Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Benjamin T. Cardenas, Kaitlyn Stacey
Summary: Fluvial channel belts on Mars are exposed in a unique way, with steep slopes, shallow benches, and truncated ridges. This exposure is caused by preferential erosion of floodplain strata by wind, which is steered by crater topography.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Katherine A. Woodworth, Gregory B. Pasternack
Summary: This study tested the hypothesis that a river's channel pattern and its morphological unit (MU) assemblage will remain stationary under a stationary flow and sediment regime. The study found that the MU assemblage and channel pattern of the gravel/cobble lower Yuba River shifted towards a lower-relief morphology, indicating that they were not stationary. This study suggests the need for further investigation into MU stationarity using modern mapping methods.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Luca Forti, Manuela Pelfini, Varoujan K. Sissakian, Andrea Zerboni
Summary: This paper presents a geomorphological reconstruction of the urban landscape in Erbil, Iraq, and explains how human settlement and modification of natural surface processes have shaped the region. The analysis is based on satellite and historical aerial images, field control, and land use changes over time. The study reveals that Erbil was established on a fertile plain during the Chalcolithic period and grew around a citadel built on fluvial features. However, intense urban expansion since the 1950s has led to the transformation of the landscape through the construction of roads and residential and industrial areas, resulting in the loss of the original fluvial network. The investigation highlights the significant impact of human activities on the landscape, with a shift from agricultural to urban land use. This, coupled with human agency on the hydrography, has increased the city's vulnerability to geomorphological hazards, particularly floods. The study argues that during the Anthropocene, urbanization reaches a tipping point when excessive growth is affected by geomorphological hazards. Hence, urbanization in the Anthropocene must take into account natural geomorphological processes.
Article
Geography, Physical
Luca Forti, Guido S. Mariani, Filippo Brandolini, Andrea Pezzotta, Andrea Zerboni
Summary: This study used declassified satellite imagery and remote sensing data to analyze the evolution and controlling factors of the Tigris River below the Mosul Dam Reservoir in Iraqi Kurdistan. The results demonstrated the seasonal changes of the Tigris River and the geomorphological changes since the formation of the reservoir. The study highlights the importance of declassified satellite imagery in understanding natural geomorphic processes and their alteration by human activities.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Anshul Yadav, Richard J. Boothroyd, Gregory H. Sambrook H. Smith, Sumit Sen
Summary: In this study, morphological adjustments of the Yamuna River in the Himalayan foothills were explored using remote sensing techniques. Results showed that the active channel narrowed significantly after the construction of the Lakhwar-Vyasi Dam, with a 67% reduction in mean active channel width from 1989 to 2021. Increased sand mining activities in the active channel were observed after 2015. The combined effects of flow regulation and mining activities have altered the river morphology, and further human activities can be damaging for the river regime.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
E. Deal
Summary: The research indicates that flow resistance in steep mountain rivers has important implications for hydraulic geometry and sediment transport. However, it is challenging to understand and predict flow resistance in these rivers due to their complex morphology and spatially variable flow. The study uses a double-averaging approach and derives a flow resistance model that compares well with a large dataset of flow velocity in natural channels. The results also suggest a degree of self-organization in bed morphology, which may simplify the prediction of flow resistance in steep mountain rivers.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Bruno Carvalho Carneiro de Mendonca, Luca Mao, Barbara Belletti
Summary: Rivers play a crucial role in shaping landscapes and connecting various organisms. Human disturbances often require river restoration to enhance ecological diversity and ecosystem services. The relationship between physical diversity of rivers and biological communities is not always straightforward due to complex interactions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander M. Morgan, Sharon A. Wilson, Alan D. Howard
Summary: This article examines the global distribution and morphologic characteristics of fan-shaped sedimentary landforms on Mars using globally available image and topographic data, providing valuable boundary conditions for future global studies of the planet.
Article
Geography
Charlie Frye, Roger Sayre, Alexander B. Murphy, Deniz Karaguelle, Moira Pippi, Mark Gilbert, Jaynya W. Richards
Summary: Prior to the era of digital geomorphological mapping, land surface characterization relied mostly on qualitative interpretations and extensive field study. In the early twentieth century, systematic physiographic divisions were proposed by Fenneman and later expanded by Murphy and Bridges. With the advancement of geographic information systems, their pioneering work has been recompiled and aggregated into a new resource called Named Landforms of the World, version 2.0, providing a valuable data layer for mapping and understanding Earth surface features.
ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GEOGRAPHERS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sharon A. Wilson, Alexander M. Morgan, Alan D. Howard, John A. Grant
Summary: This study presents an inventory of alluvial fans and deltas within martian impact craters, indicating that these landforms are more widespread and numerous than previously reported. Alluvial fans are mainly found at higher elevations, while deltas are preferentially located at lower elevations where interactions with groundwater may have enabled the formation of lakes. The distribution of these landforms in southern mid-latitude craters suggests a late occurring, widespread source of water, consistent with late precipitation patterns.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Remote Sensing
Khalid A. Almalki, Mobarak S. Al Mosallam, Thamer Z. Aldaajani, Ali A. Al-Namazi
Summary: Geomorphological mapping has evolved from field-based to remotely-sensed observations, with the creation of a simplified SRTM-based map for Saudi Arabia laying the foundation for a comprehensive regional scale geomorphological map in the future. The correlation between geological features, soil types, and vegetation cover has provided insights into the regional relationship between topography and the origin of landforms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Teresa Gracchi, Guglielmo Rossi, Carlo Tacconi Stefanelli, Luca Tanteri, Rolando Pozzani, Sandro Moretti
Summary: This study utilized UAV photogrammetry to investigate the evolution of a 12 km stretch of the French-Italian Roia River, highlighting the changes in fluvial dynamics and vegetation coverage. The results demonstrate that UAV-based products can serve as a low-cost, non-invasive tool to support decision-makers in better understanding various fluvial processes.
Article
Geography, Physical
Frank Lehmkuhl, Georg Stauch
Summary: Large scale anthropogenic relief changes create non-equilibrium landscapes that are vulnerable to catastrophic erosion events during river floods. A recent example is the major flood in western Germany in July 2021, where the flooding of an open gravel pit by the Erft River caused massive erosional damage to a settlement. Detailed analysis revealed three geomorphological periods during the event, including rapid backward erosion, sedimentation in a temporary lake, and the river shifting towards the gravel pit. Understanding these processes can provide insights into hazards in anthropogenic landscapes.
Article
Geography, Physical
Marc Jolivet, Olivier Dauteuil, Louis Gaudare
Summary: Understanding the impact of aeolian processes on the regional-scale dynamics of fluvial systems in semi-arid regions is crucial in the context of climate change. This study examines the formation of parabolic dunes and foredunes along the main rivers of the southern Angolan Plateau and northern Kalahari Basin in Africa, using satellite images and digital elevation models. The findings highlight the interactions between factors such as wind pattern, vegetation cover, morphology of the drainage system, and transport capacity of the rivers, and their implications for fluvial dynamics and sedimentary processes.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Piotr Migon, Filip Duszynski
Summary: Coarse clastic sedimentary successions play a significant role in shaping the landforms on the continental surface. The presence of escarpments, cliffs, and other features is influenced by variations in rock-mass strength within layered successions. The juxtaposition of strong and weak rocks in the vertical succession is a unifying theme with profound geomorphological implications, although dominant processes and patterns may vary depending on lithological characteristics and mechanical properties.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Noelle K. Patterson, Belize A. Lane, Samuel Sandoval-Solis, Gregory B. Pasternack, Sarah M. Yarnell, Yexuan Qiu
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Herve Guillon, Colin F. Byrne, Belize A. Lane, Samuel Sandoval Solis, Gregory B. Pasternack
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Water Resources
Neshat Movahedi, Amir Ahmad Dehghani, Christian Schmidt, Nico Trauth, Gregory Brian Pasternack, Michael J. Stewardson, Mehdi Meftah Halghi
Summary: This study investigates the effects of bed and width undulations on hyporheic zone characteristics in riffle-pool sequences. It was found that width undulations also play a significant role in hyporheic exchanges, especially when combined with channel bed undulations.
ADVANCES IN WATER RESOURCES
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Kenneth G. Larrieu, Gregory B. Pasternack, Sebastian Schwindt
Summary: The issue of riverine fish stranding poses a significant concern for fish populations, and accurately parameterizing stranding risks is challenging due to various biotic and abiotic factors. A novel algorithm utilizing graph theory to find optimal fish escape routes has been introduced for evaluating and visualizing fish stranding risks in rivers.
Article
Ecology
Kenneth G. Larrieu, Gregory B. Pasternack
Summary: This study used a novel algorithm to predict fish stranding risk at a river rehabilitation site in California, highlighting the sensitivity of stranding events to side-channel topographic structure and postproject morphodynamic change. Even with moderate flows, side-channel exits tend to close off by bars built across them via bedload transport, which has implications for river management practices and river rehabilitation project design.
Article
Geography, Physical
Arielle A. Gervasi, Gregory B. Pasternack, Amy E. East
Summary: The study found that flood duration and volume are more important factors than peak discharge in influencing geomorphic changes. Major geomorphic responses occur primarily during large flood events, but total scour and net export of sediment can vary greatly.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Gregory B. Pasternack, Joni L. Gore, Jason S. Wiener
Summary: Significant growth in research on mountain rivers since 1990 has led to the understanding that canyon-confined mountain rivers exhibit complex topographic features nested from base- to flood-stages. A threshold stage in mountain river inundation has been hypothesized, where landform structure is organized to be self-maintaining via flow convergence routing morphodynamics. Geomorphic covariance structure analysis offers a systematic framework for evaluating these nested topographic patterns.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Belize Lane, Herve Guillon, Colin Byrne, Gregory B. Pasternack, Alan Kasprak, Samuel Sandoval-Solis
Summary: By analyzing a large morphological field dataset in California, USA, this study reveals the diversity of channel forms and their connections with landscape properties. The results demonstrate alignment of dominant channel attributes and landscape properties with established channel types, while also highlighting key differences.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Tingyu Li, Gregory B. Pasternack
Summary: Hydropeaking, a strategy of rapid flow releases from dams in response to hourly-adjusted electricity markets, is widely applied for its economic efficiency but poses hazards to riverine ecosystems and human activities. This study developed a new algorithm, the Hydropeaking Event Detection Algorithm (HEDA), to automate the characterization of hydropeaking flow regimes and identified four distinct classes of hydropeaking flow regimes in California based on duration and frequency. Rate of change, amplitude, and timing of hydropeaking played less important roles in classification.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peter J. Moniz, Gregory B. Pasternack
Summary: This study compared changes in Chinook salmon rearing habitat availability at 19 different discharges on the lower Yuba River in California, USA over an 8-year period with modest floods. The research found that while the total area of rearing habitat remained relatively consistent at flows up to 2 times the bankfull discharge, significant decreases were observed after modest floods due to widespread erosion. This suggests that habitat-discharge relationships can change as a result of morphodynamic processes and should be considered in long-term regulatory and management decisions for rivers worldwide.
RIVER RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
C. F. Byrne, G. B. Pasternack, H. Guillon, B. A. Lane, S. Sandoval-Solis
Summary: The study focused on analyzing 702 pool-riffle couplets to understand the frequency of velocity reversal in rivers. It was found that velocity reversals are relatively infrequent but more common in locations with narrow channels. The findings suggest that channel constriction plays a significant role in propagating velocity reversal maintenance.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Scott G. Burman, Jingya Gao, Gregory B. Pasternack, Nann A. Fangue, Paul Cadrett, Elizabeth Campbell, Dipak Ghosal
Summary: In the Chinook salmon restoration project in the lower Yuba River, a wireless sensor network was designed and deployed to monitor river temperatures. The network successfully collected temperature data for six months, despite inaccuracies in timestamping and flood-induced sensor destruction. The network's low power consumption and low-throughput capabilities proved crucial for ecological sampling.
ACM TRANSACTIONS ON SENSOR NETWORKS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Jason Wiener, Gregory Pasternack
Summary: The relative submergence of macroroughness elements plays a crucial role in the hydraulics and morphodynamics of steep, coarse-bedded rivers. Through hydrodynamic modeling and mapping of large bed elements (LBEs), this study presents complete distributions of LBE relative submergences at different spatial scales and explores their dynamics across different discharges. Statistical analysis reveals that segment- and reach-scale datasets exhibit similar properties and can be drawn from the same distribution type, indicating process-based similarity between spatial domains.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Anzy Lee, Belize Lane, Gregory B. Pasternack
Summary: Geometric modelling was used to synthesize channel terrains and investigate the impact of bed roughness, thalweg elevation, and channel width on hydraulic and ecohydraulic conditions. Four distinct terrain models were developed and tested for different stream reaches, comparing hydraulic patterns and habitat availability.
Article
Computer Science, Software Engineering
Sebastian Schwindt, Kenneth Larrieu, Gregory B. Pasternack, Geoff Rabone
Article
Geography, Physical
A. Securo, C. Del Gobbo, L. Rettig, S. Pillon, A. De Luca, D. Fontana, E. Benedetti Fasil, R. R. Colucci
Summary: Small glaciers in temperate mountain regions have experienced significant reduction and unprecedented melt rates in recent years. Some glaciers have transitioned from clean ice to debris-covered or even rock glaciers. This study examines the surface elevation change of the Popera Alto glacier in the Sesto Dolomites using LiDAR and Structure from Motion surveys, and analyzes its evolution in terms of surface cover and geomorphic processes. The glacier has lost an average of 0.35 m water equivalent per year over the past 16 years, with active modification of its surface cover by geomorphic processes. The role of debris and local topography feedback has allowed the resilience of the glacier, leading to a marked difference between the current environmental equilibrium line altitude (envELA) and the effective ELA (effELA) of the glacier.
Article
Geography, Physical
Zhenzhen Yan, Yaolin Shi, Lili Kang, Xiangtao Fan
Summary: This study proposes a quantitative regional deformation model based on global positioning system (GPS) data to quantitatively analyze the morphological evolution of rivers in the Three Rivers Region. It finds that tectonic deformation phases significantly control regional landscape development and drainage features.
Article
Geography, Physical
Said Mukhtar Ahmad, Nitheshnirmal Sadhasivam, Mona Lisa, Luigi Lombardo, Mustafa Kemal Emil, Amira Zaki, Cees J. Van Westen, Islam Fadel, Hakan Tanyas
Summary: In this study, we investigated a large slow-moving landslide in Northern Pakistan, using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) analysis. Our results showed that the crown of the landslide is moving faster than the surrounding regions, while the footslope experienced high deformations. We discussed the possible roles of meteorologic and anthropogenic factors in causing these deformations.
Article
Geography, Physical
Shuang Bian, Xibin Tan, Yiduo Liu, Suoya Fan, Junfeng Gong, Chao Zhou, Feng Shi, Michael A. Murphy
Summary: The Yarlung River's drainage divide is primarily moving north due to variations in precipitation across the Himalayas. The Gangdese drainage divide shows predominantly northward and southward migration, controlled by base-level rise and downstream influences. The presence of north-trending rifts separates the drainage divides into five zones, each with a distinct migration pattern.
Article
Geography, Physical
Joon-Young Park, Seok Yoon, Deuk-Hwan Lee, Seung-Rae Lee, Hwan-Hui Lim
Summary: This study developed a multiple-regression model to estimate site-specific average growth rates of debris flow events. The proposed model was validated through a case study and showed reasonable predictions of debris flow velocities and heights.
Article
Geography, Physical
Nicholas Reilly Mccarroll, Arnaud Temme
Summary: New geochronological data from hillslope boulder armor in the Flint Hills reveal the rates and timing of lateral retreat in the landscape. Surfaces of limestone boulders dating back to the Pleistocene era were found, and the ages of the hillslope armor increased with distance from the limestone bench. The estimated rate of lateral retreat in this landscape is 0.02 mm/yr.
Article
Geography, Physical
Xinbo Yao, Yuntao Tian
Summary: By studying the Longmenshan-Minshan drainage divide, we found that it has reached a dynamic steady state, indicating a balance between erosion and rock uplift. This study also reveals the process of formation and evolution of the divide and raises questions about the effectiveness of divide migration metrics.
Article
Geography, Physical
Junhui Yu, Pin Yan, Yanlin Wang, Guangjian Zhong, Changliang Chen
Summary: The seafloor mounds in the Chaoshan Depression of the South China Sea are identified as mud volcanoes, with fluids coming from underlying mud-fluid diapirs. The hydrocarbon gases feeding the mud volcanoes and diapirs are reasoned to originate from deep Mesozoic source rocks, indicating significant Mesozoic hydrocarbon potential in the Chaoshan Depression.
Article
Geography, Physical
Marius Huber, Luc Scholtes, Jerome Lave
Summary: This paper investigates the relationships between hillslope stability and fabric anisotropy of brittle rock materials and the implications for landscape shaping. It explores the different stability modes and movement characteristics of anisotropic materials, and demonstrates the significant control of material anisotropy on landscape shaping.
Article
Geography, Physical
Shubhra Sharma, Anil D. Shukla
Summary: The study investigates the relationship between glacial dynamics and lake sedimentation during the mid-Holocene climate variability in the Southern Zanskar ranges. It utilizes geomorphological disposition, elemental geochemistry, and optical chronology of relict lake sediment to reconstruct the pattern of minor glacier responses to climate variability. The results indicate six centennial to millennial-scale climatic phases, with warmer phases represented by decreased mineralogical fine grain flux and increased coarse grain flux. The study highlights the potential of relict lake sediment and para/peri-glacial landforms in understanding glacial dynamics and climate change during the Holocene.
Article
Geography, Physical
Jean-Francois Bernier, Sydney W. Meury, Patrick Lajeunesse
Summary: In this study, an approach combining various data and observation methods was proposed to improve the monitoring of landfast ice dynamics and its geomorphic impact on sedimentary systems. The results demonstrate the ability of the approach to accurately measure interannual variations in landfast ice and constrain geomorphic changes. Additionally, the study found a strong relationship between the severity of freezing seasons and the response of landfast ice to hydrometeorological events, with different geomorphic responses observed under different winter conditions.
Article
Geography, Physical
Heping Shu, Fanyu Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between susceptibility of soil-water hazards and human activities, geoheritage sites in the Loess Plateau, China. Landslide and gully erosion susceptibility were obtained using gradient boosting and support vector machines, and a hazard matrix was formed to couple landslide and gully erosion susceptibility. The study found different trends in the magnification times of soil-water hazards chain under different scenarios.
Article
Geography, Physical
Guangqiang Qian, Zhuanling Yang, Xuegang Xing, Zhibao Dong, Youyuan Guo
Summary: Granule ripples are aeolian landforms armored against erosion by coarse grains. This study investigates their seasonal morphological evolution and migration in the Sanlongsha Dune Field. The findings show that wind events, especially those exceeding the threshold velocities of coarse grains, significantly influence the morphodynamics of granule ripples. The study highlights the importance of considering the reptation and saltation of coarse grains in future research on granule ripples.