Hierarchically nested river landform sequences. Part 2: Bankfull channel morphodynamics governed by valley nesting structure

River corridors exhibit landforms nested within landforms repeatedly down spatial scales. In Pasternack et al. ( 2018 ), a new, scale‐independent, hierarchical river classification was developed that uses five landform types to map the domains of a single fluvial process – flow convergence routing – at each of three–five spatial scales. Given those methods, this study investigated the details of how flow convergence routing organizes nested landform sequences. The method involved analyzing landform abundance, sequencing, and hierarchical nesting along the 35 km gravel/cobble lower Yuba River in California. Independent testing of flow convergence routing found that hydraulic patterns at every flow matched the essential predictions from classification, substantiating the process–morphology link. River width and bed elevation sequences exhibit large, nonrandom, and linked oscillations structured to preferentially yield wide bars and constricted pools at base flow and bankfull flow. At a flow of 8.44 times bankfull, there is still an abundance of wide bar and constricted pool landforms, but larger topographic drivers also yield an abundance of nozzle and oversized landforms. The nested structure of flow convergence routing landforms reveals that base flow and bankfull landforms are nested together within specific floodprone valley landform types, and these landform types control channel morphodynamics during moderate to large floods. As a result, this study calls into question the prevailing theory that the bankfull channel of a gravel/cobble river is controlled by in‐channel, bankfull, and/or small flood flows. Such flows may initiate sediment transport, but they are too small to control landform organization in a gravel/cobble river with topographic complexity. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of anisotropy of the earth on the impedance measurements

Summary Electromagnetic field response of a homogeneous uniaxially anisotropic conducting medium has been investigated in the presence of a vertical electric dipole placed at a heighth above the conducting surface. Expressions for the horizontal components of electric and magnetic fields and hence that of vertical impedance of the field, as a function of the distance of the place of observation from the source, have been derived. Numerical computations have been done and curves are given to illustrate the influence of anisotropy on the amplitude values of the impedance on the surface of the conducting medium.N.G.R.I. Contribution number 71–279.     

The bedrock topography of the botany basin,New South Wales

The bedrock topography of the Botany Basin has been determined from seismic‐sparker records made in Botany Bay and Bate Bay, and from seismic‐refraction and gravity measurements on the Kurnell Peninsula. Supplementary information has been obtained from boreholes both on land and in the sea.

The Cooks and Georges Rivers formerly constituted the main drainage of the Basin and flowed generally southeastwards (beneath the present Kurnell Peninsula) and joined the Port Hacking River east of Cronulla. The depth of the bedrock channel of the former Georges River is 75–80 m b.s.l. at Taren Point, 90–95 m beneath the Kurnell Peninsula and 110–115 m at its junction with the Port Hacking River channel. The bedrock channel of the former Cooks River is about 30 m b.s.l. at Kyeemagh, its present entrance to Botany Bay, and it joined the Georges River at a location now 90 m b.s.l. beneath the Kurnell Peninsula.

A second drainage system existed in the north and east of Botany Bay and generated the present mouth beneath which the bedrock is now 110 m b.s.l. This channel followed a southeasterly course parallel to the present northern shore of Botany Bay and was separated from that of the ‘Cooks and Georges Rivers’ by a bedrock ridge which extended from beneath Sydney Airport to the northern extremity of the Kurnell Peninsula. Over much of its length this divide had a depth of about 30 m b.s.l.

The formation of the Kurnell Peninsula tombolo led to the diversion of the ‘Cooks/Georges River’ through the mouth of Botany Bay and subsequently led to the development of the bay. This change in the drainage system occurred when the sea was less than 30 m below the present sea level.     

Coastal processes and cliff recession between Gabicce and Pesaro (northern Adriatic Sea): a case history

Cliff recession on the high rocky coast between Gabicce and Pesaro Adriatic sea causes a wide range of mass movement processes on the whole slope, affecting both the bedrock and the overburden. The outcropping late Miocene rock formations are represented by marls, marly limestones, dark laminated mudstones and bedded sandstones and marls. Mass movements are common because of stratification and discontinuities in the rocks that, together with the presence of groundwater and weathering processes, reduce the overall strength of the slopes. A model for the evolution of this coastal area is proposed, which involves cyclic basal erosion, followed by mass movement that favours debris accumulation at the base of the cliff. The longshore currents have to then remove the material before a new cycle can begin.     

Performance analysis of the spaceborne laser ranging system

The Spaceborne Laser Ranging System is a proposed short pulse laser on board an orbiting spacecraft.^1,2,3,4 It measures the distance between the spacecraft and many laser retroreflectors (targets) deployed on the Earth’s surface. The precision of these range measurements is assumed to be about ±2 cm (M. W. Fitzmaurice, private communication). These measurements are then used together with the orbital dynamics of the spacecraft, to derive the relative position of the laser ground targets. Assuming a six day observing period with 50% cloud cover, uncertainties in the baseline for target separations of 50 km to 1200 km were estimated to be on the order of 1 to 3 cm and the corresponding values in the vertical direction, ranged from 1 cm to 12 cm. By redetermining the measurements of the relative target positions, the estimated precision in the baseline for a target separation of 50 km is less than 0.3 cm and for a separation of 1200 km is less than 1 cm. In the vertical direction, the estimated precision ranged from 0.4 cm to 4.0 cm respectively. As a result of the repeated estimation of the relative laser target positions, most of the non-temporal effects of error sources as exemplified by the errors in geopotential are reduced. The Spaceborne Laser Ranging System’s capability of determining baselines to a high degree of precision provides a measure of strain and strain rate as shown byCohen, 1979. These quantities are essential for crustal dynamic studies which include determination and monitoring of strain near seismic zones, land subsidence, and edifice building preceding volcanic eruptions. It is evident that such a system can also be used for geodetic surveys where such precisions are more than adquate.     

Aperçu synthétique sur la tectonique des Carpates Roumaines

Résumé À la constitution des Carpates Roumaines participent les plissements hercyniens et carpatiques.Les déformations géométriques hercyniennes ont résulté des plissements profonds déterminés par le métamorphisme régional. Elles ont influencé d'une manière de plus en plus atténuée les plissements carpatiques. Pendant le paroxisme mésocrétacé, la tectonique carpatique a engendré des nappes de décollement et des glissements grâce à un simple mécanisme, expliqué par la pesanteur.Les nappes à vergences anticarpatiques se sont formées pendant la phase laramienne. Elles sont également le résultat de la pesanteur associée à l'action de la sous-poussée.Les nappes polygénétiques sont les nappes les plus jeunes et caractérisent les zones du Flysch des Carpates Orientales.Pendant le Tertiaire, une tectonique cassante a prédominé dans les Carpates.

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The Romanian Carpathians consist of three subdivisions, each of them having its tectonical features, namely: Eastern Carpathians, Southern Carpathians and Apuseni Mountains.Their architecture consists of Hercynian and Carpathian foldings. The Hercynian tectonics is due to the deep foldings during the metamorphism which called forth the metanappes. The Hercynian foldings have printed their characters into the Carpathian tectonics and into the evolution of the palaeomesozoical sedimentary zones.During the mesocretaceous phase, the gravitational tectonics develop into the Carpathian realm, generating the gravitational nappes of the Metalliferous Mountains, the Raru-Hsma massif and the Perani Mountains.The overthrusts took place at the surface and are not due to the lateral contraction of the rocks in the depth.The anticarpathian vergences are characteristic for the Laramian nappes.The Flysch tectonics is characterized by polygenetic nappes, formed during a long period and developed all along the chain.The ruptural tectonics developed in the Romanian Carpathians during Tertiary.

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Zusammenfassung Die rumänischen Karpaten lassen sich in drei Einheiten teilen, jede mit ihrer Besonderheit: Ostkarpaten, Südkarpaten und Apuseni-Gebirge. Ihr Bau besteht aus herzynischen und karpatischen Elementen. Die herzynische Tektonik ist die Folge der während der Metamorphose entstandenen Tieffaltungen, welche Metadecken hervorgebracht haben. Die herzynischen Faltungen zeigen sich im karpatischen Bau und in der Ablagerungsgeschichte. Während der mittelkretazischen Faltungsbewegungen hat die Abscherungs- und Fließtektonik das karpatische Gebiet ergriffen und das Entstehen der Schweredecken im Erzgebirge, in den Raru- und Hsma-Massiven sowie im Perani-Gebirge bedingt. Die Decken sind die Folge der in der Nähe der Erdoberfläche ablaufenden Bewegungen und keineswegs des seitlichen Druckes der Tiefgesteine. Die laramischen Decken sind durch antikarpatische Vergenzen charakterisiert und auf die Unterschiebungen der alten Blöcke zurückzuführen. Die Tektonik des Flysches zeichnet sich durch polygenetische Decken aus, die sich während mehrerer Perioden, entlang dem Faltenstreichen, entwickelt haben. Die Bruchtektonik setzte in den rumänischen Karpaten erst während des Neozoikums ein.

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Large-scale vertical hydroacoustic structure of the North Atlantic and its seasonal variability

A classification based on the number and types of large-scale acoustic waveguides is proposed for the mean seasonal profiles of sound speed propagation. A scheme for North Atlantic zoning, using typical curves of the sound speed vertical distribution, is given. The channel axis's position is shown not to depend on the water mass haline properties, being controlled by the temperature field vertical stratification.Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

Statistics of the Wind-Speed Difference Between Points with Cross-Wind Separation

This note reports statistics of instantaneous wind-speed differences between pairs of points in the surface layer sharing equal height (z =?2?3 m), but separated by large distances (ranging up to 70 m) along an axis transverse to the direction of the mean wind. To provide context for the analysis, some elementary statistical properties of point-point signal differences are first derived, then, on the basis of observations from a transect of anemometers, correlations are provided that allow an estimate of the root-mean-square daytime speed difference. During unstable daytime conditions the prevalence of eddies of a scale larger than instrument separation ensured paired instruments sampled highly correlated winds, whereas at night paired instruments sampled weaker fluctuations (largely) independently. The probability density function of the wind-speed difference proved roughly invariant with respect to the micrometeorological state, and tends towards a Gaussian as separation becomes large.