Studies on changes in extreme flood peaks resulting from land-use changes need to consider roughness variations

ABSTRACT

The impacts of changes in forest coverage on extreme floods have drawn much attention globally. This study quantifies the sensitivity of flood peaks to forest coverage and roughness changes. With this objective, a framework is first introduced that includes a variance-based sensitivity analysis approach and a water and energy budget-based distributed hydrological model with a vegetation module. The influence of forest coverage changes is simulated by altering land-use types that are based on physical parameters. A variance decomposition approach is used to quantify the contribution of influential factors, i.e. event size, forest coverage and roughness changes, to extreme flood peak variations. The results in a medium-sized river basin show forest coverage changes have little influence: variations in canopy interception, ground surface water retention, soil moisture and groundwater table resulting from changing forest coverage did not alter flood peaks considerably. In contrast, it is found that flood peaks are more sensitive to roughness variations.     

Bed roughness and grain sorting-an experimental study over fine to medium sand beds

The relation between grain-size distribution of the bed and in suspension was critically examined under a uniform flow velocity of 50 cm/s over two beds: one of mainly fine sands and the other of medium sands. Two sections – one 2.85 m downstream and the other 6.35 m downstream in the experimental channel-were selected for sampling to study the grain-sorting pattern in the vertical direction along the direction of transport. The shape and type of the grain-size distribution pattern were critically studied with height above the bed. The change in the distribution pattern has been attributed to the change of local bed roughness causing scouring against the protruded relatively coarse grains on the bed. Such trends are important to predict the nature of river bed topography. The sand of Bed-1 initially exhibits a log-skew-Laplace distribution at different heights of suspension. The distribution pattern, however, changes but this changing pattern is not consistent along the upstream side. For Bed-2, which initially exhibits a log-normal distribution, the same pattern persists from the height of suspension at 5 cm up to 20 cm. Such consistency in log-normality is also observed at the downstream points of measurement. It is generally expected that the mean grain-size would reduce with increases of suspension height but the results of the experiments, in some occasions, differ significantly from the gradual fining upward trend. This result has been attributed to local changes of bed roughness arising from the protruded relatively coarse grains causing eddies, scouring, and turbulent phenomena which moves coarse particles higher in suspension adding a coarse tail to the distribution increasing the mean grain-size.     

Microtopography of bare peat: a conceptual model and objective classification from high‐resolution topographic survey data

Peatlands globally are at risk of degradation through increased susceptibility to erosion as a result of climate change. Quantification of peat erosion and an understanding of the processes responsible for their degradation is required if eroded peatlands are to be protected and restored. Owing to the unique material properties of peat, fine‐scale microtopographic expressions of surface processes are especially pronounced and present a potentially rich source of geomorphological information, providing valuable insights into the stability and dominant surface process regimes. We present a new process‐form conceptual framework to rigorously describe bare peat microtopography and use Structure‐from‐Motion (SfM) surveys to quantify roughness for different peat surfaces. Through the first geomorphological application of a survey‐grade structured‐light hand‐held 3D imager (HhI), which can represent sub‐millimetre topographic variability in field conditions, we demonstrate that SfM identifies roughness signatures reliably over bare peat plots (<1 m²), although some smoothing is observed. Across 55 plots, the roughness of microtopographic types is quantified using a suite of roughness metrics and an objective classification system derived from decision tree analysis with 98% success. This objective classification requires just five roughness metrics, each of which quantifies a different aspect of the surface morphology. We show that through a combination of roughness metrics, microtopographic types can be identified objectively from high resolution survey data, providing a much‐needed geomorphological process‐perspective to observations of eroded peat volumes and earth surface change. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Integrating structure-from-motion photogrammetry into rock weathering field methodologies

Despite recent rapid advances in the field of structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, the use of high-resolution data to investigate small-scale processes is a relatively underdeveloped field. In particular, rock weathering is rarely investigated using this suite of techniques. This research uses a combination of traditional non-destructive rock weathering measurement techniques (rock surface hardness) and SfM to map deterioration and loss of cohesion of the surface using three-dimensional data. The results are used to interpret weathering behaviour across two different lithologies present on the site, namely shale and limestone. This new approach is tested on seven sites in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, where active weathering of a rock surface was measured after 13 years of exposure to extreme temperature regimes and snow cover. The surface loss was quantified with SfM and combined with rock surface hardness measurement distributions extrapolated in geographic information system (GIS). The combined results are used here to quantify the difference in response of both lithologies to these extreme temperatures. This research demonstrates the potential for further integration of SfM in rock weathering research and other small-scale geomorphological investigations, in particular in difficult field conditions where portability of field equipment is paramount. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of non-migrating bars on dune dynamics in a lowland river

As dunes and larger-scale bed forms such as bars coexist in rivers, the question arises whether dune dynamics are influenced by interaction with the underlying bed topography. The present study aims to establish the degree to which dune characteristics in two and three dimensions are influenced by an underlying topography dominated by non-migrating bars. As a case study, a 20 km stretch in the Waal River in the Netherlands is selected, which represents a sand-bed lowland river. At this location, longitudinal training dams (LTDs) have recently been constructed to ensure sufficient navigation depth during periods with low water levels, and to reduce flood risk. By using data covering 2-year-long periods before and after LTD construction, the robustness of the results is investigated. Before LTD construction, dune characteristics show large variability both spatially and temporally, with dunes being longer, lower, less steep and having a lower lee side angle when they are located on bar tops. The correlation between dune characteristics and the underlying bed topography is disrupted by unsteady conditions for which the dunes are in a state of transition. The bar pattern causes tilting of dune crest lines, which may result from a transverse gradient in bedload sediment transport. As a result of LTD construction, the hydraulic and morphological conditions have changed significantly. Despite this, the main conclusions still hold, which strengthens the validity of the results. ©2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Co-evolution of coarse grain structuring and bed roughness in response to episodic sediment supply in an experimental aggrading channel

We use flume experiments to better understand how gravel-bed channels maintain bed surface stability in response to pulses of sediment supply. Bed elevations and surface imagery at high spatial resolutions were used to quantify the co-evolution of surface grain-size distribution (GSD), bed roughness statistics, and bed surface structures (clusters, cells and transverse features). Using a new semi-automated method, we identified individual stone structures over a 2 m × 1 m area throughout the experiments. After an initial coarsening, surface GSD and armouring ratio remained nearly stable as sediment pulses caused net bed aggradation. In contrast, individual grain structures continued to form, increase or decrease in size, and disappear throughout the experiments. The response of the bed to sediment pulses depended on the history of surface roughness evolution and bed surface structure development, as these factors changed much more in response to supply perturbations earlier in the experiments compared to later, even as the bed continued to aggrade. We interpret that the dynamic production and destruction of bed surface structures can act as a ‘buffer’ to sediment supply pulses, maintaining a stable bed surface during aggradation with minimal change in grain size or armouring. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the small-scale fractal geometrical structure of a living coral reef barrier

The topographical complexity of coral reefs is of primary importance for a number of hydrodynamical and ecological processes. The present study is based on a series of high-resolution seabottom elevation measurements along the Maupiti Barrier Reef, French Polynesia. Several statistical metrics and spectral analysis are used to characterize the spatial evolution of the coral geometrical structure from the reef crest to the backreef. A consistent fractal-like power law exists in the spectral density of bottom elevation for length scales between 0.1 and 7 m, while at larger scale, the reef structure shows a different pattern. Such a fine characterization of the reef geometrical structure provides key elements to reconstruct the reef history, to improve the representation of reef roughness in hydrodynamical models and to monitor the evolution of coral reef systems in the context of global change. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

岩体结构面粗糙度系数研究进展

摘要：讲述了岩体结构面粗糙度系数ＪＲＣ的估测方法、轮廓曲线绘制手段以及ＪＲＣ应用研究的进展,分析了ＪＲＣ研究的几个前沿课题。     

确定坡面径流过程曼宁糙率系数的实验方法研究

曼宁糙率系数是用水动力学方法进行流速计算的关键参数。坡面流曼宁糙率系数与明渠流的不同。为确定坡面径流过程的曼宁糙率系数,自行研发了一种包括供水系统、实验水槽和数据观测记录系统的室内可变糙率坡面实验系统。通过87场预实验验证了供水系统的稳定性和准确性。以坡度、实测流量、实测水深、不同糙率板上河砂的平均直径和地表粗糙度为自变量,以曼宁糙率系数为因变量,选用均方根误差(RMSE)和决定系数(R ²)为评价指标,对166种实验场景进行了支持向量机(Support Vector Machines, SVM)训练与预测,发现：① 紊流的训练结果难以预测层流和过渡流的曼宁糙率系数,说明流态不同时,实验因素对水流的影响机制不同;② 若要较为准确地预测曼宁糙率系数,至少需要包括实测水深在内的3种因素;③ 当同时考虑4种及更多种因素时,紊流状态下均可对曼宁糙率系数进行较为准确的预测。     

两种柔性植株地表风速廓线特征比较的风洞模拟

植株减小风速从而抑制风蚀,风速廓线可以反映植株对风速的影响。在风洞中测量了细长状植株和上大下小形状植株在不同覆盖密度、不同来流风速下的风速廓线,并对这两种植株地表上空气动力学粗糙度、零平面位移高度进行了比较。结果表明:两种植株地表的空气动力学粗糙度均随植株密度按幂函数规律增加,其与植株高度之比也随侧影盖度按幂函数规律增加。在相同覆盖密度或侧影盖度条件下,上大下小形状植株地表的空气动力学粗糙度大于细长状植株。细长状植株地表的零平面位移高度随植株密度的增加先增加而后减小,而上大下小形状植株地表的零平面位移高度则基本不受植株密度的影响。