The graded alluvial river: Profile concavity and downstream fining

Abstract There has been quite some debate on the relative importance of particle abrasion and grain size selective transport regarding the river profile form and the associated grain size trends in a graded alluvial stream. Here we present new theoretical equations for the graded alluvial river prof...

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Main Authors: Astrid Blom, Enrica Viparelli, Víctor Chavarrías
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-06-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068898
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author Astrid Blom
Enrica Viparelli
Víctor Chavarrías
author_facet Astrid Blom
Enrica Viparelli
Víctor Chavarrías
author_sort Astrid Blom
collection DOAJ
description Abstract There has been quite some debate on the relative importance of particle abrasion and grain size selective transport regarding the river profile form and the associated grain size trends in a graded alluvial stream. Here we present new theoretical equations for the graded alluvial river profile that account for the effects of particle abrasion and grain size selective transport in the absence of subsidence, uplift, and sea level change. Under graded conditions we find that abrasion results in a mild profile concavity and downstream fining, whereas under aggradational conditions grain size selective transport can lead to large spatial changes in channel slope and bed surface mean grain size.
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issn 0094-8276
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publishDate 2016-06-01
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-8afe90ca26c74a1386c41ca02f4edc452025-08-20T03:10:24ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-06-0143126285629310.1002/2016GL068898The graded alluvial river: Profile concavity and downstream finingAstrid Blom0Enrica Viparelli1Víctor Chavarrías2Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences Delft University of Technology Delft NetherlandsDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of South Carolina Columbia South Carolina USAFaculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences Delft University of Technology Delft NetherlandsAbstract There has been quite some debate on the relative importance of particle abrasion and grain size selective transport regarding the river profile form and the associated grain size trends in a graded alluvial stream. Here we present new theoretical equations for the graded alluvial river profile that account for the effects of particle abrasion and grain size selective transport in the absence of subsidence, uplift, and sea level change. Under graded conditions we find that abrasion results in a mild profile concavity and downstream fining, whereas under aggradational conditions grain size selective transport can lead to large spatial changes in channel slope and bed surface mean grain size.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068898river longitudinal profileprofile concavitydownstream finingparticle abrasionselective transport
spellingShingle Astrid Blom
Enrica Viparelli
Víctor Chavarrías
The graded alluvial river: Profile concavity and downstream fining
Geophysical Research Letters
river longitudinal profile
profile concavity
downstream fining
particle abrasion
selective transport
title The graded alluvial river: Profile concavity and downstream fining
title_full The graded alluvial river: Profile concavity and downstream fining
title_fullStr The graded alluvial river: Profile concavity and downstream fining
title_full_unstemmed The graded alluvial river: Profile concavity and downstream fining
title_short The graded alluvial river: Profile concavity and downstream fining
title_sort graded alluvial river profile concavity and downstream fining
topic river longitudinal profile
profile concavity
downstream fining
particle abrasion
selective transport
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068898
work_keys_str_mv AT astridblom thegradedalluvialriverprofileconcavityanddownstreamfining
AT enricaviparelli thegradedalluvialriverprofileconcavityanddownstreamfining
AT victorchavarrias thegradedalluvialriverprofileconcavityanddownstreamfining
AT astridblom gradedalluvialriverprofileconcavityanddownstreamfining
AT enricaviparelli gradedalluvialriverprofileconcavityanddownstreamfining
AT victorchavarrias gradedalluvialriverprofileconcavityanddownstreamfining