Cellular modelling as a tool for interpreting historic braided river evolution

Results are presented from a new cellular model of braided river dynamics that simulates flow, sediment transport, morphological change and the effects of braidplain vegetation. This model is used to investigate the effect of changes in upstream sediment supply on braided river systems over simulation periods of 200 years. Modelled changes in channel morphology, associated with both aggradation and degradation, were seen to be consistent with those reported in the literature. In addition, simulation results allowed the identification of diagnostic characteristics of aggrading and degrading reaches, in the form of relationships between the age, extent and relative elevation of fluvial surfaces. Interpretation of spatial patterns of valley floor surface characteristics in the Avoca River, New Zealand, on the basis of these relationships, allowed the identification of channel reaches that appear to be experiencing either aggradation or degradation. These inferences are shown to be consistent with independent evidence of spatial patterns of sediment supply to the main valley floor, derived from aerial photographs and an existing sediment source inventory. These results illustrate the potential for using cellular models to develop an improved understanding of natural river behaviour.     

The self-organization of step-pools in mountain streams

Spontaneous, autogenic self-organization has been described in numerous geomorphic systems, but it has not been investigated in detail with respect to coarse bedforms in general or step-pools in particular. In this paper, we review the spatial organization of step-pool systems and present example evidence of step-pool development as an autogenic self-organization process. We then outline the mathematical language for defining spatially divergent self-organization and test these ideas using two unique field examples from Oregon (Andrews Experimental Forest) and California (Baxter Creek), where step-pools developed from planar beds in artificially manipulated channels. Results show that step-pool development is consistent with a spatially divergent self-organization phenomenon. Entropy increases as initially undifferentiated planar channels diverge into steps and pools, then declines when a series of steps and pools of consistent size and spacing is established, signifying stability in the system. The self-organization process is accompanied by increasing flow resistance and decreasing slope (through increasing the “vertical sinuosity” of the step-pool profile and creation of low- or negative gradient pool areas), suggesting a minimization of stream power. The self-adjustment of the step-pool bed profile over time represents another manifestation of a general process that results in rhythmic patterns on the surface of Earth.     

河口海岸中长时间尺度动力地貌系统模拟研究与进展

我国河口海岸动力沉积和动力地貌研究以沉积学和地貌学的方法侧重静态描述,动力地貌相互作用的定量研究不多,与缺少动力地貌模型技术有关。本文介绍了中长时间尺度的河口海岸动力地貌模型技术及其发展和应用,讨论了决定动力地貌演变的泥沙余输运及引起泥沙余输运的主要动力因子,介绍了动力地貌模型的应用进展,进而分析了河口海岸地貌过程的机制和地貌平衡系统。本文指出对淤泥质及复杂动力条件下的河口海岸动力地貌过程还有待进一步研究。     

Salt tectonic controls on deep‐water turbidite depositional systems: Miocene,southwestern Lower Congo Basin,offshore Angola

Regionally extensive 3D seismic data from the Lower Congo Basin, offshore Angola, have been used to investigate the influence of salt‐related structures on the location, geometry and evolution of Miocene deep‐water depositional systems. Isochron variations and cross‐sectional lap‐out relationships have then been used to qualitatively reconstruct the syn‐depositional morphology of salt‐cored structures. Coherence and Red‐green‐blue‐blended spectral decomposition volumes, tied to cross‐sectional seismic facies, allow imaging of the main sediment transport pathways and the distribution of their component seismic facies. Major sediment transport pathways developed in an area of complex salt‐related structures comprising normal faults, isolated diapirs and elongate salt walls with intervening intraslope basins. Key structural controls on the location of the main sediment transport pathways and the local interaction between lobe‐channel‐levee systems and individual structures were the length and height of structures, the location and geometry of segment boundaries, the growth and linkage of individual structures, and the incidence angle between structural strike and flow direction. Where the regional flow direction was at a high angle to structural strike, transport pathways passed progressively through multiple intraslope basins in a fill and spill manner. Segment boundaries and structural lows between diapirs acted as spill points, focusing sediment transport between intraslope basins. Channel–lobe transitions are commonly associated with these spill points, where flows expanded and entered depocentres. Deflection of channel‐levee complexes around individual structures was mainly controlled by the length of structures and incidence angle. Where regional flow direction was at a low angle to structural strike, sediment transport pathways ran parallel to structure and were confined to individual intraslope basins for many tens of kilometres. Spill between intraslope basins was rare. The relative position of structures and their segment boundaries was fixed during the Miocene, which effectively pinned the locations where sediment spilled from one intraslope basin to the next. As a result, major sediment transport pathways were used repeatedly, giving rise to vertically stacked lobe‐channel‐levee complexes along the pathways. Shadow zones devoid of coarse clastics developed in areas that were either structurally isolated from the sediment transport pathways or bypassed as a result of channel diversion.     

On large-scale flow structures in a gravel-bed river

Previous studies have suggested the presence of large-scale flow structures in gravel-bed rivers. These structures are pictured as intermittent high-speed wedges separated by regions of lower velocity. However, the characteristics of these structures have not been examined in detail through either visualisation techniques or detailed field measurements. This paper confirms the presence of large-scale flow structures in gravel bed rivers, pictures their sequence and patterns and characterises their mean and individual properties. The analysis relies on a new technique for displaying velocity fluctuations in a space–time matrix that allows one to see the structures as they pass an array of current meters. Streamwise and vertical velocities were measured simultaneously with an array of three electromagnetic current meters. The sampling frequency was 20 Hz. Five velocity profiles of up to 13 1-min series of measurements and one profile of three 20-min measurements were sampled. These data suggest the presence of large wedges of faster fluid joined by regions of slower fluid. Space–time correlation analysis confirmed the presence of vertical coherence of the flow. The average angle of the front of the wedges is 36°. Although individual structures are variable in size and shape, a new detection technique using all three velocity signals simultaneously showed that their average frequency is nine events per minute and their duration is more than 2 s. The high-speed wedges display a complex organisation and do not show a preferred sequence of events as was postulated by previous studies. Because of their duration and size, these high-speed wedges are likely to play a major role in bedload sediment transport.     

Impacts of backwater hydrodynamics on fluvial–deltaic stratigraphy

The hydrodynamics of rivers approaching a receiving basin are influenced by the onset of backwater conditions that give rise to decelerating reach-average flow velocity and decreasing boundary shear stress. These changes occur across a spatial gradient over which decreasing sediment transport capacity triggers morphodynamic responses that include sediment deposition at the transition from uniform to nonuniform flow. As a consequence, the channel width-to-depth ratio and bed sediment grain size decrease downstream. While nonuniform flow and associated morphodynamic adjustments have been investigated in modern fluvial–deltaic systems, the impacts to fluvial–deltaic stratigraphy remain relatively unexplored. This represents an important unresolved gap: there are few contributions that link morphodynamic response to nonuniform flow, impacts on sediment deposition and influence on the rock record. This study uses a numerical model to explore how variable channel hydraulics influence long-term (1000s years) patterns of sediment deposition and development of stratigraphy. The model results indicate that: (a) nonuniform flow propagates upstream beyond the backwater transition that is traditionally estimated with a basic backwater length scale relationship. (b) Base-level fluctuations, especially rising, enhance the impact of nonuniform flow. (c) Sediment deposition shows large spatio-temporal variability, which ultimately contributes to unique stacking patterns of fluvial–deltaic stratigraphy. (d) Nonuniform flow imparts spatial variation in flow depth, channel bed slope and sediment grain size over the delta, and these signatures are potentially preserved and recognizable in the rock record.     

地统计法支持的北部湾东部海域沉积物粒径趋势分析

在北部湾东部海域采集表层沉积物71 个, 通过粒度分析获得其粒度参数(平均粒径、分选系数、偏态), 用克里格插值法将不规则采样站位的粒度参数内插为规则网格分布的相应粒度参数。采用地统计法分析其空间相关性, 计算度量空间相关性范围的参数, 即半方差图中的变程值。结果表明, 使用地统计分析获得的粒度参数变程值物理意义较为明确, 可作为粒径趋势分析模型的特征距离, 其中分选系数变程值作为特征距离的计算结果与前人的海流、沉积物输运信息更为吻合; 这在一定程度上消除了传统方法(试算法或经验估计法) 获取特征 距离可能造成的模型计算误差。采用不同间距插值时得到的粒径趋势矢量具有不同的空间分 辨率, 其中高分辨率的细化图所反映的海底沉积物净输运趋势与余流和环流等所反映的沉积物输运细节特征吻合较好, 低分辨率的概化图可大致反映该区域沉积物的总体输运趋势。地统计分析的结果对未来研究工作中采样间距的选取也具有指导意义。     

珠江三角洲客货运量位序—规模分布特征及其变化

客货流地理是交通地理学研究的传统重要领域。本文利用位序—规模分布理论,对1980-2010年珠江三角洲客货运量等级规模结构分布特征及其变化进行研究。结果表明：客货运量规模的q值均大于1,符合位序—规模分布特征,但客运规模分布更显著。客运量q值先减小后增大,呈现出非均衡—相对均衡—非均衡演变特征;货运量q值逐渐降低,呈现出非均衡—相对均衡演变特征。在空间格局方面,客运空间格局呈现出由初期以广州为单中心向心型客运联系向穗莞深多中心客运联系转变;珠三角产业结构趋同性及以广州为中心的放射状交通网络结构,使得货运空间格局呈现出长期以广州为核心单核主导特征,主要表现为递接性联系特征。     

风蚀坑形态-动力学研究进展

风蚀坑是沙质海岸、湖岸及干旱、半干旱区沙质草原地区受风蚀作用形成的洼地。受风蚀坑地形的影响,坑内气流的风速、风向发生了变化,通过输沙过程的局部差异改变了风蚀坑的蚀积格局,并对风蚀坑形态进行改造。而形态的变化又反作用于近地表气流,由此产生风蚀坑形态-动力学的响应与反馈。总结并扼要评述国内外近年来风蚀坑形态-动力学及其发育演化方面的研究进展,分析现有研究的不足,以期对今后此类研究提供借鉴。     

Geomorphological limits to self-organization of alpine forest-tundra ecotone vegetation

Feedback in the establishment of vegetation has been shown to produce spatial patterns that differ from the geomorphological basis for resources. The dynamics of these spatial patterns have been characterized as self-organization because local processes produce them at landscape scales. Geomorphic patterns could, however, enhance or disrupt the processes that lead to patterns and the interpretation of self-organization. A simulation model that showed such indication of self-organization at alpine forest-tundra ecotones is modified to incorporate a geomorphic feature commonly seen in this environment – solifluction steps – as an exogenous condition in the model. Analyses linking spatial patterns and rates of advance of vegetation indicate that such geomorphic patterns do not alter the dynamics of vegetation until the size of the patterns is about double that of the dimension within which endogenous dynamics operate. The sizes of some geomorphic patterns incorporated in the model are probably larger than any realistic solifluction feature at such ecotones in western North America.     

Biological interactions at different spatial scales in the Monte desert of Argentina

In this review, we compiled published results on biological interactions at different spatial scales in the Monte desert of Argentina and identified gaps in current knowledge. We presented evidence of competitive and facilitative plant–plant conspecific and heterospecific interactions, and plant–soil–microbes interactions in relation to the abiotic environment at the fine patch-scale. We also showed evidence of animal–animal interactions and plant–animal interactions at the community scale through study cases involving both native and introduced herbivores. Moreover, we identified bottom-up and top-down forces governing the interactions between granivores (birds, ants, and small mammals) and seed availability/production at the community scale. At the landscape scale, we discussed feedbacks between domestic grazers and the spatial patterns of resources and their interrelationships with processes occurring at other scales. We concluded that research has steadily increased during the last 6 years but knowledge on biological interactions in the Monte desert is still scarce, particularly at a landscape scale.     

广西防城港海域沉积物特征及输运趋势

通过对2010―2011年在广西防城港海域表层沉积物所取样品进行粒度实验,并利用二维沉积物粒径趋势分析模型进行了粒径输运趋势分析。结果表明,研究区海域底质沉积物类型主要为砂、粉砂质砂、砾石质砂、砂-粉砂-黏土、黏土质粉砂和砂质粉砂等6种。粒度参数在空间分布上,沿岸和西部海域中值粒径较粗,分选中等或较好,偏态呈正偏或极正偏,在海湾口处呈负偏或极负偏;东南部海域粒径较细,分选系数差,偏态呈负偏或近对称。根据沉积物输运趋势方向不同,将研究海域分为3个区：沿岸海域主要离岸输送,方向由北向南;东南部海域的沉积物输运趋势向中间汇聚,形成一个沉积中心;西南部海域,沉积物输运方向偏北。     

基于agent的商业中心地空间结构动态模拟

以克里斯泰勒提出的中心地空间结构为研究对象,回顾和总结了中心地理论的主要内容、理论发展和实际应用,并以复杂性科学的理论和方法为基础,根据中心地理论假设,提出基于agent建模的两层次agent模型结构,通过遗传算法再现和验证了克氏单一职能的六边形中心地空间格局。模拟表明,微观自主体的相互作用的确可以突现出六边形宏观空间格局,这为以后突破克氏理论中"均质、静态、封闭"的不足提供了新的研究途径。中心地宏观空间结构的微观机理需要进一步结合经济学演绎模型和ABM的计算实验深入研究。     

山地城镇空间结构演化中的自组织性——以云南临沧市城镇为例

在临沧山地城镇的发生、发展、演变历史中,其空间结构都是自组织作用的结果。自组织力是一种贯彻始终的影响力量,是城镇空间结构形成的内因,它总是按照一定的社会经济原则在起作用。然而,由于受到他组织这一外在干扰力的作用,它在不同的历史时期表现出来的强弱不同,遵循的自组织规律也不同。他组织力作为外来注入的干扰力,它或促进或阻滞自组织作用的开展。他组织力是通过影响自组织力的若干序参量而起作用的,城市规划是众多序参量中的一个,要使这一序参量能很好地起作用,就必须使其符合城镇空间的自组织规律,并且影响和促进自组织过程的健康发展。     

库布齐沙漠南缘抛物线形沙丘表面风速与输沙率的变异

以库布齐沙漠南缘典型抛物线形沙丘为研究对象,选取3个沙丘前端活动区的纵断面和一个贯穿两翼及翼间平地的横断面,同步观测各个断面的风速与输沙率,讨论抛物线形沙丘表面形态-动力学过程。结果显示,沙丘前端活动区3个纵断面的风速和输沙率遵循一般变化规律,即沿迎风坡上升逐渐增加,至丘顶及附近达到最大,并在背风侧降低;二者在3个纵断面上的变化趋势一致,但具体变化形式不同,沙丘表面动力与输沙过程存在较大的空间异质性。沙丘两翼具有纵向沙丘的动力学性质,翼体两侧风速和输沙率具有对称性。该沙丘沙源匮缺,前端活动区主要依靠两翼内侧侵蚀提供沙源。受沙丘形状和植被等因素影响,坡脚及坡下部风速与输沙率之间没有相关性,因此简单的风速放大率和输沙率变化程度无法准确揭示该类型沙丘表面复杂的形态-动力学关系。     

黄河下游断面形态与水沙输移关系及数学模拟方法

以前人对黄河下游的实测资料分析为基础,本文讨论断面形态与来水来沙关系、断面形态对输水输沙的影响,并根据实测资料,提出黄河下游弯段与直段断面冲淤变化的两种模式,建立了主流摆动及坍岸影响断面形态变化以及纵向冲淤量在断面的分布两种数学模拟方法。     

Biogeomorphic controls on sedimentation and substrate on a vegetated tidal freshwater delta in upper Chesapeake Bay

Classic geomorphic theory on the dynamics of delta evolution posits a purely physical mechanism for spatial and temporal patterns of sediment accumulation over decades to centuries. Meanwhile, intertidal marsh vegetation that grows on deltas is well known to influence short-term fluid mechanics and sediment transport. This dichotomy points toward a large gap in the understanding of the role of vegetation in delta evolution as a function of spatial and temporal scale. In the research reported here, substrate characteristics and seasonal sedimentation rates in a tidal freshwater delta at the head of a Chesapeake Bay tributary were studied to assess the existence and extent of physical–ecological interactions on a delta over the seasonal to interannual time scale. Both vegetation data and sediment variables showed significant spatial variations at this time scale. When multiple regression analysis was used to compare vegetated versus nonvegetated conditions on the studied delta, 84% of the spatial variation in sedimentation with vegetation was explained by plant association and distance to the nearest distributary channel. In contrast, only 33% of the spatial variation in sedimentation could be explained when no vegetation was present, and in that case, the dominant variable was distance to the subtidal front. Spatial variability in organic content was less sensitive to vegetation and strongly influenced by the distance to the subtidal front. Substrate grain size parameters were explained by distance to the subtidal front and to the nearest distributary channel. This research demonstrates that sediment sequestration, and thus delta evolution, is highly predictable at the habitat scale and is driven by a strong interplay between abiotic and biotic variables.     

江汉平原村落空间分布与微地形结构关系探讨

主要对江汉平原村落点空间分布规律进行探讨, 分析其与平原微地形结构间的关系。本文采用GIS空间统计方法对研究样区村落点空间分布模式进行分析;并根据平原微地形起伏特点, 采用一种局部形态分析方法进行微地形结构提取;进而对村落点空间分布与微地形提取结果进行空间叠加分析。研究表明:村落空间分布与微地形结构之间表现出明显的空间相关性。约75.40%的村落点与所提取微地形凸起部位的空间位置重合, 而83.94%的村落点在距离微地形凸起50m范围内, 村落点整体表现出向所提取微地形凸起结构聚集的分布格局。江汉平原特有的村落空间结构主要受小尺度地形起伏的影响, 村落格局与微地形结构在空间上的相关性较好地体现了人类活动与洪涝等自然灾害间的相互作用。     

基于航空客流的中国城市层级结构分析

基于1995、2000和2003三个年份的航空客运统计数据,分析中国城际航空客流的结构,并以优势流(dominant flow)方法为主,辅以距离平方和聚类法,分析中国主要城市在国内客运航空网络中的层级及其变化。研究表明,通过航空客运方式产生的空间联系主要集中于东部地区,中部地区在航空网络的重要性方面落后于西部,北京、上海、广-深3个顶点组成全国航空网络的主干;从主导航空客流角度观察,自1995至2003年,一个高度集中的城市层级在3个全国性中心的控制下形成和发展,航空客运网络层级体系中的顶层结构业已清晰,而以下各层次的结构尚处于分化发展之中。     

Modelling Spatial Patterns of Overbank Sedimentation on Embanked Floodplains

This paper presents a GIS-based mathematical model for the simulation of floodplain sedimentation. The model comprises two components: (1) the existing hydrodynamic WAQUA model that calculates two-dimensional water flow patterns; and (2) the SEDIFLUX model that calculates deposition of sediment based on a simple mass balance concept with a limited number of model parameters. The models were applied to simulate floodplain sediment deposition over river reaches of several kilometres in length. The SEDIFLUX model has been calibrated and validated using interpolated raster maps of sediment deposition observed after the large magnitude December 1993 flood on the embanked floodplain of the lower river Rhine in the Netherlands. The model appeared to be an adequate tool to predict patterns of sediment deposition as the product of the complex interaction among river discharge and sediment concentration, floodplain topography, and the resulting water flow patterns during various discharge levels. In the investigated areas, the resulting annual average sedimentation rates varied between 0.5 mm/year and 4.0 mm/year. The role of the most important mechanisms governing the spatial patterns of overbank deposition, i.e. inundation frequency, sediment load, floodplain topography and its influence on the flow patterns over the floodplain, are discussed.