Open AccessSignificance of cutoff in meandering river dynamics
Author(s) -
Camporeale C.,
Perucca E.,
Ridolfi L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: earth surface
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2006jf000694
Subject(s) - cutoff , geology , limiting , dynamics (music) , noise (video) , cutoff frequency , physics , geometry , mathematics , acoustics , optics , mechanical engineering , quantum mechanics , image (mathematics) , artificial intelligence , computer science , engineering
The occurrence of cutoff events, although sporadic, is a key component in the complex dynamics of meandering rivers. In the present work, we show that cutoff has a twofold role: (1) It removes older meanders, limiting the planform geometrical complexity (geometrical role), and (2) it generates an intermittent noise that is able to influence the spatiotemporal dynamics of the whole river (dynamical role). The geometrical role limits the spatial evolution of the meanders, sporadically eliminating portions of the river planimetry. In this way it stabilizes the mean river geometry around a statistically steady state. The dynamical role is due to the propagation of a noise wave that is triggered by cutoff events. Because of the spatial memory component which is present in the meandering dynamics, such waves propagate all along the river, thus affecting its meandering dynamics.