Effects of Woody Debris on Channel Morphology and Sediment Storage in Headwater Streams in the Great Smoky Mountains,Tennessee-North Carolina

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is an important component of headwater streams, however, few studies have investigated the geomorphic effects of CWD in the southern Appalachians. In the Great Smoky Mountains, debris slides supply large volumes of CWD and sediment to low-order streams. This study investigates the effect of CWD on bankfull channel dimensions and in-channel sediment storage along second-order streams. Comparisons are made between streams that have experienced recent debris slides and those that have not. CWD channel obstructions are larger but less frequent along debris-slide-affected streams. Dendrochronological evidence indicates that CWD can remain in channels for over 100 yr. Relatively short residence times of CWD along debris-slide-affected streams suggest that logs are frequently flushed through these streams. CWD causes channel widening along all study streams, but the volume of sediment stored in the channel behind CWD obstructions is up to four times greater than the volume of sediment represented by bank erosion associated with CWD. Two large log jams formed by debris slides at tributary junctions stored approximately 4000 m³ of sediment. Sediment stored by CWD was finer than mean bed particle size, and thus represents a significant sediment source when CWD obstructions are breached.     

Impact of hillslope-derived sediment supply on drainage basin development in small watersheds at the northern border of the central Alps of Switzerland

This paper explores the effects of hillslope mobility on the evolution of a 10-km² drainage basin located at the northern border of the Swiss Alps. It uses geomorphologic maps and the results of numerical models that are based on the shear stress formulation for fluvial erosion and linear diffusion for hillslope processes. The geomorphic data suggest the presence of landscapes with specific cross-sectional geometries reflecting variations in the relationships between processes in channels and on hillslopes. In the headwaters, the landscape displays parabolic cross-sectional geometries indicating that mass delivered to channels by hillslope processes is efficiently removed. In the trunk stream portion, the landscape is (i) V-shaped if the downslope flux of mass is balanced by erosion in channels (i.e. if mass delivered to channels by hillslope processes is efficiently removed) and (ii) U-shaped if in-channel accumulation of hillslope-derived material occurs. This latter situation indicates a non-balanced mass flux between processes in channels and on hillslopes.Information about the spatial pattern of the postglacial depth of erosion allows comparative estimates to be made about the erosional efficiency for the various landscapes that were mapped in the study area. The data suggest that the erosional potential and sediment discharge are reduced for the situation of a non-balanced mass flux between processes in channels and on hillslopes. These findings are also supported by the numerical model. Indeed, the model results show that high hillslope mobility tends to reduce the hillslope relief and to inhibit dissection and formation of channels. In contrast, stable hillslopes tend to promote fluvial incision, and the hillslope relief increases. The model results also show that very low erosional resistance of bedrock promotes backward erosion and steepening of channel profiles in headwaters. Beyond that, the model reveals that sediment discharge generally increases with decreasing erosional resistance of bedrock, but that this increase decays exponentially with increasing magnitudes of fluvial and hillslope mobilities. Very high hillslope diffusivities even tend to reduce the erosional potential of the whole watershed. It appears that besides rates of base-level lowering, factors limiting sediment discharge might be the nonlinear relationships between processes in channels and on hillslopes.     

Debris Avalanches as an Erosional Agent in the Appalachian Mountains

Abstract

The article examines erosional effects produced by catastrophic forces. Avalanche scars, sediments, and stream course changes caused by hurricane Camille in Virginia in 1969 were studied in order to determine erosional results of the hurricane, including previously unexposed bedrock, and to gain understanding of the mechanics of small drainage basin development and the process of fluvial attrition of uplands.     

Wood-mediated geomorphic effects of a jökulhlaup in the Wind River Mountains, Wyoming

A jökulhlaup burst from the head of Grasshopper Glacier in Wyoming's Wind River Mountains during early September 2003. Five reaches with distinct sedimentation patterns were delineated along the Dinwoody Creek drainage. This paper focuses on a portion of the jökulhlaup route where erosion of the forested banks created 16 large logjams spaced at longitudinal intervals of tens to hundreds of meters. Aggradation within the main channel upstream from each logjam created local sediment wedges, and the jams facilitated overbank deposition during the jökulhlaup. Field surveys during 2004 and 2006 documented logjam characteristics and associated erosional and depositional features, as well as initial modification of the logjams and flood deposits within the normal seasonal high-flow channel. Overbank deposits have not been altered by flows occurring since 2003. Field measurements supported three hypotheses that (i) logjams present along the forested portions of the jökulhlaup route are larger and more closely spaced than those along adjacent, otherwise comparable stream channels that have not recently experienced a jökulhlaup; (ii) logjams are not randomly located along the jökulhlaup route, but instead reflect specific conditions of channel and valley geometry and flood hydraulics; and (iii) the presence of logjams facilitated significant erosional and depositional effects. This paper documents a sequence of events in which outburst floodwaters enhance bank erosion and recruitment of wood into the channel, and thus the formation of large logjams. These logjams sufficiently deflect flow to create substantial overbank deposition in areas of the valley bottom not commonly accessed by normal snowmelt peak discharges, and through this process promote valley-bottom aggradation and sediment storage. Changes in the occurrence of glacier outburst floods thus have the potential to alter the rate and magnitude of valley-bottom dynamics in these environments, which is particularly relevant given predictions of worldwide global warming and glacial retreat. Processes observed at this field site likely occur in other forested catchments with headwater glaciers.     

金沙江巧家—蒙姑段的阶地发育与河谷地貌演化

金沙江水系演化与河谷发育问题长期以来是地质地貌学界关注的重大问题,目前仍存在较大争议。河流阶地及其相关沉积是河谷发育过程的产物,可以提供河谷发育的时代与形式等诸多信息。金沙江在巧家—蒙姑段河谷中,葫芦口附近发育和保存了8级基座阶地,结合光释光和电子自旋共振测年方法,依据古气候资料,推断T6~T1的下切时间分别对应于深海氧同位素（MIS）的36/35、34/33、24/23、20/19、14/13和4/3阶段,即气候由冷至暖的转型期。青岗坝附近则发育了5级由堰塞湖相沉积组成的堆积型阶地,指示了中更新世以来该段河谷在下切过程中经历了频繁的滑坡堵江堰塞,发育形式以“下切—滑坡—堰塞—堆积—下切”过程为主。此外,河流的平均下切速率自0.82 Ma以来由此前的0.56 mm/a下降至0.19 mm/a,表明中更新世以来频繁发生的堵江堰塞事件严重抑制了该段河谷的下切作用。综合流域内河流阶地序列及相关沉积的研究,金沙江下游段现代河谷的形成时代不晚于早更新世。     

Quaternary landscape evolution in the San Jacinto fault zone,Peninsular Ranges of Southern California: Transient response to strike-slip fault initiation

Well-constrained case studies of transient landscape response to external forcing are needed to improve our understanding of erosion processes in tectonically active mountain belts. The Peninsular Ranges portion of the San Jacinto fault zone (SJFZ) is an excellent location for such a study because it displays pronounced geomorphic disequilibrium resulting from initiation of a major strike-slip fault in the past 1.0 to 2.5 million years. We recognize two geomorphic domains in this region: (1) a relict low-relief upland domain consisting of broad flat valleys and low-gradient streams and (2) very steep, rough topography with deeply incised canyons and retreating erosional knickpoints. Pleistocene sediments exposed along and near the SJFZ include fluvial conglomerate, sandstone, and mudstone, with weak paleosols and west- to NW-directed paleocurrents. These sediments accumulated in a low-gradient stream system (represented by domain 1) during an early phase of slip in the SJFZ, prior to the modern phase of erosion and degradation (domain 2). Late Pliocene or early Pleistocene initiation of the SJFZ triggered a wave of headward erosion and stream capture that is still migrating NW along the fault zone. Using the total distance that capture points have migrated along the fault zone and a range of possible ages for fault initiation, the rate of knickpoint retreat is estimated at ∼ 12 to 44 km/my.To explore the signal of transient geomorphic response to fault initiation, we analyzed 23 tributaries along an ∼ 20-km portion of the main fault valley within domain 2. The analysis reveals three zones with distinctive morphologies: (1) strongly convex longitudinal profiles in the NW, (2) a large (ca. 5–6 km²) landslide in the central zone, and (3) concave tributaries in the SE with profile complexity decreasing and catchment area increasing from NW to SE. The distribution of these zones suggests close spatial and temporal association of active fault slip, bedrock incision, deep-seated landslides, and erosional modification. The fundamental driving force behind these processes is profound geomorphic disequilibrium resulting from initiation of the SJFZ. We suggest that landslides may have played a significant role in shaping the morphology of this fault zone, and that the influence of landslides may be underestimated in areas where characteristic landforms and deposits are obscured by later erosion and faulting.     

Periglacial and Fluvial Factors Controlling the Sedimentation of Pleistocene Breccia in NW Poland

Breccias were investigated on the terrace of the Toruń‐Eberswalde ice‐marginal valley at Rozwarzyn (NW Poland). Breccia layers include soft‐sediment clasts with diameters between 2 and 256 mm and soft‐sediment megaclasts with diameters from 256 mm to 7 m. The shape of the soft‐sediment clasts and megaclasts (derived from frozen sediments) in the breccia is diverse: from angular and irregular in the case of debris‐flow breccias to slightly rounded and tabular in fluvial breccias. These two types of breccias were developed during the Late Weichselian when the periglacial climate favored extensive lateral erosion by currents of frozen braided channels in the ice‐marginal valley. The dual presence of breccias of fluvial and debris‐flow origin in channel deposits is unique for Quaternary sediments. Zones of breccias existed in the channels where scours and obstacle marks related to megaclasts developed. The study of breccias shed new light on the fluvial processes in ice‐marginal valleys during the Pleistocene and can be considered as diagnostic for fluvio‐periglacial conditions.     

The role of climate variation in delta architecture: lessons from analogue modelling

Sequence‐stratigraphic models for fourth to sixth order, glacio‐eustatic sequences based only on relative sea‐level variations result in simplified and potentially false interpretations. Glacio‐eustatic sea‐level variations form only one aspect of cyclic climate variation; other aspects, such as variations in fluvial water discharge, vegetation cover, weathering and sediment supply can lead to variable sediment yield, thus adding complexity to sequence‐stratigraphic patterns normally attributed to sea‐level variations. Analogue flume models show a significant impact of water discharge on the timing and character of sequence boundaries, and on changes in the relative importance of systems tracts, as expressed in sediment volumes. Four deltas, generated under the influence of an identical sea‐level curve, and affected by different water‐discharge cycles were generated in the Eurotank facility: (1) constant discharge; (2) high‐frequency discharge variations (HFD); (3) discharge leading sea level by a quarter phase; (4) discharge lagging sea level by a quarter phase. HFD shift the parasequence stacking pattern consistently but do not alter large‐scale delta architecture. Water‐discharge changes that lead sea‐level changes result in high sediment yield during sea‐level rise and in the poor development of maximum flooding surfaces. Delta‐front erosion during sea‐level fall is expressed by multiple, small channels related to upstream avulsions, and does not result in an incised valley that efficiently routs sediment to the shelf edge. When water‐discharge changes lag sea‐level changes, sediment yield is high during falling sea level and results in rapid progradation during forced regression. Erosion from incised valleys is strong on the proximal delta top and dissipates towards the delta front. The combination of high discharge and sea‐level fall provides the most efficient mode of valley incision and sediment transport to the shelf edge. During sea‐level rise, low water discharge results in sediment starvation and well‐developed maximum flooding surfaces. Water‐discharge variations thus alter sequence‐stratigraphic patterns and provide an alternative explanation to the amplitude of sea‐level fall for generating either type 1 or 2 erosional unconformities.     

Disturbance, stream incision, and channel evolution: The roles of excess transport capacity and boundary materials in controlling channel response

Channel incision is part of denudation, drainage-network development, and landscape evolution. Rejuvenation of fluvial networks by channel incision often leads to further network development and an increase in drainage density as gullies migrate into previously non-incised surfaces. Large, anthropogenic disturbances, similar to large or catastrophic “natural” events, greatly compress time scales for incision and related processes by creating enormous imbalances between upstream sediment delivery and available transporting power. Field examples of channel responses to antrhopogenic and “natural” disturbances are presented for fluvial systems in the mid continent and Pacific Northwest, USA, and central Italy. Responses to different types of disturbances are shown to result in similar spatial and temporal trends of incision for vastly different fluvial systems. Similar disturbances are shown to result in varying relative magnitudes of vertical and lateral (widening) processes, and different channel morphologies as a function of the type of boundary sediments comprising the bed and banks. This apparent contradiction is explained through an analysis of temporal adjustments to flow energy, shear stress, and stream power with time. Numerical simulations of sand-bed channels of varying bank resistance and disturbed by reducing the upstream sediment supply by half, show identical adjustments in flow energy and the rate of energy dissipation. The processes that dominate adjustment and the ultimate stable geometries, however, are vastly different, depending on the cohesion of the channel banks and the supply of hydraulically-controlled sediment (sand) provided by bank erosion.The non-linear asymptotic nature of fluvial adjustment to incision caused by channelization or other causes is borne out in similar temporal trends of sediment loads from disturbed systems. The sediments emanating from incised channels can represent a large proportion of the total sediment yield from a landscape, with erosion from the channel banks generally the dominant source. Disturbances that effect available force, stream power or flow energy, or change erosional resistance such that an excess of flow energy occurs can result in incision. Channel incision, therefore, can be considered a quintessential feature of dis-equilibrated fluvial systems.     

NOTICE: INTERNATIONAL GEOMORPHOLOGY

The focus of this research is the development of a model which explains channel pattern variability in streams. Since channel pattern is commonly regarded as a qualitative phenomenon, the research employs a logistic regression model, which is advocated as an alternative to traditional graphic/discriminant analysis, since the concepts of threshold and instability have very natural expressions in the logistic regression framework. The results demonstrate that channel gradient and mean discharge can effectively explain channel pattern (i.e., whether the channel is single or multithreaded) in an environment where there is a small range of bed material size. Sediment sorting is also shown to be related to channel pattern in the study environment. Models using valley gradient rather than channel gradient are shown to be distinctly inferior, and no advantage is found in using a stream power measure as opposed to separate gradient and discharge measures. [Key Words: fluvial geomorphology, stream channels, channel patterns, models.]     

Environmental changes in the central Po Plain (northern Italy) due to fluvial modifications and anthropogenic activities

The fluvial environment of the central Po Plain, the largest plain in Italy, is discussed in this paper. Bounded by the mountain chains of the Alps and the Apennines, this plain is a link between the Mediterranean environment and the cultural and continental influences of both western and eastern Europe. In the past decades, economic development has been responsible for many changes in the fluvial environment of the area.This paper discusses the changes in fluvial dynamics that started from Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene due to distinct climatic changes. The discussion is based on geomorphological, pedological, and archaeological evidences and radiocarbon dating.In the northern foothills, Late Pleistocene palaeochannels indicate several cases of underfit streams among the northern tributaries of the River Po. On the other hand, on the southern side of the Po Plain, no geomorphological evidence of similar discharge reduction has been found. Here, stratigraphic sections, together with archaeological remains buried under the fluvial deposits, show a reduction in the size of fluvial sediments after the 10th millennium BC. During the Holocene, fluvial sedimentation became finer, and was characterised by minor fluctuations in the rate of deposition, probably related to short and less intense climatic fluctuations.Given the high rate of population growth and the development of human activities since the Neolithic Age, human influence on fluvial dynamics, especially since the Roman Age, prevailed over other factors (i.e., climate, tectonics, vegetation, etc.). During the Holocene, the most important changes in the Po Plain were not modifications in water discharge but in sediment. From the 1st to 3rd Century AD, land grants to war veterans caused almost complete deforestation, generalised soil erosion, and maximum progradation of the River Po delta. At present, land abandonment in the mountainous region has led to reafforestation. Artificial channel control in the mountain sector of the basins and in-channel gravel extraction (now illegal but very intense in the 1960s and 1970s) are causing erosion along the rivers and along large sectors of the Adriatic coast. These changes are comparable with those occurring in basins of other Mediterranean rivers.     

Spatial dynamics of overbank sedimentation in floodplain systems

Floodplains provide valuable social and ecological functions, and understanding the rates and patterns of overbank sedimentation is critical for river basin management and rehabilitation. Channelization of alluvial systems throughout the world has altered hydrological and sedimentation processes within floodplain ecosystems. In the loess belt region of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley of the United States, channelization, the geology of the region, and past land-use practices have resulted in the formation of dozens of valley plugs in stream channels and the formation of shoals at the confluence of stream systems. Valley plugs completely block stream channels with sediment and debris and can result in greater deposition rates on floodplain surfaces. Presently, however, information is lacking on the rates and variability of overbank sedimentation associated with valley plugs and shoals.We quantified deposition rates and textures in floodplains along channelized streams that contained valley plugs and shoals, in addition to floodplains occurring along an unchannelized stream, to improve our understanding of overbank sedimentation associated with channelized streams. Feldspar clay marker horizons and marker poles were used to measure floodplain deposition from 2002 to 2005 and data were analyzed with geospatial statistics to determine the spatial dynamics of sedimentation within the floodplains.Mean sediment deposition rates ranged from 0.09 to 0.67 cm/y at unchannelized sites, 0.16 to 2.27 cm/y at shoal sites, and 3.44 to 6.20 cm/y at valley plug sites. Valley plug sites had greater rates of deposition, and the deposited sediments contained more coarse sand material than either shoal or unchannelized sites. A total of 59 of 183 valley plug study plots had mean deposition rates > 5 cm/y. The geospatial analyses showed that the spatial dynamics of sedimentation can be influenced by the formation of valley plugs and shoals on channelized streams; however, responses can vary. Restoration efforts in the region need to have basinwide collaboration with landowners and address catchment-scale processes, including the geomorphic instability of the region, to be successful.     

The Rainstorm of August 1998 in the Abisko Area, Northern Sweden: Preliminary Report on Observations of Erosion and Sediment Transport

Several rainstorms with strong erosional effects have been recorded in Scandinavia during recent decades. The erosion occurs by the release of rapid mass movements on mountain slopes or through fluvial incision and bank collapse along streams and rivers. Various factors, such as terrain characteristics and seasonal timing of the rainstorm event, are thought to favour the predominance of either of the two types of erosion for particular events. A new example of this variable impact of rainstorms is briefly described, and related research issues are outlined.     

Detecting Arctic snow and ice cover with FY-1D global data

Chinese meteorological satellite FY-1D can obtain global data from four spectral channels which include visible channel(0.58-0.68 μm) and infrared channels(0.84-0.89 μm,10.3-11.3 μm,11.5-12.5 μm).2366 snow and ice samples,2024 cloud samples,1602 land samples and 1648 water samples were selected randomly from Arctic imageries.Land and water can be detected by spectral features.Snow-ice and cloud can be classified by textural features.The classifier is Bayes classifier.By synthesizing five d ays classifying result of Arctic snow and ice cover area,complete Arctic snow and ice cover area can be obtained.The result agrees with NOAA/NESDIS IMS products up to 70%.     

Thesis: Ideology and Power Relations in Cultural Landscape Evaluations

Factors of importance to the generation of complex sediment rating curves involving hysteresis effects are discussed. Temporary storage of sediments in channels, and interaction between fluvial processes and some other sediment producing process, may be recognized as two fundamentally different situations associated with the phenomenon. An examination of sediment transport in glacierized river basins shows that variable discharge in broad shallow channels may cause temporary storage of sediments within the channel system. Implications for the sediment budget in river systems are discussed.     

Identification, characteristics and classification of cryogenic block streams

Cryogenic block streams consist of a stream of rocks superficially resembling a stream deposit but lacking a matrix, usually occurring on a valley or gully floor or on slopes that are less steep than the maximum angle of repose of coarse sediments. They are usually formed on perennially frozen ground, but can also occur as relict landforms. There are three main active kinds forming today, viz., Siberian and Tibetan dynamic rock streams and lag block streams. During their formation, the blocks in the active Siberian and Tibetan dynamic block streams move downslope at up to 1 m/a. They are forming today on the Tibetan Plateau and in the more arid parts of south-central Siberia, although the processes involved in the movement are different. In the case of the Tibetan type, individual blocks slide downslope over the substrate in winter on an icy coating in areas of minimal winter precipitation. The Siberian type develops in areas of 15–80 cm of winter snow cover and an MAAT(mean annual air temperature) of-4 °C to-17 °C. The movement is due to creep of snow and ice and collapse of the blocks downslope during thawing. Lag block streams are formed by meltwater flowing over the surface of sediment consisting primarily of larger blocks with a limited amount of interstitial sediment. The erosion of the matrix is primarily in the spring in areas of higher winter precipitation on 10°–30° slopes. The blocks remain stationary, but the interstitial sediment is washed out by strong seasonal flows of meltwater or rain to form an alluvial fan. The boulders undergo weathering and become more rounded in the process. Lag block streams can also develop without the presence of permafrost in areas with cold climates or glaciers. Block streams also occur as relict deposits in older deposits under various climatic regimes that are unsuitable for their formation today. An example of relict lag block streams with subangular to subrounded blocks occurs in gullies on the forested mountainsides at Felsen in Germany, and is the original "felsenmeer". Similar examples occur near Vitosha Mountain in Bulgaria. The "stone runs" in the Falkland Islands are examples of the more angular relict lag block streams. In both Tasmania and the Falkland Islands, they mask a more complex history, the underlying soils indicating periods of tropical and temperate soil formation resulting from weathering during and since the Tertiary Period. Block streams have also been reported from beneath cold-based glaciers in Sweden, and below till in Canada, and when exhumed, can continue to develop.     

格尔木河流域河流地貌演化研究进展

位于柴达木盆地南缘的格尔木河发源于东昆仑山脉,末端注入盆地中东部的察尔汗盐湖,是该盐湖最主要的补给河流,极大地影响着该盐湖的成盐演化过程。格尔木河的主要支流—昆仑河和雪水河都是由冰川融水形成,因此该流域内的冰川进退对河流径流量变化和谷地填充地层的物源有着重要影响。该流域内主要的填充地层为昆仑河砾岩(河流相)、纳赤台沟组(冲洪积相)和三岔河组(河湖相)。在三岔河组之上,发育了4~5级阶地,除最高的T5之外,其它均为以三岔河组为基座的内叠阶地(少部分河段以昆仑河砾岩为基座)。根据前人的研究,昆仑河砾岩沉积的年代为1 269~1 042 ka(ESR年龄);纳赤台沟组堆积于482~642 ka之间(ESR和TL年龄);三岔河组形成于355~95 ka(ESR和U系年龄)、90~16 ka(OSL年龄),T5~T1阶地基本形成于16~4.6 ka之间。由于采用的测年方法不同,不同学者对三岔河组的形成时代存在争议,对阶地的划分也有所不同(4级或5级阶地)。但是,对T5~T1阶地形成时代有较一致的观点,即末次冰消期和全新世早中期。对于格尔木河河流地貌过程的驱动因素,目前尚存在争论,大部分学者认为是气候变化驱动了该区域河流地貌的形成,但也有学者认为构造活动是主导因素。     

Hydrologic and geomorphic processes in the Colville River delta, Alaska

The Colville basin drains the North Slope of Alaska and is one of several large Arctic river systems located within permafrost. The timing and style of fluvial processes in the earth's permafrost regions differ from those occurring in midlatitude settings. Moreover, in comparison to temperate-zone systems, rivers located entirely within permafrost perform most of their work during relatively short periods of time. This paper examines river ice hydrology and the resulting geomorphic processes that occur within the Colville delta, Alaska. Fluvial processes and landform development within the Colville delta occur after the flood-pulse is initiated by the breakup of river ice. During this 4-month period, the geomorphic processes are largely influenced by the movement of ice. The flood-pulse and accompanying river ice influences erosional and depositional processes and results in unique styles of sediment transport, deposition, and riverbank erosion.     

Post-Marquette discharge from Glacial Lake Agassiz into the Superior basin

Glacial Lake Agassiz, the largest of the North American glacial lakes, discharged through several different outlets during its history, although the timing and location of discharge remain controversial. However, one discharge event is well established based on extensive onshore observations: drainage through the Nipigon Lake area into the Superior basin about 10,700 years ago, following retreat of ice of the Marquette advance from the basin. High-resolution, single-channel seismic-reflection data collected with a small airgun were acquired to test the hypothesis that the Post-Marquette drainage event left diagnostic stratigraphic and geomorphic signatures beneath Lake Superior. The unique bathymetry of northwestern Lake Superior, where water depth plunges off Nipigon and Black Bays, makes this location ideal for the characterization of the post-Marquette depositional and erosional features. According to our hypothesis, the initial, sudden discharge of high-velocity water would have eroded channels through the bays. The steep and sudden drop-off into the Superior basin would have caused the flow to slow and drop much of the sediment it was carrying. Our results confirm the existence of both erosional features and depositional sediment packages related to Lake Agassiz discharge at this time. The erosional features include deeply incised bedrock channels in the bays. The depositional features comprise subaqueous fans that are thickest in the deep water areas adjacent to the outlets and thin lakeward and laterally away from the channels. The seismic character of the basal units of the fans, proximal to the channels, is chaotic and only very weakly stratified, suggesting that these deposits represent coarse sediment laid down during the initial, high-energy stages of the flood. These sediments are overlain by a stratified package which is interpreted as the fine grained sediment associated with the later, low-energy stages of the flood. The combination of channels and subaqueous fans is inferred to be diagnostic of high-energy Lake Agassiz discharge into the Superior basin, and they serve as analogs for hypothesized discharge at other times.     

Three-dimensional analogue modelling of an alluvial basin margin affected by hydrological cycles: processes and resulting depositional sequences

The dynamics between sediment erosion and accumulation at an alluvial basin margin affected by changes in the surface hydrology are explored using scaled analogue models produced in a flume. The presented results differ from previous counterparts in that accumulation or erosion has not been forced at a spreading outlet, but occurred at a slope change produced by previously accumulated sediment. Cyclical upstream incision produced by increased stream discharge generated incised valleys, and these were subsequently filled by sediment carried by less efficient streams generated during the low discharge period. High resolution mapping using 2.5 mm contour maps allowed the study of sediment accumulation and terrain modelling. The results of three selected experiments are analysed. The only variable explored was discharge. The basin margin was simulated by a ramp inserted in a low sloping flume, consisting of two segments of different slopes selected to emulate high and low efficiency flume fans produced elsewhere. Water and fine‐medium sand entered the ramp along a narrow (0.1 m) channel and flow expanded but without occupying the complete 1.2 m flume width. Flows were highly concentrated and noncohesive. Fan‐like accumulation (slope: 0.11) began during low discharge (LD) periods at the ramp slope break, and proceeded upstream, onlapping quickly at first, but shifting to mostly progradation at the end of the period. High discharges (HD) usually generated two or three incised channels at the beginning of the period, but one of them prevailed and rapidly eroded parts of the LD fan and moved the sediment to a more distal low‐sloping fan (slope: 0.045). Both LD and HD fans passed downstream into a system of small parallel channels resembling a braided alluvial plain ending in sediment lobes. The mapping of the accumulated sediment during the various periods allowed calculation of sediment budgets for the entire flume. The stratal architecture of the deposits was investigated along five parallel trenches cut after experiment termination. The regression analysis of depositional profiles at fan‐like features (expanding flow) and at braided plains (parallel flow) indicated that these fan‐like systems are linear and dependent on applied discharge, while the latter showed an exponential decrease of slope downstream, with a starting value set up by the fan slope. Two main types of stratigraphic units were generated, the LDST and HDST (system tracts). The LDST has a nonerosive base over ‘bedrock’ and the previous HDST, filling proximal erosional topography and prograding as well, generating an onlap–downlap array. Its geometry is highly variable and dependent on pre‐existing topography. The HDST base is an important erosive surface comparable to sequence boundaries. However, there are places without erosion due to a marginal position with respect to the main stream. Indeed, the results suggest that the three‐dimensional variability of erosion and depositional processes might produce very different architectures along the same basin margin.