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Floods are a crucial agent of geomorphic change in the channels and valley floors of mountains watercourses. At the same time, they can be highly damaging to property, infrastructure, and life. Because of their high energy, mountain watercourses are highly vulnerable to environmental changes affecting their catchments and channels. Many factors have modified and frequently still tend to modify the environmental conditions in mountain areas, with impacts on geomorphic processes and the frequency, magnitude, and timing of floods in mountain watercourses. The ongoing climate changes vary between regions but may affect floods in mountain areas in many ways. In many mountain regions of Europe, widespread afforestation took place over the twentieth century, considerably increasing the amounts of large wood delivered to the channels and the likelihood of jamming bridges. At the same time, deforestation continues in other mountain areas, accelerating runoff and amplifying the magnitude and frequency of floods in foreland areas. In many countries, in-channel gravel mining has been a common practice during recent decades; the resultant deficit of bed material in the affected channels may suddenly manifest during flood events, resulting in the failure of scoured bridges or catastrophic channel widening. During the past century many rivers in mountain and foreland areas incised deeply; the resultant loss of floodplain water storage has decreased attenuation of flood waves, hence increasing flood hazard to downstream river reaches. On the other hand, a large amount of recent river restoration activities worldwide may provide examples of beneficial changes to flood risk, attained as a result of increased channel storage or reestablished floodplain water storage. Relations between geomorphic processes and floods operate in both directions, which means that changes in flood probability or the character of floods (e.g., increased wood load) may significantly modify the morphology of mountain rivers, but morphological changes of rivers can also affect hydrological properties of floods and the associated risk for societies. This paper provides a review of research in the field of floods in mountain environments and puts the papers of this special issue dedicated to the same topic into context. It also provides insight into innovative studies, methods, or emerging aspects of the relations between environmental changes, geomorphic processes, and the occurrence of floods in mountain rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large wood (LW) can have significant effects on channel hydraulics by creating hydraulic resistance that decreases reach-average flow velocity and transport capacity, further influencing water and sediment connectivity. Although some case studies have already explicitly dealt with LW considering its effects on connectivity, a conceptualization as well as standardized methods or protocols to assess their effects on water and sediment connectivity in river systems are still missing. The relationship between in-stream LW depositions and their hydraulic function and the related potential effects on water and sediment connectivity can be quantified through drag force. However, such drag analyses are very data-demanding, time consuming and therefore often not practicable. Especially in river management, often simple and fast screening approaches are needed to get a system-wide overview on location, type and the potential effects of LW depositions. In this paper, we introduce a simple LW in-stream dis-connectivity index as well as a LW sediment retention potential index for streams narrower than log length calculated based on visually estimated field-derived parameters. Both indices have been applied in two mixed-load streams in an Austrian national park. The newly developed indices have shown to provide a simple means to quantify and compare the effects of LW on water and sediment connectivity and sediment retention potential between different river systems. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that information derived from the indices as well as on type and location is valuable for place-based river management, e.g. related to river sediment, habitat and flood control. Although we were able to show a clear relationship between the conceptual considerations of the proposed indices and the data derived from field surveys, the presented approach further needs to be tested and evaluated by interested scientists and practitioners in different environmental settings supported and corroborated by more quantitative data. • The developed indices provide a simple means to quantify the effects of in-stream LW on water and sediment connectivity. • The proposed approach can be useful in different river management contexts such as sediment and flood water retention. • In-stream LW disconnectivity and sediment retention potential depends on LW deposition type and the degree of blockage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Channel planform is the result of present and past hydrologic, sedimentary, and geologic conditions, and represents an adjustment of fluvial systems to these conditions. An important yet overlooked aspect of planform diversity of rivers in intensively managed agricultural landscapes of the upper Midwest (USA) is the co-occurrence of single-thread meandering and multi-thread anabranching reaches. Recent work on the role of river corridors in critical-zone dynamics of intensively managed landscapes has revealed the existence of juxtaposed meandering and anabranching reaches, yet the prevalence of anabranching reaches within meandering rivers in the upper Midwest is unknown. In addition, the morphological characteristics of these reaches and whether the stream power domain of these reaches differs from that of meandering reaches are also unclear. This paper quantifies the prevalence, planform morphology, and stream power domain of anabranching reaches along numerous lowland meandering rivers in the upper Midwest. Anabranch prevalence is explored for five representative watersheds using Google Earth aerial imagery and airborne LiDAR data. Less than 1 % of the total stream length in these watersheds (∼42,000 km) exhibits anabranching, but no watershed is devoid of anabranching reaches. Most anabranching reaches are characterized by a two-channel looping configuration, although complex anabranches with more than three channels exist at a few locations. Mean bifurcation angles (70° ± 29°) of the anabranching reaches are higher than those of braided rivers (40°-60°), with maximum angles as high as 150°, whereas mean confluence angles (60° ± 28°) fall within the range of junction angles in stream networks (45°-75°). Stream power analysis indicates that the occurrence of anabranching reaches along meandering rivers in the upper Midwest is significantly related to local increases in channel slope. The stream power domain of most anabranching reaches in the upper Midwest falls within that of meandering rivers, although some reaches have power similar to that of braided or wandering gravel-bed rivers. When considered collectively, multi-thread reaches juxtaposed with meandering reaches do not fit neatly into existing classifications of anabranching rivers. • Anabranching occurs along only 0.38 % of total stream length in five watersheds in the upper Midwest, U.S.A. • The majority of anabranching reaches have a two-channel configuration. • Anabranching reaches in the upper Midwest have locally higher channel slopes than adjacent meandering reaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geomorphic characteristics of a watershed affect the energy fluxes, mass movement, and water and sediment dispersion within the watershed. This paper examines how watershed complexity affects sediment yield in terms of rainfall and geomorphic characteristics. The geomorphic characteristics include primary, secondary and compound topographic attributes; watershed shape characteristics; relief parameters; and stream network characteristics. Because of the high co-dependence among these characteristics, partial least-squares regression (PLSR) was used to identify the relationships between the sediment yield and 29 selected watershed characteristics. The PLSR combines the features of a principal component analysis and multiple linear regression and is a robust multivariate regression method that is appropriate when the predictors exhibit multiple co-linearity. The first-order factors were determined by calculating the variable importance for the projection (VIP). Those variables with high VIP values are the most relevant for explaining the dependent variable. The results showed that the watershed shape and relief parameters have large influences on the sediment yield. The VIP values revealed that the sediment yield is primarily controlled by the plan curvature (VIP = 1.87) and the highest order channel length (VIP = 1.53), followed by the hypsometric integral (VIP = 1.49), rainfall (VIP = 1.44), basin relief (VIP = 1.19), slope (VIP = 1.15), sediment transport capacity index (VIP = 1.13), length ratio (VIP = 1.06), profile curvature (VIP = 1.01) and divide average relief (VIP = 1.00). This paper quantified the effects and relative importance of different geomorphic attributes on sediment yield. The insight provided by these results can be used in the selection of appropriate geomorphic variables for watershed erosion and hydrological models. Thus, this study is intended to elucidate the internal dynamics of sediment transport and storage in a watershed and provide a guide for watershed management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleo-altitude reconstructions using oxygen isotopes provide past surface elevation data that can constrain the topographic evolution of mountain belts. This paper presents oxygen and carbon stable isotopic compositions of gastropod fossils, carbonate cements, and shelly sandstones in the Anjihai and Shawan formations located in the Sikeshu drainage basin, northern Tianshan, western China. Correlations between the stable isotopic compositions and lithofacies suggest that the Sikeshu drainage basin was mainly an open hydrological depositional environment. Based on the oxygen isotopic compositions of the gastropod fossils and petrographic examination, the δ13C and δ18O values have not been reset by late-stage diagenesis. Paleo-altitudes were reconstructed using the corrected paleo-surface water δ18O psw values recovered from gastropod fossils, carbonate cements, and shelly sandstones. An empirical formula was developed to calculate the paleo-latitudes when the Anjihai and Shawan formations were deposited. The paleo-altitude of the Sikeshu drainage basin had attained an elevation exceeding 2000 m by 28 Ma, similar to the present-day elevation in this area. This conclusion contributes to our understanding of the extent of surface uplift in the Cenozoic of Tianshan and the climatic differences on either side of Tianshan during the Cenozoic. Unlabelled Image • This study is the first in Tianshan to provide quantitative evidence for uplift and exhumation. • δ18O date of gastropod fossil analyzed in situ by NanoSIMS rule out diagnetic reset. • Paleoelevation of the north of Tianshan have exceeded 2000 m at least before 28 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents an assessment of the suspended sediment rating curve approach for load estimation on the Rivers Bandon and Owenabue in Ireland. The rivers, located in the South of Ireland, are underlain by sandstone, limestones and mudstones, and the catchments are primarily agricultural. A comprehensive database of suspended sediment data is not available for rivers in Ireland. For such situations, it is common to estimate suspended sediment concentrations from the flow rate using the suspended sediment rating curve approach. These rating curves are most commonly constructed by applying linear regression to the logarithms of flow and suspended sediment concentration or by applying a power curve to normal data. Both methods are assessed in this paper for the Rivers Bandon and Owenabue. Turbidity-based suspended sediment loads are presented for each river based on continuous (15min) flow data and the use of turbidity as a surrogate for suspended sediment concentration is investigated. A database of paired flow rate and suspended sediment concentration values, collected between the years 2004 and 2011, is used to generate rating curves for each river. From these, suspended sediment load estimates using the rating curve approach are estimated and compared to the turbidity based loads for each river. Loads are also estimated using stage and seasonally separated rating curves and daily flow data, for comparison purposes. The most accurate load estimate on the River Bandon is found using a stage separated power curve, while the most accurate load estimate on the River Owenabue is found using a general power curve. Maximum full monthly errors of −76% to +63% are found on the River Bandon with errors of −65% to +359% found on the River Owenabue. The average monthly error on the River Bandon is −12% with an average error of +87% on the River Owenabue. The use of daily flow data in the load estimation process does not result in a significant loss of accuracy on either river. Historic load estimates (with a 95% confidence interval) were hindcast from the flow record and average annual loads of 7253±673tonnes on the River Bandon and 1935±325tonnes on the River Owenabue were estimated to be passing the gauging stations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract The arrival of Europeans in the New World, and the rapid deforestation for agriculture and settlement that shortly followed, resulted in large and rapid increases in soil erosion and sediment aggradation. In Australia, as in parts of North America and other New World sites, this event dates to the last several centuries of the Common Era, a period for which we have surprisingly little historical or scientific data capable of informing debates on the impact of European colonisation on soils and erosion. These research themes and debates were central to the work of Karl Butzer, who undertook field and archival research in Australia to test existing ideas of the timing and magnitude of landscape response to colonisation. In this paper, the work and impact of Butzer in Australia is reviewed as part of ongoing scholarship on the impact of colonisation on landscapes to which Butzer contributed (Butzer and Helgren, 2005). Geomorphic records of soil erosion and historical accounts of land use and impact from eastern Australia show that European settlement, land clearing, and agriculture resulted in rapid, and often severe, increases in erosion in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, mirroring the experience of anthropogenic soil loss experienced in other parts of the world. It is postulated that the geomorphic response to European settlement in Australia is more complex than researchers have previously noted that, in some contexts, continues to influence catchment processes decades and centuries after colonisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reports the mapping of monthly soil erosion risk on Mauritius which was carried out using GIS, decision rules and readily available data namely, monthly rainfall depth, soil types, slope and land cover. Slope and soil were first combined to produce soil erosion susceptibility followed by land cover to produce erosion sensitivity, and then rainfall to produce erosion risk. The high erosion areas of the Island have been extracted from the soil erosion risk maps, whereby these areas can face land degradation problems and can be responsible for sediment discharge into wetlands located at the outlet of drainage basins. As such, drainage basins have been delineated using automatic catchment delineation tools and their percentage of high erosion areas computed. Basins with the greatest percentage of high erosion areas and particularly those that directly have a wetland at the outlet can be given priority for soil and water conservation efforts. The mapping reported in this paper can be adapted to other countries which need an erosion assessment for the identification of high erosion areas and priority action areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents geomorphic, soils and palaeoecological data from a small sub-catchment in the English Midlands in an attempt to provide an integrated picture of Holocene landscape change. The area used has also been the focus of a multi-disciplinary and long-term archaeological survey (Raunds Area Project) and so has a wealth of archaeological and historical data which can be related to the environmental record. The paper combines these data, much of which are only published in the archaeological literature with new interpretations based upon unpublished data and new data particularly from the hillslopes and new radiocarbon dating from the valley floor. It is inferred that despite a long history of pastoral and arable agriculture (since the Neolithic/Bronze Age), colluviation on lower slopes, significant soil redistribution and overbank alluviation only began to a measurable extent in the Late Saxon–Medieval period (9th Century AD onwards). It is suggested that this is due to a combination of land-use factors, principally the laying out of an intensive open field system and the establishment of villages combined with a period of extremes in climate well known throughout Europe. Indeed the critical element appears to have been the social changes in this period that created this regionally distinctive landscape which happened to have a high spatial connectivity and facilitated intensive arable production with high tillage rates. Intense rainfall events during this period could therefore detach and mobilize high volumes of soil and the open field system facilitated transport to slope bases and valley floors. The need for detailed and spatially precise land-use data in order to interpret accelerated landscape change is stressed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Historical and modern scientific contexts are provided for the 2006 Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium on the Human Role in Changing Fluvial Systems. The 2006 symposium provides a synthesis of research concerned with human impacts on fluvial systems — including hydrologic and geomorphic changes to watersheds — while also commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1955 Man''s Role in Changing the Face of the Earth Symposium [Thomas, Jr., W. L. (Ed.), 1956a. Man''s Role in Changing the Face of the Earth. Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago. 1193 pp]. This paper examines the 1955 symposium from the perspective of human impacts on rivers, reviews current inquiry on anthropogenic interactions in fluvial systems, and anticipates future directions in this field. Although the 1955 symposium did not have an explicit geomorphic focus, it set the stage for many subsequent anthropogeomorphic studies. The 1955 conference provided guidance to geomorphologists by recommending and practicing interdisciplinary scholarship, through the use of diverse methodologies applied at extensive temporal and geographical scales, and through its insistence on an integrated understanding of human interactions with nature. Since 1956, research on human impacts to fluvial systems has been influenced by fundamental changes in why the research is done, what is studied, how river studies are conducted, and who does the research. Rationales for river research are now driven to a greater degree by institutional needs, environmental regulations, and aquatic restoration. New techniques include a host of dating, spatial imaging, and ground measurement methods that can be coupled with analytical functions and digital models. These new methods have led to a greater understanding of channel change, variations across multiple temporal and spatial scales, and integrated watershed perspectives; all changes that are reflected by the papers in this volume. These new methods also bring a set of technical demands for the training of geomorphologists. The 2006 Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium complements the 1956 symposium by providing a more specific and updated view of river systems coupled with human interactions. The symposium focuses on linkages between human land use, structures, and channel modification with geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology. The emergence of sustainability as a central policy guideline in environmental management should generate greater interest in geomorphic perspectives, especially as they pertain to human activities. The lack of theories of anthropogeomorphic change, however, presents a challenge for the next generation of geomorphologists in this rapidly growing subfield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent initiatives to find ways to reintroduce anadromous fish to the Central Valley of California have identified the Yuba River as one of the best potential watersheds for expanding spawning habitat of spring-run chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Salmon spawning in the Yuba River would require substantial modifications or removal of Englebright Dam, a large dam (86 million m3 capacity) built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1941. An extensive on-going feasibility study by local, state, and federal organizations, therefore, is examining aspects of various dam-treatment scenarios that range from no action to complete dam removal. This paper examines the extraordinary history of the watershed and resulting conditions pertinent to the feasibility of altering Englebright Dam. It seeks to accomplish four goals. First, historical geomorphic changes in the watershed are outlined that influence the physical context of the feasibility study. The Yuba watershed is centered in the hydraulic gold-mining region made famous by G.K. Gilbert (Gilbert, G.K., 1917. Hydraulic-mining débris in the Sierra Nevada. U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 105 154 pp.), and Englebright Dam was built as a débris dam to control the sediment from hydraulic mining. Second, recent findings of high concentrations of mercury in sediment and fish tissues in the watershed are briefly reviewed. Much mercury was applied during the 20th century. Third, historic data on 20th century hydraulic mining are presented that document numerous small dams built in the Yuba basin to detain mining sediment. Finally, field measurements of the texture and lithology of modern bed materials in the Yuba River basin are presented that demonstrate reworked sediment from mining is an important component of the modern sediment load and fine spawning gravels. The complex anthropogenic geomorphic changes in the Yuba basin present a challenge with regards to responsible treatment of Englebright Dam. If toxic sediment is being reworked in the upper watershed, Englebright Reservoir may play an important role in protecting fish populations below in the Sacramento Valley. Where large volumes of mining sediment are stored behind small detention structures in the upper basin, they should be mapped and assayed for mercury. Stabilization or restoration options for these deposits should consider the potential role that they could play in supplying fine spawning gravel to the main channel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Channel heads in mountain catchments are increasingly influenced by human activity. The disturbance of mountain headwater areas in moderate latitudes by the clearing of trees and the associated logging, road building and hydrotechnical constructions contribute to changes in the water cycle and consequently may induce a change in channel head development. Here we examine channel heads in the Beskid Śląski Mts., one of the areas most affected by ecological disaster in the Polish Flysch Carpathians. An ecological disaster associated with the decline of spruce trees in the 1980s and 1990s caused a substantial decrease (of about 50%) in the land area occupied by spruce forest in the Beskid Śląski Mts. As a result, headwater areas were subject to multidirectional changes in the environment. The purpose of this paper is to determine the detailed characteristics of channel heads currently developing in the analyzed headwater areas, as well as to identify independent factors that affect the evolution of channel heads. Geomorphological mapping was conducted in 2012 in the vicinity of springs in the study area. One-way ANOVA was used to determine the significance of differences between mean values calculated for groups identified based on: i) geomorphologic processes (hollows with rock veneer - h, spring niches - sn, gullies - g), ii) location vs. transformation of channel heads (forested areas vs., deforested areas with road constructions). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the structure and general patterns associated with relationships between the parameters of a channel head and its contribution area, as well as to identify and interpret new (orthogonal) spaces defined using distinct factors. As far as we know, this kind of approach has been never applied before. A total of 80 channel heads surrounding 104 springs were surveyed close to the main ridge in the study area. A total of 14 morphometric parameters were taken into account in this study. The analyzed landforms substantially differ from one another in relation to groups identified based on morphogenetic processes and with respect to time. Multidimensional PCA analysis made it possible to identify three independent, main factors that together explain 81.9% of total variance. It was concluded that the major factor today is human impact, which alters natural geomorphic processes. The second factor is connected with the type of water circulation. The third factor, which explains only 12.7% of variance, is a geologic factor defined in terms of structural integrity. Although our results are region-specific, at least some general conclusions may be drawn. The main general conclusion is that multidimensional human impact may lead to an increase in the fragmentation of mountain headwater areas over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluvial archives in the upper-reach Yellow River basins provide important information about drainage history of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) associated with geomorphologic evolution and climate change. However, the Pliocene fluvial strata within this region have not been studied in detail, hence limiting the understanding of the late Cenozoic development of regional fluvial systems. In this paper, we present the results of a study of the geochronology, sedimentology, and provenance of the fluvial sequence of the Wuquan Formation in the Lanzhou Basin in the northeastern TP. Magnetostratigraphic and cosmogenic nuclide burial ages indicate that the Wuquan Formation was deposited during 3.6–2.2 Ma. Furthermore, sedimentary facies, gravel composition, paleocurrent data, and detrital zircon U Pb age spectra reveal that the fluvial sequence resembles the terraces of the Yellow River in terms of source area, flow direction, and depositional environment. Our results indicate that a paleo-drainage system flowing out of the northeastern TP was established by ca. 3.6 Ma and that the upstream parts of the Yellow River must have developed subsequently from this paleo-drainage system. The late Pliocene drainage system fits well with the dramatic uplift of the northeastern TP, an intensified Asian summer monsoon, and global increase in erosion rates, which may reflect interactions between geomorphic evolution, tectonic deformation, and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse the recent geomorphological evolution of the River Ñuble, an unmodified wandering river in the Mediterranean region of Chile, highlighting the relation between the observed hydroclimatic trends in the region and the morphology of the river. The work documents the recent changes (2003–2016) in channel morphology (i.e., narrowing, simplification, vegetation encroachment) and, in particular, how the river has progressively reduced its geomorphic activity during the last decade. Changes have been detected using aerial imagery and quantified by means of a series of channel form indices that allow tracking the geomorphological evolution of an 8-km river segment. The catchment has experienced a clear decrease in the frequency and magnitude of flood events, although this fact is not fully supported by a generalized reduction in the analysed rainfall series. We relate the observed river relaxation and the associated channel changes with the reported period of low hydroclimatic activity, which follows a humid period that occurred in the Pacific region during the 1970s and 1980s, connected to the PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillations) that particularly affected the northern and the central parts of Chile. Altogether, this resulted in generalized river stability and a simplification of the drainage pattern of the channel. In absence of river training practices and other major changes in the catchment, the reduction of formative discharges appears thus to be the main control of the recent evolution of this gravel-bed river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents reconstructions on natural levee development in the Rhine-Meuse delta, the Netherlands, during the first millennium CE, covering the full delta plain. It is the first study that performs this on a delta scale, which allows seeing the delta-wide trends on levee-forming controls and their feedbacks. We mapped the levee morphology and elevation by combining LiDAR imagery, lithological borehole data, soil mapping, radiocarbon dates, archaeological data, and GIS-reconstruction techniques. From the detailed levee reconstructions we quantified natural levee dimensions and evaluated the temporal changes therein. The dimensions and the changes therein were then linked to external forcings (increasing suspended sediment load, variable flooding intensity) and to natural preconditions (e.g., delta plain width, flood basin configuration). We show that natural preconditions are an important control on levee shape. This is demonstrated for the upper delta where the relatively narrow delta plain combined with strong compartmentation (i.e., the occurrence of many alluvial ridges and enclosed flood basins) caused the flood levels to be amplified allowing the natural levees to grow relatively high. Compartmentation also seems to have stimulated trapping of coarse-grained overbank sediments, explaining the clear downstream trend in levee width. This effect was probably further aided by the clearance of the riparian forests, mainly in the upstream and central delta, which caused the coarser fraction of the suspended load to be further dispersed into the flood basin leading to wider levees. In the first millennium CE several new river courses formed that avoided the areas of natural levee relief of abandoned alluvial ridges. On these fossil alluvial ridges, the topographical expression gradually reduced because of widespread flood basin trapping of overbank sediment, which led to topographic levelling. The natural levees that formed during this period along the new courses appear to be relatively high compared to precursor generations in the upper and central delta. This is most likely related to the increased suspended sediment supply and intense flooding regime during their formation. The hypotheses generated with this new delta-wide overview help to better understand the controls in the development of levees, which are important elements in river landscapes and in fluvial sedimentary records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the second half of the 19th century, channelization of large multi-thread rivers such as the Rhine, the Danube, and the Rhône rivers induced artificial disconnection of most of their secondary channels. Compared to naturally abandoned channels, terrestrialization (i.e., the passage from the aquatic to the terrestrial stage, controlled by sediment deposits and/or lowering of the water level) patterns and rates of such artificially prematurely abandoned channels remain largely unknown. Moreover, factors controlling their evolutionary trajectories are complex owing to a set of pressures occurring throughout the 20th century within specific space-time windows. Through a case study of the Rhône River, this paper aims to assess and distinguish the effects of a set of potential controlling factors on abandoned channel terrestrialization dynamics and lifespan. We tested the influence of: (i) submersible embankments closing the entrance of abandoned channels, (ii) main channel degradation following its channelization or the water level lowering due to channel bypassing in the middle of the 20th century involving drastic water abstraction in these reaches, (iii) transverse dykes within the abandoned channels, (iv) the flooding regime of abandoned channels (i.e., frequency and magnitude of upstream connections producing lotic functioning), and (v) longitudinal variation in the suspended sediment concentration along the main channel. To this end, we studied 24 abandoned channels (16 artificially disconnected at their upstream end by submersible embankments and eight naturally disconnected by bar plug establishment) from the mid-19th to the beginning of the 20th century. Their terrestrialization rates were characterized through the reconstruction of their planimetric trajectories using historical maps and aerial photos. The results reveal a much longer lifespan of artificial abandoned channels compared to natural ones because of the truncation of the initial bedload infilling phase due to the artificial and imposed closing of their entrance. Moreover, terrestrialization occurred faster when water level lowering or channel degradation was greater. Surprisingly, terrestrialization rates were the highest in the most frequently connected artificial abandoned channels (i.e., channels with a high frequency of lotic functioning), probably in relation to the roughness induced by the presence of transversal dykes. Finally, it is difficult to rank all the factors tested because of their complex combinations, which can change in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the occurrence of debris flow due to rainfall forcing in the Réal Torrent, a very active debris flow-prone catchment in the Southern French Prealps. The study is supported by a 4-year record of flow responses and rainfall events, from three high-frequency monitoring stations equipped with geophones, flow stage sensors, digital cameras, and rain gauges measuring rainfall at 5-min intervals. The classic method of rainfall intensity–duration ( ID ) threshold was used, and a specific emphasis was placed on the objective identification of rainfall events, as well as on the discrimination of flow responses observed above the ID threshold. The results show that parameters used to identify rainfall events significantly affect the ID threshold and are likely to explain part of the threshold variability reported in the literature. This is especially the case regarding the minimum duration of rain interruption ( MDRI ) between two distinct rainfall events. In the Réal Torrent, a 3-h MDRI appears to be representative of the local rainfall regime. A systematic increase in the ID threshold with drainage area was also observed from the comparison of the three stations, as well as from the compilation of data from experimental debris-flow catchments. A logistic regression used to separate flow responses above the ID threshold, revealed that the best predictors are the 5-min maximum rainfall intensity, the 48-h antecedent rainfall, the rainfall amount and the number of days elapsed since the end of winter (used as a proxy of sediment supply). This emphasizes the critical role played by short intense rainfall sequences that are only detectable using high time-resolution rainfall records. It also highlights the significant influence of antecedent conditions and the seasonal fluctuations of sediment supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riverine source bordering dunes are formed by the interaction of fluvial and aeolian processes. Even in humid regions such as central Japan, small-scale, elongated aeolian dunes parallel to river channels occur intermittently; a typical example is identified where sand bars had formed along the left bank of the lower reaches of Kiso River. This paper presents the sedimentary characteristics and luminescence chronology of the aeolian dunes along the Kiso River. The sand constituting dunes is well-sorted, medium-grained and the grain size shows little variation with depth. The sand would be supplied from the riverbed via the bars by the strong west-northwesterly to westerly winds promoted by the monsoon in the dry winter when the water level of the Kiso River drops significantly. Fading corrected infrared-stimulated luminescence (IR 50) dating suggests that the dunes occurred and grew rapidly upward after about 600–700 yr ago. Increased sediment yield caused by human activities such as deforestation in the drainage basin, and the resulting increase in sediment supply to the lower reaches may have promoted the formation of dunes. However, with the construction of continuous levees, the reduced sediment supply related to dam construction, and the lowering of the riverbed, the connectivity between sand bars and dunes declined, and most of the dunes appear to have been stable for the past century. Fluvial sand supply influenced by human activities as well as strong winds during the dry season plays a crucial role in the formation of riverine source bordering dunes in humid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on environmental controls, spatiotemporal variability and rates of contemporary fluvial suspended sediment transport in the neighboring, partly glacierized and steep Erdalen (79.5 km 2 ) and Bødalen (60.1 km 2 ) drainage basins in the fjord landscape of the inner Nordfjord in western Norway. Field work, including extended samplings and measurements, was conducted since 2004 in Erdalen and since 2008 in Bødalen. The distinct intra- and inter-annual temporal variability of suspended sediment transport found is mostly controlled by meteorological events, with most suspended sediment transport occurring during pluvial events in autumn (September–November), followed by mostly thermally determined glacier melt in summer (July–August), and by mostly thermally determined snowmelt in spring (April–June). Extreme rainfall events (> 70 mm d − 1 ) in autumn can trigger significant debris-flow activity that can cause significant transfers of suspended sediments from ice-free surface areas with sedimentary covers into main stream channels and is particularly important for fluvial suspended sediment transport. In years with occurring relevant debris-flow activity the total annual drainage-basin wide suspended sediment yields are strongly determined by these single extreme events. The proportion of glacier coverage, followed by steepness of slopes, and degree of vegetation cover in ice-free surface areas with sedimentary covers are the main controls for the detected spatial variability of suspended sediment yields. The contemporary sediment supply from glacierized surface areas and the Jostedalsbreen ice cap through different defined outlet glaciers shows a high spatial variability. The fact that the mean annual suspended sediment yield of Bødalen is with 31.3 t km − 2 yr − 1 almost twice as high as the mean annual suspended sediment yield of Erdalen (16.4 t km − 2 yr − 1 ) is to a large extent explained by the higher proportion of glacier coverage in Bødalen (38% of the drainage basin surface area) as compared to Erdalen (18% of the drainage basin surface area) and by a significantly higher sediment yield from the glacierized area of the Bødalen drainage basin compared to the glacierized surface area in Erdalen. When looking at the total annual mass of suspended sediments being fluvially exported from both entire drainage basin systems, the total amount of suspended sediments coming from the ice-free drainage basin surface areas altogether dominates over the total amount of suspended sediments coming from the glacierized surface area of both drainage basins. Drainage-basin wide annual suspended sediment yields are rather low when compared with yields of other partly glacierized drainage basin systems in Norway and in other cold climate environments worldwide, which is mainly due to the high resistance of the predominant gneisses towards glacial erosion and weathering, the altogether only small amounts of sediments being available within the entire drainage basin systems, the stable and nearly closed vegetation cover in the ice-free surface areas with sedimentary covers, and the efficiency of proglacial lakes in trapping sediments supplied by defined outlet glaciers. Both contemporary and long-term suspended sediment yields are altogether supply-limited. Contemporary suspended sediment transport accounts for nearly two-thirds of the total fluvial transport and, accordingly, plays an important role within the sedimentary budgets of the entire Erdalen and Bødalen drainage basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper interprets the origin of several of the largest hummocky landform assemblages in the Alai Valley, Northern Pamir – a formerly glaciated intermontane depression. The vast hummocky deposits in the Koman-Suu and Achik-Tash river catchments are found to be of two contrasting modes of formation: glacial hummocks deposited during Koman and Lenin Glaciers withdraw and avalanche hummocks produced during catastrophic Koman and Lenin rock avalanches. The origins of the deposits we assessed through remote and field-based geomorphological mapping, as well as sedimentological investigations, which included clast analysis and the identification of micro-scale agglomerates indicative of rock avalanche emplacement. Both the Koman and Lenin rock avalanches were large, catastrophic events (with run-outs of 34 and 24 km, respectively, and a volume over 1 × 10 9 m 3 each) that occurred subsequent to glacier withdrawal from the area. The complex conditions on the moment of the rock avalanche emplacement promoted unusual deposits geomorphology and extensive run-outs. The landslide landforms formed over the pre-existing glacial hummocks and fluvial deposits, and are geomorphologically and sedimentologically distinct from the larger glacial hummocks. The reconstruction of this sequence of events has implications for how hummock dating should be interpreted. This research illustrates large scale catastrophic landsliding in the glacial environment, and adds to the ongoing debate about the misidentification of rock avalanche deposits as of glacial origin, and their relevance to palaeoclimatological and palaeoseismological reconstructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geomorphic units are the elementary spatial physical features of the river mosaic at the reach scale that are nested within the overall hydromorphological structure of a river and its catchment. Geomorphic units also constitute the template of physical habitats for the biota. The assessment of river hydromorphological conditions is required by the European Water Framework Directive 2000/60 (WFD) for the classification and monitoring of water bodies and is useful for establishing links between their physical and biological conditions. The spatial scale of geomorphic units, incorporating their component elements and hydraulic patches, is the most appropriate to assess these links. Given the weakness of existing methods for the characterisation and assessment of geomorphic units and physical habitats (e.g., lack of a well-defined spatiotemporal framework, terminology issues, etc.), a new system for the survey and characterisation of river geomorphic units is needed that fits within a geomorphologically meaningful framework. This paper presents a system for the survey and classification of geomorphic units ( GUS , geomorphic units survey and classification system) aimed at characterising physical habitats and stream morphology. The method is embedded into a multiscale, hierarchical framework for the analysis of river hydromorphological conditions. Three scales of geomorphic units are considered (i.e., macro-units, units, sub-units), organised within two spatial domains (i.e., bankfull channel and floodplain). Different levels of characterisation can be applied, depending on the aims of the survey: broad, basic, and detailed level. At each level, different, complementary information is collected. The method is applied by combining remote sensing analysis and field survey, according to the spatial scale and the level of description required. The method is applicable to most of fluvial conditions, and has been designed to be flexible and adaptable according to the objectives (e.g., reach characterisation, assessment, monitoring) and available data (e.g., image resolution). The method supports integrated hydromorphological assessment at the reach scale (e.g., the Morphological Quality Index, MQI ) and therefore contributes to better establishing links between hydromorphological conditions at the reach scale, characteristic geomorphic units, and related biological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground imagery, which produces large amounts of valuable data at high frequencies, is increasingly used by fluvial geomorphologists to survey and understand processes. While such technology provides immense quantities of information, it can be challenging to analyze and requires automatization and associated development of new methodologies. This paper presents a new approach to automate the processing of image analysis to monitor wood delivery from the upstream Rhône River (France). The Génissiat dam is used as an observation window; all pieces of wood coming from the catchment are trapped here, hence a wood raft accumulates over time. In 2011, we installed an Axis 211W camera to acquire oblique images of the reservoir every 10 min with the goal of automatically detecting a wood raft area, in order to transform it to wood weight (t) and flux (t/d). The methodology we developed is based on random forest classification to detect the wood raft surface over time, which provided a good classification rate of 97.2%. Based on 14 mechanical wood extractions that included weight of wood removed each time, conducted during the survey period, we established a relationship between wood weight and wood raft surface area observed just before the extraction ( R 2 = 0.93). We found that using such techniques to continuously monitor wood flux is difficult because the raft undergoes very significant changes through time in terms of density, with a very high interday and intraday variability. Misclassifications caused by changes in weather conditions can be mitigated as well as errors from variation in pixel resolution (owing to camera position or window size), but a set of effects on raft density and mobility must still be explored (e.g., dam operation effects, wind on the reservoir surface). At this stage, only peak flow contribution to wood delivery can be well calculated, but determining an accurate, continuous series of wood flux is not possible. Several recommendations are made in terms of maximizing the potential benefit of such monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrologic connections can link hillslopes to channel networks, streams to lakes, subsurface to surface, land to atmosphere, terrestrial to aquatic, and upstream to downstream. These connections can develop across vertical, lateral, and longitudinal dimensions and span spatial and temporal scales. Each of these dimensions and scales are interconnected, creating a mosaic of nested hydrologic connections and associated processes. In turn, these interacting and nested processes influence the transport, cycling, and transformation of organic material and inorganic nutrients through watersheds and along fluvial networks. Although hydrologic connections span dimensions and spatiotemporal scales, relationships between connectivity and carbon and nutrient dynamics are rarely evaluated within this framework. The purpose of this paper is to provide a cross-disciplinary view of hydrologic connectivity — highlighting the various forms of hydrologic connectivity that control fluxes of organic material and nutrients — and to help stimulate integration across scales and dimensions, and collaboration among disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris-flow fans form a ubiquitous record of past debris-flow activity in mountainous areas, and may be useful for inferring past flow characteristics and consequent future hazard. Extracting information on past debris flows from fan records, however, requires an understanding of debris-flow deposition and fan surface evolution; field-scale studies of these processes have been very limited. In this paper, we document the patterns and timing of debris-flow deposition on the surface of the large and exceptionally active Illgraben fan in southwestern Switzerland. We use terrain analysis, radiocarbon dating of sediment fill in the Illgraben catchment, and cosmogenic 10 Be and 36 Cl exposure dating of debris-flow deposits on the fan to constrain the temporal evolution of the sediment routing system in the catchment and on the fan during the past 3200 years. We show that the fan surface preserves a set of debris-flow lobes that were predominantly deposited after the occurrence of a large rock avalanche near the fan apex at about 3200 years ago. This rock avalanche shifted the apex of the fan and impounded sediment within the Illgraben catchment. Subsequent evolution of the fan surface has been governed by both lateral and radial shifts in the active depositional lobe, revealed by the cosmogenic radionuclide dates and by cross-cutting geometrical relationships on the fan surface. This pattern of frequent avulsion and fan surface occupation provides field-scale evidence of the type of large-scale compensatory behavior observed in experimental sediment routing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city of Genoa (Liguria, Italy) and the Bisagno Valley are affected by frequent floods, often with loss of human lives. Historically characterised by high flood hazards, the Bisagno Valley was recently affected by a flood event on 9 October 2014, less than three years after the tragic flood event of 4 November 2011 when six people died, including two children. In the last 50 years, four destructive floods occurred in the Bisagno Valley, in addition to some other events that caused significant damage and economic losses. This paper examines the three largest flood events in terms of intensity and ground effects which affected the Bisagno Valley in the last three centuries: the flood of 25 October 1822, well documented by contemporary sources, the flood of 8 October 1970, undoubtedly the most tragic on record, and the very recent event of 9 October 2014. For this purpose scientific and historical-geographical methodologies were adopted, the latter particularly useful for the reconstruction of the flood event of 1822 and the landscape history of the Bisagno Valley in the nineteenth century. This comparison shows that the Bisagno Valley is characterised by climatic and landform features that have been making the flood events historically common in the area. However, recent climate change and land-use variations, including some major modifications of the catchment basin, have progressively determined a decrease of the concentration time and an increase of runoff, solid transport, and flood hazard. Consequently, in recent decades a growth in the number of flood events occurred, to the extent that the Bisagno today is a famous case study on an international scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topography results from the interplay between rock uplift and erosion, and studying river responses to active tectonics may enable the rates and spatial distribution of rock uplift to be inferred. Normalized channel steepness index (k sn) is widely used to infer rock uplift rates, and rock erodibility plays a significant role in determining the variation of channel steepness in response to external forces. Various measures may be applied to evaluate rock erodibility; however, since they are essentially qualitative, it is difficult to quantify relationships between rock mass strength and channel forms. In this study, we inferred long-term rock uplift rates along the Futagawa fault, an active normal-dextral fault, and the Idenokuchi fault, an active normal fault, in southwestern Japan, based on morphological characteristics of rivers across substrates with contrasting erodibility. The widely used detachment-limited model predicts that, when the rock uplift rate is spatially uniform, the ratio of erodibility of different rock types can be written by an inverse ratio of their k sn values. We employed this theoretical prediction to quantitatively calibrate the effects of rock mass strength on channel steepness. Within the study area, channel steepness was larger in the eastern part where volcanic rocks were exposed than in the western part where less resistant sedimentary rocks predominated. We calculated ratios of substrate erodibility using drainage basins close to the Futagawa fault that experienced similar rock uplift. Calibrated k sn exhibited a clear difference between the eastern and the western part of the fault, suggesting that contrasting erodibility alone cannot explain the observed channel steepness. We also confirmed that the observed channel steepness could not be explained without differential rock uplift, even when considering the combined effects of channel width, precipitation, and erosion process. The distribution of long-term rock uplift rates inferred from calibrated k sn and vertical slip rates of the fault compiled from published papers agree with the distribution of vertical displacement of the earthquake that occurred on the fault in 2016, suggesting that earthquakes similar to the 2016 event have occurred repeatedly in the study area. • We calibrated channel steepness based on the erodibility of substrate materials. • Spatial distribution of long-term uplift is inferred from bedrock river morphology. • Long-term uplift is similar to the vertical displacement of the 2016 earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flow is a major geohazard in mountainous regions and poses a significant threat to life and property. The damage caused by debris flows have increased with the expansion of human settlements and activity into the mountainous regions of China. In regards to risks from debris flows, previously unrecognized low-frequency debris flow catchments constitute an especially significant threat. According to our investigation, only about 500 catchments have debris flow records in >2000 catchments of Bailong River basin. The main purpose of this paper is to introduce a new methodology using Artificial Intelligence (AI) that can simultaneously input parameters related to geomorphological conditions and material conditions to better distinguish low-frequency debris flow catchments (LFD s) from medium-high frequency debris flow catchments (MHFD s). A total of 449 prototypical debris flow catchments, 15 parameters, and 9 commonly used learning machines were used to build identification models. Debris flow catchments are divided into 4 cases (LO1-LO4) based on different sample ratios of LFD s and MHFD s, which are input into each classifier one by one. Based on model evaluation, the CHAID model in the case LO2 performs best, which only uses five parameters (formation lithology index, land use index, vegetation coverage index, drainage density and landslide density index) to predict LFD s. The results indicate that LFD s are mainly distributed in areas with less landslide distribution and better vegetation coverage compared with MHFD s. However, the distribution of LFD s is concentrated on FLI (formation lithology index) =4, which is the weak lithology area. The tree classifier seems to be better at classifying fluvial processes. The model developed in this paper can help us quickly find LFD s in similar areas, and help to assess the risk of debris flows. • A simple decision tree model was built to identify low-frequency debris flows. • Geomorphological and material parameters were used simultaneously for modeling. • Materials seem to be the main influencing factor of low-frequency debris flows. • The tree classifier seems to be better at classifying fluvial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stream morphology is affected by changes on the surrounding landscape. Understanding the effects of urbanization on stream morphology is a critical factor for land managers to maintain and improve vulnerable stream corridors in urbanizing landscapes. Stormwater practices are used in urban landscapes to manage runoff volumes and peak flows, potentially mitigating alterations to the flow regime that drive changes in channel morphology. However, there remains a paucity of long-term studies assessing watershed-scale relationships between urbanization and effects on stream morphology where green stormwater infrastructure exists in high densities. This paper evaluates the geomorphic changes across four headwater catchments in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed over the course of >10 yr and relates these changes to urban development. Annual cross-sectional surveys conducted from 2002 to 2019 in one forested catchment, one agricultural catchment, and two treatment catchments were used to understand the relationship between urbanization and changes in stream morphology. Six cross-sectional geomorphic metrics were calculated and compared with development timelines and high flow events. A channel evolution model was then used to understand the status of morphologic stability at sites within the study. Results suggest downstream environments in developing areas are more impacted during early phases of suburban construction. Channel change during construction could be a result of sediment and erosion control efforts' limitations on preventing and controlling overland sediment mobilization or of increased discharge causing widening and thus bank-derived sediment to move to the streambed. Results demonstrate that geomorphic metrics are highly variable within a small area and are not always accurate representations of broader landscape changes but rather of the more localized environment at a specific stream segment. Despite a high density of stormwater management facilities in urban catchments, substantial alterations to cross sections were found at multiple locations in each catchment including the controls. • Geomorphic metrics and CEM calculated at 32 cross sections annually over 17 years. • Contrasted change in forested, agricultural, and urbanizing catchments in Maryland. • All catchments have experienced change, typically greater in downstream areas. • Metrics highly variable within a small area in catchments. • Metrics suggest localized BMP impact on streams; may not represent broad effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides support for the concept of geomorphic process domains developed by Montgomery (1999) by linking geomorphic processes to ecological variations seen in the Pima arid granitic watershed of the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix, Arizona. Closer joint spacing shows a statistically significant correlation with lower percentages of mineral grain attachment as measured by digital image processing of backscattered electron microscope imagery. Lower mineral grain attachment leads to more frequent spalling of rock surfaces, as measured by varnish microlamination (VML) ages of the last spalling event. In contrast, more distant joint spacing leads to in situ 10 Be erosion rates of 3.4–8.5 mm/ka and the emergence of low domes and kopje granitic landforms; these low domes also serve as knickpoints along ephemeral washes. Distant jointing thus plays a key role in generating the bare bedrock surfaces that funnel limited precipitation to bedrock margins — enhancing the canopy cover of perennial plants next to the bare bedrock. Joint-influenced geomorphic processes at Pima Wash generate four distinct process domains: (PD1) armored drainage divides; (PD2) slopes with different granite landforms; (PD3) mid- and upper basin channels that mix knickzones, strath floodplains, and sandy alluvial sections; and (PD4) the main ephemeral channel transitioning to the piedmont. Distant jointing promotes bedrock exposure and rock armoring along drainage divides in PD1 that then concentrates runoff and promotes perennial plant growth. More distant joint spacing on slopes in PD2 promotes exposure of granitic bedrock forms that shed overland flow to their margin and promotes flora and fauna growths along the margins of low granitic domes and kopjes. Similarly, wider joint spacing along ephemeral washes in PD3 leads to knickpoints, which in turn act to concentrate moisture immediately downstream. The stream terraces in PD4 influence the ecology through xeric desert pavements on terrace treads and roofs for coyotes ( Canis latrans ) and gray fox ( Urocyon Cinereoargenteus ) dens on terrace scarps via stage 3 pedogenic carbonate. These four process domains occur in six other randomly selected granitic watersheds with drainage areas < 5 km 2 in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Results on rates of geomorphic processes in the Pima Wash watershed provide new insight in the desert geomorphology of small granitic watersheds. Catchment-wide denudation rates (CWDRs) recorded by 10 Be sampled along the main ephemeral wash vary between 15 and 23 mm/ka and do not appear to be influenced by knickpoint or knickzone occurrence; instead slightly lower CWDRs appear to be associated with sediment contributions by subbasins with more abundance of bare bedrock forms. Resampling for CWDR after a 500-year flood event from hurricane moisture at two sites along the main ephemeral channel revealed no detectable changes; this finding confirms the average representativeness of CWDR as a long-term denudation proxy and also means that sediment transport on these arid granitic hillslopes must be incremental and without rapid crest to wash transport. The first reported measurements of incision rates into a small granitic Sonoran Desert watershed, using 10 Be and VML, reveal rates on the order of 70–180 mm/ka in the lower quarter of Pima Wash for the last 60 ka — producing a narrow and deep trench. As this base-level fall propagates upstream, erosion focuses on weaker material with higher joint densities; this facilitates the emergence of domes and kopje landforms with more widely spaced jointing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue honors the contributions of William L. Graf to geomorphology and river science. A hallmark of Will's work over the course of his career has been a focus on the natural and human structuring of river systems. More broadly, Will has been an innovator and leader who has shaped the way in which geomorphologists conduct research. Through his work, he has made fundamental contributions to basic fluvial theory, to the understanding of human impacts on river systems, and to policy-relevant science. He has demonstrated by example how to pursue policy-relevant science and to participate in science-based policy formulation. His contributions to river science can be classified into several themes: (1) the hydrology and geomorphology of suburban drainage systems, (2) riparian vegetation and river systems, (3) the spatial structure and dynamics of incised channels, (4) the dynamics of dryland river systems, (5) heavy metals in river systems, (6) dams and dam removal, and (7) water and public policy. The papers in this special issue reflect many aspects of these themes and address topics related to (1) the understanding of rivers and other geomorphic systems in the midst of dynamic physical change, (2) human influences on geomorphic processes, (3) the intersection of geomorphology and public policy, and (4) the fusion of geomorphic analysis and GIScience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canyon river systems are laterally constrained by steep walls, strath terraces, and bedrock intrusions; however, semialluvial reaches are nested within these environments as discontinuous floodplains along the river margins. These semialluvial floodplains provide an example of dynamic-equilibrium set within high-energy fluvial systems, marking areas where the river is free to alter its boundary conditions. Most research has focused on hydraulic conditions necessary for floodplain formation and persistence in unconfined systems, whereas little is known about canyon streams. This paper focuses on (1) characterizing dynamic-equilibrium, (2) describing the controls on floodplain formation and distribution, and (3) evaluating the performance of extremal hypotheses to identify dynamic-equilibrium and floodplain persistence in high-energy, semiconfined canyon environments. These objectives were addressed with field and numerical data derived from a one-dimensional hydraulic model for bankfull and 100-year return interval flood events, supported by closely spaced cross sections for the lower 38-km canyon reach of the Deadwood River (Idaho). Under bankfull conditions, critical energy thresholds for equilibrium floodplain persistence at this study site present the upper limits of: slope = 0.018, shear stress = 175 N/m 2 , and specific stream power = 400 W/m 2 . Channel and floodplains near equilibrium, quantified with a near-zero sediment transport divergence (Exner equation), were successfully identified by the minimum unit stream power extremal hypothesis and to a lesser degree by the other extremal hypotheses that minimize energy expenditure (minimum specific stream power, minimum total stream power, and minimum Froude number), provided backwater environments and major tributaries could be identified. Extremal results were compared to hydraulic geometry relations to evaluate how closely equilibrium floodplains approached values for unconfined alluvial river systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first compiles critical shear stress values from 26 studies of gravel-bed rivers (GBRs) worldwide. The most frequently proposed value of the Shields criterion ( θ c ) is 0.045, but three major groups with θ c values ranging from < 0.030 to > 0.100 were identified. Second, dimensionless critical shear stresses (the Shields criterion) were evaluated for 14 GBRs (18 sites) with watershed areas ranging from 12 to 3000 km 2 . Different approaches were used to identify the initial movement of the bed material: painted and PIT-tag pebbles, sediment traps, and bedload samplers. The Shields criterion ( θ c ) was estimated using the total shear stress ( τ ) and the grain shear stress ( τ′ ). Several shear stresses were also estimated using shear velocities. For bedload transport, we obtained an average Shields criterion ( θ c ) of 0.040. The values were higher in small rivers (> 0.050) than larger rivers (< 0.030) because of more significant bedform shear stresses. The Shields criterion ( θ′ c ) was lower when the grain shear stress ( τ′ ) was used and only reached 0.019. Different values are also proposed in relation to the type of mobilization: the θ c value for partial transport was ~ 0.025 and exceeded 0.040 for full transport (usually reached in association with discharges with a 10-year return period). The values based on the results of sediment traps and a bedload sampler were greater than those obtained using tracers, but these differences are smaller than those usually reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How can debris flow occurrences be modelled at regional scale and take both environmental and climatic conditions into account? And, of the two, which has the most influence on debris flow activity? In this paper, we try to answer these questions with an innovative Bayesian hierarchical probabilistic model that simultaneously accounts for how debris flows respond to environmental and climatic variables. In it, full decomposition of space and time effects in occurrence probabilities is assumed, revealing an environmental and a climatic trend shared by all years/catchments, respectively, clearly distinguished from residual “random” effects. The resulting regional and annual occurrence probabilities evaluated as functions of the covariates make it possible to weight the respective contribution of the different terms and, more generally, to check the model performances at different spatio-temporal scales. After suitable validation, the model can be used to make predictions at undocumented sites and could be used in further studies for predictions under future climate conditions. Also, the Bayesian paradigm easily copes with missing data, thus making it possible to account for events that may have been missed during surveys. As a case study, we extract 124 debris flow event triggered between 1970 and 2005 in 27 catchments located in the French Alps from the French national natural hazard survey and model their variability of occurrence considering environmental and climatic predictors at the same time. We document the environmental characteristics of each debris flow catchment (morphometry, lithology, land cover, and the presence of permafrost). We also compute 15 climate variables including mean temperature and precipitation between May and October and the number of rainy days with daily cumulative rainfall greater than 10/15/20/25/30/40 mm day − 1 . Application of our model shows that the combination of environmental and climatic predictors explained 77% of the overall variability of debris flow occurrences in this data set. Occurrence probabilities depend mainly on climatic variables, which explain 44% of the overall variability through the number of rainy days and maximum daily temperature. This important time component in the variability of overall debris flow occurrence is shown to be responsible for a significant increase in debris flow activity between 1970 and 2005 at regional scale. Environmental variables, which account for 33% of the overall variability, includes mostly the morphometric variables of the debris flow catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero-order drainage basins, and their constituent hillslopes, are the fundamental geomorphic unit comprising much of Earth's uplands. The convergent topography of these landscapes generates spatially variable substrate and moisture content, facilitating biological diversity and influencing how the landscape filters precipitation and sequesters atmospheric carbon dioxide. In light of these significant ecosystem services, refining our understanding of how these functions are affected by landscape evolution, weather variability, and long-term climate change is imperative. In this paper we introduce the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO): a large-scale controllable infrastructure consisting of three replicated artificial landscapes (each 330 m 2 surface area) within the climate-controlled Biosphere 2 facility in Arizona, USA. At LEO, experimental manipulation of rainfall, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed are possible at unprecedented scale. The Landscape Evolution Observatory was designed as a community resource to advance understanding of how topography, physical and chemical properties of soil, and biological communities coevolve, and how this coevolution affects water, carbon, and energy cycles at multiple spatial scales. With well-defined boundary conditions and an extensive network of sensors and samplers, LEO enables an iterative scientific approach that includes numerical model development and virtual experimentation, physical experimentation, data analysis, and model refinement. We plan to engage the broader scientific community through public dissemination of data from LEO, collaborative experimental design, and community-based model development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both for scientists and river basin managers, development of automated geographic information system (GIS) tools is essential today to characterize riverscapes and explore biogeomorphologic processes over large channel networks. Since the 1990s, GIS toolboxes and add-in programs have been used to characterize catchments. However, there is currently no equivalent to a planimetric and longitudinal characterization of fluvial corridor networks at multiple scales. This paper describes FluvialCorridor , a new GIS toolbox. This package allows the user: (i) to extract a large set of riverscape features such as the main components of fluvial corridors from DEM and vector layers (e.g. stream network or valley bottom), and (ii) to aggregate spatial features into homogeneous segments and metrics characterizing each of them. The methodological frameworks involved have been previously described by Alber and Piégay (2011), Leviandier et al. (2012) and Bertrand et al. (2013) and this contribution focuses on the GIS tools allowing the user to automatically operate them. A case study on the Drôme River (France) is provided to illustrate the potential of the package both for geomorphologic understanding and target management actions. FluvialCorridor has been developed for ArcGIS with the related native Python library named ArcPy and tested on ArcGIS 10.0 and 10.1. Obviously, each component of the package can be used separately; however, it also provides a complete workflow for fluvial corridor characterization, even as the toolbox is continually under development and revision. Case study database, FluvialCorridor package and guidelines are available online at http://umrevs-isig.fr . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term monitoring of river restoration and streambank stabilization projects has often been neglected, resulting in a poor understanding of the effectiveness of different types of restoration methods. This study utilized unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to monitor and assess the effectiveness of streambank stabilization projects in the Cottonwood River valley, an incised river system in east-central Kansas, USA. Streambanks have been acknowledged as a dominant sediment source to downstream waterbodies in incised fluvial systems and are therefore high priority targets of restoration and stabilization strategies. Volumes of sediment eroded at 14 streambank stabilization sites along the Cottonwood River were analyzed to compare: (1) pre-construction and post-construction periods; and (2) stabilized sites and unmodified sites. As monitoring and assessment were not part of the original design plans for stabilization efforts, this paper outlines methods to generate appropriate datasets and models to assess stabilization effectiveness. Results from three years of UAS monitoring, together with historical pre-construction assessment, indicate that stabilization projects significantly reduced local-scale erosion at stabilized sites. However, evidence of continued bank erosion after construction, including erosion of the lower bank above installed toe protection, bank steepening, and mass wasting, suggests that the benefits of reduced erosion from stabilization might change over time. Overall, our investigation demonstrates the viability of UAS surveys for long-term monitoring of streambank stabilization projects along incised river channels. [Display omitted] • Unmanned aircraft systems provide an effective tool to monitor bank stabilization effectiveness. • Stabilization projects significantly reduced local-scale erosion at the stabilized site. • Substantial erosion of the lower bank above toe protection was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing resolution of digital elevation models (DEMs), computational efficiency problems have been encountered when extracting the drainage network of a large river basin at billion-pixel scales. The efficiency of the most time-consuming depression-filling pretreatment has been improved by using the O ( N log N ) complexity least-cost path search method, but the complete extraction steps following this method have not been proposed and tested. In this paper, an improved O ( N log N ) algorithm was proposed by introducing a size-balanced binary search tree (BST) to improve the efficiency of the depression-filling pretreatment further. The following extraction steps, including the flow direction determination and the upslope area accumulation, were also redesigned to benefit from this improvement. Therefore, an efficient and comprehensive method was developed. The method was tested to extract drainage networks of 31 river basins with areas greater than 500,000 km 2 from the 30-m-resolution ASTER GDEM and two sub-basins with areas of approximately 1000 km 2 from the 1-m-resolution airborne LiDAR DEM. Complete drainage networks with both vector features and topographic parameters were obtained with time consumptions in O ( N log N ) complexity. The results indicate that the developed method can be used to extract entire drainage networks from DEMs with billions of pixels with high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the predictive power of nine bedload equations, comparing the results provided by the equations with the bedload rates obtained in a previous field-based tracer experiment accomplished in River Pigüeña and River Coto, two coarse bed streams from NW Spain. Rivers from NW Spain draining the northern watershed of the Cantabrian Mountain range flow into the Bay of Biscay in a short path (50–60 km). In this region, they are developed forested catchments featured by fluvial networks with relatively steep slopes, single-thread sinuous channels, and where bed sediment is typically coarse (cobble and gravel). Tagged stones were used to trace bed sediment movement during flood events in River Pigüeña and River Coto, the two main tributaries of the Narcea River basin. With the tracer results, bedload transport rates between 0.2 and 4.0 kg/s were estimated for six flood episodes. The tracer-based bedload discharges were compared with the bedload rates estimated with the bedload formulae (DuBoys–Straub, Schoklitsch, Meyer Peter–Müller, Bagbold, Einstein, Parker–Klingeman–McLean, Parker–Klingeman, Parker and Wilcock-Crowe). Our assessment shows that all of the bedload equations tend to overestimate when compared with the tracer-based results, with the Wilcock and Crowe (2003) equation the only exception in River Pigüeña. We linked these results to the particular geomorphology of coarse-bed rivers in humid and forested mountain environments. Within these rivers, armored textures and structural arrangements in the bed are ubiquitous; these features, together with a low sediment supply coming from upstream forested reaches, define a supply-limited condition for these channels limiting the potential use of bedload equations. The Wilcock and Crowe (2003) equation introduces complex corrections into the ‘hiding function’, and this could explain why it performs better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disparity between watershed erosion rates and downstream sediment delivery has remained an important theme in geomorphology for many decades, with the role of floodplains in sediment storage as a common focus. In the Piedmont Province of the eastern USA, upland deforestation and agricultural land use following European settlement led to accumulation of thick packages of overbank sediment in valley bottoms, commonly referred to as legacy deposits. Previous authors have argued that legacy deposits represent a potentially important source of modern sediment loads following remobilization by lateral migration and progressive channel widening. This paper seeks to quantify (1) rates of sediment remobilization from Baltimore County floodplains by channel migration and bank erosion, (2) proportions of streambank sediment derived from legacy deposits, and (3) potential contribution of net streambank erosion and legacy sediments to downstream sediment yield within the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont. We calculated measurable gross erosion and deposition rates within the fluvial corridor along 40 valley segments from 18 watersheds with drainage areas between 0.18 and 155 km 2 in Baltimore County, Maryland. We compared stream channel and floodplain morphology from lidar-based digital elevation data collected in 2005 with channel positions recorded on 1:2400 scale topographic maps from 1959–1961 in order to quantify 44–46 years of channel change. Sediment bulk density and particle size distributions were characterized from streambank and channel deposit samples and used for volume to mass conversions and for comparison with other sediment sources. Average annual lateral migration rates ranged from 0.04 to 0.19 m/y, which represented an annual migration of 2.5% (0.9–4.4%) channel width across all study segments, suggesting that channel dimensions may be used as reasonable predictors of bank erosion rates. Gross bank erosion rates varied from 43 to 310 Mg/km/y (median = 114) and were positively correlated with drainage area. Measured deposition within channels accounted for an average of 46% (28–75%) of gross erosion, with deposition increasingly important in larger drainages. Legacy sediments accounted for 6–90% of bank erosion at individual study segments, represented about 60% of bank height at most exposures, and accounted for 57% (± 16%) of the measured gross erosion. Extrapolated results indicated that first- and second-order streams accounted for 62% (± 38%) of total streambank erosion from 1005 km 2 of northern Baltimore County. After accounting for estimated redeposition, extrapolated net streambank sediment yields (72 Mg/km 2 /y) constituted 70% of estimated average Piedmont watershed yields (104 Mg/km 2 /y). The results suggest that streambank sediments are a relatively large source of sediment from Piedmont tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace metals are stored in near-channel floodplain sediments along many rivers in industrial and mined watersheds of western European countries such as Germany. In this paper, I document the distribution of Cu, Pb, and Zn in 13 cores collected from near-channel floodplain sediments along a 25-km reach of the Dill River in central Germany. Mean concentrations of the three trace metals exceed background concentrations, an indication of anthropogenic enrichment along the study reach; many individual samples have concentrations several times the background levels and exceed standards for trace metals contained in the German Federal Soil Protection Act. Metal concentrations generally peak at depths of 0.2 to 0.7 m below the floodplain surface and are assumed to represent the period of maximum metal releases to the environment through upstream industrial activity, ore mining, or both. In eight of the cores, radiocarbon ages obtained below the depth of peak metal concentrations provide maximum dates for sediment accumulation of between 90 and 1700 years ago, with most ages clustering in the period of 90 to 300 years ago. The ages and depth to peak metal concentrations indicate 0.6 to 1.0 m of floodplain sedimentation over the last 150 to 300 years (0.3–0.4 cm y − 1 ), which exceed sedimentation amounts and rates found in surrounding watersheds. Surface sediments contain lower metal concentrations, suggesting deposition recently of cleaner sediments. Trace metals stored along the Dill River serve as a reminder that stores of contaminants exist in geomorphically sensitive locations of the fluvial system. These legacy sediments bear the chemical imprint of industrial or mining activities that no longer occur in the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rivers of the Gaspé Peninsula, Québec (Canada), a coastal drainage system of the St. Lawrence River, receive and transport vast quantities of large wood. The rapid rate of channel shifting caused by high-energy flows and noncohesive banks allows wood recruitment that in turn greatly influences river dynamics. The delta of the Saint-Jean River has accumulated wood since 1960, leading to frequent avulsions over that time period. The wood raft there is now more than 3-km in length, which is unusual but natural. This jam configuration allows a unique opportunity to estimate a wood budget at the scale of a long river corridor and to better understand the dynamics of large wood (LW) in rivers. A wood budget includes the evaluation of wood volumes (i) produced by bank erosion (input), (ii) still in transit in the river corridor (deposited on sand bars or channel edges), and (iii) accumulated in the delta (output). The budget is based on an analysis of aerial photos dating back to 1963 as well as surveys carried out in 2010, all of which were used to locate and describe large wood accumulations along a 60-km river section. The main results of this paper show that the raft formation in the delta is dynamic and can be massive, but it is a natural process. Considering the estimated wood volume trapped in the delta from 1963 to 2013 (≈ 25,000 m 3 ), two important points are revealed by the quantification of the wood recruitment volume from 1963 to 2004 (≈ 27,000 m 3 ± 400 m 3 ) and of the wood volume stored on the bars in 2010 (≈ 5950 m 3 ). First, the recruitment of large wood from lateral migration for the 40-year period can account for the volume of large wood in the delta and in transit. Second, the excess wood volume produced by lateral migration and avulsion represents a minimum estimation of the large wood trapped on the floodplain owing to wood volume that has decomposed and large wood that exited the river system. Rafts are major trapping structures that provide good potential sites to monitor wood delivery from the catchment through time and allow estimations of LW residence time while in transit. These results contribute to understanding the interannual large wood dynamics in the Saint-Jean River and can assist river managers in determining sustainable solutions for coping with the issue of wood rafts in rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the reconstruction of the geomorphologic and landscape effects of the most catastrophic flood owing to dam failure within the territory of today's Czech Republic, namely, the Bílá Desná dam failure of 1916. Because of the realisation of the significant later transformation of the Bílá Desná river catchment almost 100 years after the flood event, the field research performed during the summer and fall of 2013 had to be supported by extensive research in regional archives for documentary data. Various data types and sources (such as court investigation notes, investigation reports for insurance companies, old maps, and old photos, as well as video and recorded testimonies of survivors) were used to reconstruct the magnitude (discharge, flood wave extent) of the flood and its effects on the channel morphology and landscape. According to the reconstruction of the dam failure, which was caused by the internal erosion of the dam, the calculated peak discharge ranged between 418.2 and 1491.7 m 3 s − 1 and therefore exceeded the mean flow rate of the Bílá Desná River by more than 850 times. The river channel immediately upstream and downstream of the dam reclaimed its former meandering pattern with higher sinuosity, and new gravel point bars and irregular bars have been formed. Moreover, the river channel immediately below the dam shifted by up to 30 m following the flood wave. The most significant flood impacts were apparent in the village of Desná, where the flood wave, together with transported boulders (up to 2 m in diametre) and logs from sawmills situated upstream, killed 62 inhabitants and damaged or destroyed 101 buildings. The reconstructed flood wave in the towns of Desná and Tanvald exceeded the bankfull water level twice, with a width ranging between ~ 50 and 250 m in contrast to the average channel width of a few metres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment and turbidity are primary causes of impaired river ecosystems; remedial action for these impairments requires the identification of their sources and controlling factors. This paper examines the combined effects of watershed complexity in terms of land use and physiography on the specific sediment yield of the upper Du River watershed (8973 km 2 ) in China. The land use composition, land use pattern, morphometric variables, and soil properties of the watershed were calculated at the subwatershed scale and considered to be potentially influential factors. Because these watershed characteristics are highly codependent, a partial least-squares regression (PLSR) was used to elucidate the linkages between the specific sediment yield and metrics composed of 19 selected watershed characteristics. The first-order factors were identified by calculating the variable importance for the projection (VIP). The results revealed that the land use composition and land use pattern exerted the largest effects on the specific sediment yield and explained 65.2% of the variation in the specific sediment yield. A set of physiographic indices was also found to have a large effect on the specific sediment yield and explained 17.7% of the observed variation in the specific sediment yield. The following are the dominant first-order factors of the specific sediment yield at the subwatershed scale: the areal percentages of agriculture and forest, patch density, value of the Shannon's diversity index, contagion, value of the hypsometric integral, and saturated soil hydraulic conductivity. The watershed size exerted a substantial effect on the sediment delivery ratio (SDR). The VIP values also suggested that the Shannon's diversity index, contagion, and hypsometric integral are important factors in the SDR. With a readily available digital spatial database and rapid developments in geographic information system (GIS) technology, this practical and simple PLSR approach could be applied to a variety of watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geomorphic evolution of large European fluvial systems since the end of the nineteenth century has been determined, according to recent studies, by changes that have affected the drainage basins, notably climatic changes at the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA), agricultural practices, and successive phases of channel management involving embankments and dams. However, the respective roles of these various control factors in modifying sediment storage and channel stability are often difficult to identify. The aim of this paper is to determine the main factors that have driven morphological changes over the past 130years on the 120-km-long downstream reach of the Rhône River. A GIS-based analysis of maps and aerial photographs available since 1860, coupled with chrono-stratigraphic data on the river's alluvial deposits, has enabled quantification of sediment storage and erosion in different morphological units. Changes measured include riverbed incision, narrowing of the main channel in relation with accumulation of fine sediments along the channel margins, and reduction of sediment input at the mouth. On the basis of local- and reach-scale sediment balances, we show that these changes are synchronous with engineering works carried out at the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century, a period that coincided with a decline in river sediment inputs largely generated by human activities. The early stabilisation of mountain slopes resulting from a decline in rural agriculture, rural exodus, reforestation and engineered torrent control has had a much greater impact in geomorphically transforming the Rhône than dams and gravel mining, the major identified causes of river destabilisation in the world. This calls for caution in the all-too-common and wholesale attribution of declining sediment budgets of European rivers, especially in the Mediterranean region, to dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Turbidity is commonly used as a proxy to estimate suspended sediment content in streams, and for hydroecological purposes. The scope of this paper is to give an outlook to wider applications of nephelometric turbidimetry as a method. Uncalibrated turbidity records in conjunction with water chemistry data prove useful in detecting watershed reaction to single hydrological events during the spring flood in Arctic Russia. The turbidimetric survey technique was applied to study the spatial variability of sediment yield features on small rivers of the south-eastern part of Sakhalin Island. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) vs. turbidity relation follows the geological features of the terrain and reflects the land-use intensity within the watersheds. For our Igarka key site, a logarithmic regression model was developed as an instrument of SSC calculation with turbidity data for each of the four studied watersheds. A regional regression model was developed for this site, and supplementary water optics data (filtered sample turbidity) was employed to increase the reliability of SSC calculations. Our results show that factors influencing turbidity, namely water colour and sediment grain size, have to be considered in multivariate models, to minimize errors and acquire an understanding of what kind of physical response is actually measured by nephelometry-based instruments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Neutral models (NMs) are built to test null hypotheses and to detect properties at work in an object or a system. While several studies in geomorphology have used NMs without explicitly mentioning them or describing how they were built, it must be recognized that neutral models more often concerned theoretical explorations that drove such use. In this paper, we propose a panel of NMs of river (channel) networks based on a well-established relationship between observed and simulated sinuosity properties. We first simulated new instances of river networks with a (one-parameter) neutral model based on optimal channel networks (OCN) and leading to homogeneous sinuosity watersheds. We then proposed a “less neutral” model able to generate a variety of river networks accounting for the spatial heterogeneity of observed properties such as elevation. These models, providing confidence levels, allowed us to certify that some properties played a role in the generation of the observed network. Finally, we demonstrated and illustrated both models on the Bidasoa watershed (Spain–France frontier), with a new dedicated software (called SSM). NMs in geomorphology ensure to progressively help to identify the process operating in an observed object, and to ultimately improve our understanding of it (i.e. intrinsic need). But they also provide simulated samples statistically “similar” to an observed one, thus offering new alternatives to every process carried by the observed object (i.e. extrinsic need). Artificial river networks studied here would be of great value to environmental sciences studying geomorphology and freshwater-related processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite the relevance of river hydromorphology (HYMO) for integrated water resource management, consistent geomorphic information at the scale of whole river basin is still scarce, especially in emerging economies. In this paper, we propose a new, scalable and globally applicable framework to analyze and classify fluvial systems in data-scarce environments. The framework is based on a data-driven analysis of a multivariate data set of 6 key hydro-morphologic drivers derived using freely available remote-sensing information and several in situ hydrological time series. Core of the framework is a fuzzy classifier that assigns a characteristic signature of HYMO drivers to individual river reaches. We demonstrate the framework on the Red River Basin, a large, trans-boundary river basin in Vietnam and China, where human-induced morphological change, concretely endangering local livelihoods, is contrasted by very limited HYMO information. The derived HYMO information covers spatial scales from the entire basin to individual reaches. It conveys relevant information on subbasin hydro-morphologic characteristic as well as on local geomorphologic forms and processes. The fuzzy classifier successfully distinguishes abrupt from continuous downstream change and spatially dissects the river system in segments with homogeneous hydro-morphologic forcings. Successful numerical modelling of morphologic forms and process rates based on the HYMO signatures indicates that the multivariate, basin-scale classification captures relevant morphological drivers, outperforms an analysis based on local drivers only, and can support river management from diverse, morphology related perspectives over a wide range of scales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the functioning of a gully system catchment in the loess area of the Lublin Upland (eastern Poland) based on investigations of soil and sediment sequences filling the valley floors and correlative sediments on the alluvial fan at the valley outlet. Stages of the catchment's evolution are proposed, from the Meso-Holocene (8400–5100BP) followed by prehistorical and historical stages of human activity to modern times (gully erosion). Varying erosional processes have been identified over a period of about 2800yearsBP: washing and sediment deposition on the alluvial fan at early stages followed by multi branched gully system development. Later on, land use change of deforestation and agriculture led to dissection of gully edges by a system of badlands. This study demonstrates the roll of the human factor as a shifting agent between dominant geomorphic processes in the same catchment area over a long period of time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Physically-based, catchment scale sediment delivery models have become increasingly complex, sophisticated and are suitable for a diverse range of environmental contexts. However, in their attempts to best represent the physical processes of erosion and deposition, these models require large and detailed input datasets. When such data are unavailable, annual sediment yield models are relied upon. However, in this class of models, widely available data such as daily precipitation and discharge are disregarded resulting in a reduction in temporal accuracy. To fill this scientific and management gap, the landscape evolution model LAPSUS was adapted (LAPSUS-D) for a meso-scale catchment to model sediment yield on a daily resolution. The water balance component within the model enables the calibration of the model in terms of water discharge with measured daily discharge at the outlet. This methodology is especially important when modeling sediment yield from catchments which are ungaged catchments in terms of sediment, but where hydrological data are available. As the simulation of sediment yield was the main objective of the study, the calibration focused on peak discharge. The focus on peak discharge provides insight into the capability of the model to generate, route and deliver sediment at the outlet of a meso-scale catchment. LAPSUS-D has daily temporal resolution and requires a 10 to 30m pixel size DEM, soil map, land-use map and daily hydrological records (precipitation and discharge). In this paper we present the first assessment of the hydrological model performance and an analysis of the sensitivity of the model to input parameters. Our study site is a 23-km2 catchment in Upper Nysa Szalona, southwest Poland with temperate climate. Results show that the model can reliably predict peak discharge, which is expected in future studies to allow reliable estimates of sediment transport capacity, redistribution and yield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper concerns the evolution during the Holocene of the floodplain of the Rhone River in the Basses Terres basin, 70km northeast of Lyon. Geomorphological mapping of a number of paleochannels has been carried out, using topographic maps, aerial photos, and landform surveys, and mechanical cores have been taken that enable the reconstruction of several stratigraphies in cross section. The chronology of fluvial deposits relies mainly on the radiocarbon dating of organic materials collected from the abandoned fluvial fills. Paleochannel infillings were also used to record fluvial style changes and floodplain aggradation rates. The main results show that the region has a mountainous piedmont plain controlled by local factors (inherited from glacial times) that have led to the atypical predominance of a meandering river pattern controlling the evolution of the floodplain in the Basses Terres area during the Holocene. A major avulsion of the Rhone, when it switched to its present-day northern course around 2700–2600cal. BP, strongly influenced the evolution of the Holocene floodplain, causing a sharp decrease in the aggradation of the abandoned section. In addition, four major occurrences of strong and increased sediment discharge took place around 10,000–7500, 3000–2700, 2400/1500–1000, and 230–50cal. BP. Two of these (ca. 3000–2700 and 230–50cal. BP) are correlated to a braided pattern and represent temporary fluvial metamorphoses of the Rhone. The infilling rates of several paleochannels also reveal periods of strong sediment deposition around 5500–5250, 3500–3200, 1400–1200, and 600–400cal. BP, consistent with previous regional paleohydrological phases as well as new ones. These phases are synchronous with the hydrosedimentary variations identified on a regional scale in the Rhone catchment area and the northern Alps. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]