Surveying Sediment Controls*

Sediment delivery to the three gorges: 1. Catchment controls

The paper examines sediment yield and its response to catchment disturbance and environmental variables in the Upper Ž . Yangtze basin, where the attention of environmentalists has been drawn to the Three Gorges Project TGP . Information about the source and conveyance of sediment from the catchment area to the Three Gorges Reservoir has implications for management strategies. Methodologies for...

Sediment behavior controls equilibrium width of subglacial channels

Flow-frictional resistance at the base of glaciers and ice sheets is strongly linked to subglacial water pressure. Understanding the physical mechanisms that govern meltwater fluxes in subglacial channels is hence critical for constraining variations in ice flow. Previous mathematical descriptions of softbed subglacial channels assume a viscous till rheology, which is inconsistent with laborato...

Biophysical Controls on Sediment Suspension in a Shallow Coastal Bay

Sediment and rock strength controls on river incision into bedrock

Recent theoretical investigations suggest that the rate of river incision into bedrock depends nonlinearly on sediment supply, challenging the common assumption that incision rate is simply proportional to stream power. Our measurements from laboratory abrasion mills support the hypothesis that sediment promotes erosion at low supply rates by providing tools for abrasion, but inhibits erosion a...

Vegetation and wildfire controls on sediment yield in bedrock landscapes

[1] Steep, rocky landscapes commonly exhibit high sediment yields and are especially sensitive to climate, tectonics, and wildfire. Predicting landscape response to these perturbations demands a quantitative understanding of erosion processes. However, existing models for hillslope sediment production and transport do not apply to landscapes with patchy soil and slopes that exceed the angle for...