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More on the evolution of bed material waves in alluvial rivers
Author(s) -
Cui Yantao,
Parker Gary,
Lisle Thomas E.,
Pizzuto James E.,
Dodd Annjanette M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.1156
Subject(s) - alluvium , streams , sediment , sediment transport , geology , dispersion (optics) , dominance (genetics) , hydrology (agriculture) , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , physics , computer science , computer network , optics , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
Sediment waves or pulses can form in rivers following variations in input from landslides, debris ows, and other sources. The question as to how rivers cope with such sediment inputs is of considerable practical interest. Experimental, numerical and eld evidence assembled by the authors suggests that in mountain gravel‐bed streams, such pulses show relatively little translation, instead mostly dispersing in place. This research has recently been the subject of discussion. In particular it has been suggested that (a) the equations of ow and sediment mass balance used in the analyses, and in most other morphodynamic analyses, require correction; (b) the dominance of dispersion appears only because the hyperbolic nature of the governing equations has not been adequately considered; and (c) the sediment transport equation used in the analyses does not lead to generalizable results. Here we suggest that (a) the relations for mass balance do not require the indicated correction; (b) the hyperbolic nature of the governing equations does not preclude the result of dispersion dominating translation in mountain streams; and (c) the general behaviour of an appropriate hyperbolic model of sediment waves (pulses) includes the relative roles of dispersion and translation, and is not affected by the precise choice of a sediment transport relation (as long as the choice is reasonable for the case in question). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.