Furthermore, as ice‐dammed lakes and ice‐cored slopes become increasingly common in deglaciating watersheds, there is rising concern about hazards to humans and infrastructure posed by mass‐wasting of ice‐cored debris. The existing quantitative framework for describing these debris transport processes is limited, making it difficult to account for transport in mass balance, hazard assessment, and landscape development models. This paper develops a theoretical framework for assessing slope stability and gravitational mass transport in a debris‐covered ice setting. Excess water pressure at the interface between ablating ice and lowering debris is computed by combining Darcy's law with a meltwater balance. A limit‐equilibrium slope stability analysis is then applied to hypothetical debris layers with end‐member moisture conditions derived from a downslope meltwater balance that includes production and seepage. The resulting model system constrains maximum stable slope angles and lengths that vary with debris texture, thickness, and the rate of meltwater production. Model predictions are compared with field observations and with digital elevation model (DEM)‐derived terrain metrics from two modern debris‐covered glaciers on Mount Rainier, USA. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing slope effect on flow resistance equation for mobile bed rills

In this paper, a recently theoretically deduced rill flow resistance equation, based on a power‐velocity profile, is tested experimentally on plots of varying slopes in which mobile bed rills are incised. Initially, measurements of flow velocity, water depth, cross‐sectional area, wetted perimeter and bed slope conducted in 106 reaches of rills incised on an experimental plot having a slope of 14% were used to calibrate the flow resistance equation. Then, the relationship between the velocity profile parameter Γ, the channel slope, and the flow Froude number, which was calibrated using the 106 rill reach data, was tested using measurements carried out in plots having slopes of 22% and 9%. The measurements carried out in the latter slope conditions confirmed that (a) the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor can be accurately estimated using the proposed theoretical approach, and (b) the data were supportive of the slope independence hypothesis of rill velocity stated by Govers.     

The 1998 debris avalanche at Casita volcano, Nicaragua — investigation of structural deformation as the cause of slope instability using remote sensing

During Hurricane Mitch in 1998, a debris avalanche occurred at Casita volcano, Nicaragua, resulting in a lahar that killed approximately 2500 people. The failure that initiated the avalanche developed at a pre-existing cliff, part of the headwall of a gravitational slide of approximately 1.8 km² in plan view that cuts the southern flank of the volcano. Structural analysis, primarily based on a high-resolution DEM, has shown that this slide is caused by edifice deformation. Casita's eastern side is spreading radially outwards, forming a convex–concave profile and steepening original slopes. This deformation is possibly facilitated by millennia of persistent hydrothermal alteration of the volcano's core. The gravity slide has some typical features of smaller slumps, such as steep headwalls, an inner flatter area and a pronounced basal bulge fronted by thrusts. The headwall is the source of the 1998 avalanche, as well as several previous mass movements. Edifice deformation has led to extensive fracturing of the hydrothermally altered andesitic source rock, increasing instability further. Field evidence indicates that the gravity slide is still actively deforming, and with steep headscarps remaining, the hazard of future avalanches is increasing. The analysis presented here shows how small but highly damaging landslides can occur during the deformation of a volcanic edifice. We show that identification of instability is possible with remote sensing data and minimal reconnaissance work, implying the possibility of similar efficient and cost-effective analysis at other volcanoes known to host extensive hydrothermal systems. We demonstrate this with a simple structural analysis of two similar stratovolcanoes, Orosí (Costa Rica) and Maderas (Nicaragua).     

Assessment of geomorphological bank evolution of the alluvial threshold rivers based on entropy concept parameters

The complex stream bank profiles in alluvial channels and rivers that are formed after reaching equilibrium has been a popular topic of research for many geomorphologists and river engineers. The entropy theory has recently been successfully applied to this problem. However, the existing methods restrict the further application of the entropy parameter to determine the cross-section slope of the river banks. To solve this limitation, we introduce a novel approach in the extraction of the equation based on the calculation of the entropy parameter (λ) and the transverse slope of the bank profile at threshold channel conditions. The effects of different hydraulic and geometric parameters are evaluated on a variation of the entropy parameter. Sensitivity analysis on the parameters affecting the entropy parameter shows that the most effective parameter on the λ-slope multiplier is the maximum slope of the bank profile and the dimensionless lateral distance of the river banks.     

Topographic reflection of the Socompa debris avalanche,Chile

One of the most remarkable features of the exceptionally well preserved 26 km³ Socompa debris avalanche deposit is the evidence for topographically driven secondary flow. The avalanche formed by sector collapse of Socompa stratovolcano and spread 40 km across a pre-existing basin, forming a sheet of ∼50 m average thickness. As the avalanche impinged on the western and northern margins of the basin, it was reflected back, forming a secondary flow that continued to travel 15 km down a gentle slope at an oblique angle to the primary flow, the front of the return wave being preserved frozen on the surface of the deposit as a prominent escarpment. Satellite images, aerial photos, digital elevation models and field observations were used to reconstruct the sequence of events during avalanche emplacement, and in particular during secondary flow. The avalanche sheet was divided into distinct terrane groups, each believed to have experienced a particular strain history during emplacement. Evidence for avalanche reflection includes clearly recognizable secondary slide masses, sub-parallel sets of curvilinear shear zones, headwall scarps separating the (primary) levée from the secondary terranes, extensional jigsaw breakup of surface lithologies during return flow, and cross cutting, or deflection, of primary flow fabrics by secondary terranes. Reflection off the basin margin took place in an essentially continuous manner, most major return motions being simultaneous with, or shortly following, primary flow. The secondary flow occurred as a wave that swept obliquely across the primary avalanche direction, remobilizing the primary material, which was first compressed, then stretched, as it passed over and rearward of the wave front. As return flow occurred, surface lithologies were rifted in a brittle manner, and the slabs were sheared pervasively as they glided and rotated back into the basin; some sank into the more fluidal interior of the avalanche, which drained out into a prominent distal lobe. Extension by factors of up to 1.8 took place during return flow. Secondary flow took place on slopes of only a few degrees, and the distal lobe flowed 8 km on a slope of ∼1°. Overall the avalanche is inferred to have slid into place as a fast-moving sheet of fragmental rock debris, with a leading edge and crust with near-normal friction and an almost frictionless, fluidal interior and base. The avalanche emplacement history deduced from field evidence is consistent with the results of a previously published numerical model of the Socompa avalanche.     

The effect of roughness configuration on velocity profiles in an artificial channel

In order to determine the effect of bed roughness on velocity distribution, we used seven different configurations of bed roughness, with 16 test runs of varying discharge and slope for each configuration. For each run, one-dimensional velocity profiles were measured at 1 cm vertical increments over the crest of the roughness element, and at intervals of 4·25 cm downstream. Results indicate that velocity profile shape remains fairly constant for a given slope and roughness configuration as discharge increases. As slope increases, the profiles become less linear, with a much larger near-bed velocity gradient and a more pronounced velocity peak close to 0·6 flow depth at the measurement point immediately downstream from the roughness element. The zone of large near-bed velocity gradients increases in both length and depth as roughness concentration decreases, up to a length/height ratio of about 9, at which point maximum flow resistance occurs. Longitudinal roughness elements do not create nearly as much flow resistance as do transverse elements. Rates of velocity increase suggest that roughness elements spaced at a length/height ratio of about 9 are most effective at creating flow resistance over a range of discharges in channels with steeper slopes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.