Dimension and frequency of bar formation in a braided river

This paper presents flume and field observations of a bank-confined braided river. Morphological features, including plan form configuration, channel width, and main channel migration, were examined by a series of experiments. Repeated measurements of channel morphology, provided a basis to estimate the relationship between noncumulative frequency of bars and bar area. Additional results from the Dajia River, located in Central Western Taiwan, were presented to provide a reference data set for comparing the laboratory and field data. The results indicate that the relationship between bar length and width can be predicted by a simple best-fit power function relating to self-similarity characteristics. The Hurst index by Walsh and Hicks (2002) provides acceptable predictions of the bar length and width observed in the experiments and confirmed by the field investigations. Eexperimental and field results both show that large river width yields a uniform distribution of bar areas with the similar discharge, leading to a large value of exponent (β) in the model. The river width is confirmed to be a critical parameter in the main channel shift. A small increase in channel width likely increased rapidly the shift cycle.     

The bedform morphology of Chinese sturgeon spawning sites in the Yangtze River

Quantitative measures of the relationships between channel morphology and the habitat use of Chinese sturgeon(Acipenser sinensis) can help management and regulatory agencies to quantify potential spawning habitats and develop recovery goals in view of the decreasing area of sturgeon spawning habitat.This study determined the specific bedform types at the pool-riffle scale and evaluated the slopes,aspects and bed load gradation composition of Chinese sturgeon spawning areas in the Yangtze River,China.A bedform differencing technique was used to objectively quantify the longitudinal riverbed profile into four distinct pool-riffle units that were independent of discharge.The vertical location of thalweg points within these units was quantified with a riffle proximity index.Chinese sturgeon spawning areas were mapped and correlated with the pool-riffle units,slopes and aspects.The results indicate that Chinese sturgeon spawning areas occur primarily in riffles.The majority of Chinese sturgeon spawning occurred at elevations greater than 75%of the difference in elevation between the nearest riffle crest and the pool bottom.The slope of spawning sites was distributed between 0.05 and 6.36,and the average aspects were 219.92 and 207.63,respectively.The bed load is mainly composted of gravel and pebble,sediment diameter concentrated on 50-500mm.These analyses of bedform morphology will assist regional fish managers in quantifying existing and potential Chinese sturgeon spawning habitats and will provide a quantitative framework for evaluating general ecological implications of channel morphology in the Yangtze River.     

Gravel‐bed rivers: from particles to patterns

The papers in this special issue reflect several of the major themes and topics from the 7^th International Workshop on Gravel‐Bed Rivers. The papers focus primarily on aspects of bed material transport in gravel‐bed rivers and larger scale morpho‐dynamics. Research in gravel‐bed rivers is increasingly integrating processes over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales by combining field observation, lab experimentation, numerical modeling and theory testing in a range of river types, aided by new technological developments in particle tracking, computational modeling and high resolution spatial data. This is leading to greater understanding of the processes leading to distinctive morpho‐dynamics of river types and a more reliable basis for river management. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lake Floor Morphology and Sediment Architecture of Lake Torneträsk,Northern Sweden

Here we present datasets from a hydroacoustic survey in July 2011 at Lake Torneträsk, northern Sweden. Our hydroacoustic data exhibit lake floor morphologies formed by glacial erosion and accumulation processes, insights into lacustrine sediment accumulation since the beginning of deglaciation, and information on seismic activity along the Pärvie Fault. Features of glacial scouring with a high‐energy relief, steep slopes, and relative reliefs of more than 50 m are observed in the large W‐basin. The remainder of the lacustrine subsurface appears to host a broad variety of well preserved formations from glacial accumulation related to the last retreat of the Fennoscandian ice sheet. Deposition of glaciolacustrine and lacustrine sediments is focused in areas situated in proximity to major inlets. Sediment accumulation in distal areas of the lake seldom exceeds 2 m or is not observable. We assume that lack of sediment deposition in the lake is a result of different factors, including low rates of erosion in the catchment, a previously high lake level leading to deposition of sediments in higher elevated paleodeltas, tributaries carrying low suspension loads as a result of sedimentation in upstream lakes, and an overall low productivity in the lake. A clear off‐shore trace of the Pärvie Fault could not be detected from our hydroacoustic data. However, an absence of sediment disturbance in close proximity to the presumed fault trace implies minimal seismic activity since deposition of the glaciolacustrine and lacustrine sediments.     

Evaluation of vertical accuracy of open source Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is a quantitative representation of terrain and is important for Earth science and hydrological applications. DEM can be generated using photogrammetry, interferometry, ground and laser surveying and other techniques. Some of the DEMs such as ASTER, SRTM, and GTOPO 30 are freely available open source products. Each DEM contains intrinsic errors due to primary data acquisition technology and processing methodology in relation with a particular terrain and land cover type. The accuracy of these datasets is often unknown and is non-uniform within each dataset. In this study we evaluate open source DEMs (ASTER and SRTM) and their derived attributes using high postings Cartosat DEM and Survey of India (SOI) height information. It was found that representation of terrain characteristics is affected in the coarse postings DEM. The overall vertical accuracy shows RMS error of 12.62 m and 17.76 m for ASTER and SRTM DEM respectively, when compared with Cartosat DEM. The slope and drainage network delineation are also violated. The terrain morphology strongly influences the DEM accuracy. These results can be highly useful for researchers using such products in various modeling exercises.     

Shadow detection and compensation for color aerial images

A method for shadow detection and compensation for color aerial images is presented. It is considered that the intensity value of each image pixel is the product of illumination function and ground object reflection, and the shadowed regions on the image are mainly caused by the short of illumination, so the information compensation for the shadowed regions should concentrate on the illumination adjustment of concerned area on the basis of the analysis of whole image. The shadow detection and compensation procedure proposed by this paper consists of four steps.     

注聚调驱井聚合物堵塞物的矿物复合结构形貌及组成特征

胜利油田渤19区块注交联聚合物开采多年后,因注入水的水质不达标导致聚合物过度交联形成强凝胶,造成聚合物注入区块许多油水井的堵塞。对现场聚合物垢样品所做的化学组分、表面元素能谱及红外光谱的研究表明,垢的主体结构由交联的聚丙烯酰胺组成,交联体吸收了大量水分,在交联体内小环境中因富集而形成氯化物矿物晶体无机垢结构,而在成垢的过程中又将地层内的一些粘土矿物包裹于交联体内,形成具有聚合物-矿物复合结构的强胶凝态物质,严重影响聚合物注入—调剖—驱油过程中的聚合物溶液的流动。     

Interplay between river discharge and topography of the basin floor in a hyperpycnal lacustrine delta

Basin‐floor topography influences the flow path of hyperpycnal plumes and delta morphology during progradation of the Red River delta in Lake Texoma, USA. The Red River discharge is typically a hyperpycnal plume due to elevated total dissolved solids. Because the river plume is a bottom‐hugging hyperpycnal flow, lake bathymetry and topography strongly influence deposition and subsequent delta morphology. In addition to elevated total dissolved solid concentrations compared with Lake Texoma water, the density contrast of the Red River outflow is increased by high suspended‐sediment concentrations during high‐discharge events. Steep lateral slopes in the Lake Texoma basin deflect hyperpycnal river plumes and, subsequently, change the delta progradation direction before the delta reaches the opposite bank of the lake. Analysis of multi‐temporal aerial and satellite images indicates that the hyperpycnal delta follows the steepest lake‐bottom gradients, corresponding to the pre‐impoundment river thalweg (i.e. bypassing shallow parts of the lake). An analytical model for the hyperpycnal‐plume trajectory indicates plume deflection during low‐discharge or high‐discharge events, towards the deepest part of the basin. The magnitude of plume deflection is a function of river discharge and basin‐margin gradients. Plume deflection can vary between 10° and 80° from the channel axis towards the old river thalweg. The high deflection appears in the case of maximum basin side gradients of 12·8° and in conditions of low river discharge. During low‐discharge periods, the Red River delta builds a lobate shape with multiple terminal distributary channels whereas, during high‐discharge periods the Red River delta builds an elongate shape with a single large distributary channel. The elongate morphology of the delta is formed through the development of a single distributary channel and abandonment of the other distributaries. Therefore, the lobate shaped delta is expected to be preserved in the rock record.     

Granule ripples in the Kumtagh Desert,China: Morphology,grain size and influencing factors

Granule ripples are found mainly in four regions of the Kumtagh Desert in China; they are characterized by an asymmetrical shape, with gentle lower slopes on both sides and abrupt crests. The ripples tend to be oriented perpendicular to the prevailing winds, except when they form near obstacles such as yardangs. The wavelengths (λ) range between 0·31 m and 26 m and heights (h) range from 0·015 m to 1 m. The relationship between wavelength and height can be described by a simple linear function, and the mean ripple index (λ/h) is about 20·4 for the study sites. The sediments are poorly sorted, with negative to very negative skewness at lee and stoss slopes and between‐ripple troughs, which confirms the ‘poured in’ and ‘shadow’ appearance described by previous researchers. The bimodal or trimodal distributions of grains (with modes of ?1·16φ, ?0·5φ and 3·16φ) and the enrichment of coarse particles at the ripple surface (with coarse granule contents ranging between 5·2% and 62·1%) indicate that the underlying layer is the original sediment source and that the granule ripples resist erosional processes. Although the impact of saltating particles and, consequently, the creep and reptation of coarse grains are responsible for granule ripple initiation at a micro‐scale, however, the characteristics of local sediments, wind regimes and topographical obstacles, as well as the feedbacks among bedform and airflow, more strongly affect the development and alignment of granule ripples at a macro‐scale.     

中国庐山晚第四纪沉积岩系的石英形貌显微结构及环境过程

基于庐山山地晚第四纪地层典型断面的系统调查,从地层剖面层序中筛选的微粒(θ=1～3mm)石英颗粒进行环境电子显微镜观测研究,辨认出显微结构-颗粒形态-变形构造-动力化学作用等特征,运用系统过程发展中的节点事件进行层型剖面的环境响应分析,采取综合指标表征地球表层过程及环境响应情景,明确划分出四个古气候环境发展阶段,由下往上分别表现为冰期环境-间冰期环境-冰缘环境-冰后期环境,为深入研究及科学认识庐山第四纪环境演化过程及全球变化提供了新的基础依据。