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INTRODUCTION
1.1 Definition and Concept
2. Location
To study the geological structures we choose Malekhu of Nepal as the right
place. It lies in the Dhading district of Nepal.
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To Measurement of the attitude of planar feature like joint, bedding,
foliation etc.
4. Methodology
We went to the site and observe the geological structures and recognize the
structure and its composition with along its formation. Although the
methodology used for the projects differs from one to the other, all these
projects have three basic similarities. First, they all require an evaluation of
the site geology, i.e. rock types, extent of each rock unit, extent and type of
weathering, etc. This is usually done by conducting detailed site exploration
and investigation using surface mapping, boreholes, trenches, or geophysical
survey. Site exploration and investigation is usually conducted in several steps
(preliminary, advanced, etc.). Second, all the aforementioned projects require
an assessment of the engineering properties (strength, deformability,
permeability, etc.) of the soils and rocks involved in the projects. This is done
by testing rock or soil samples in the laboratory and by field testing. Finally,
engineers need to take into account possible geologic hazards and their impact
on existing and future structures. In general, geological hazards can be divided
into hazards from geological materials (reactive minerals, asbestos, gas
hazards), and hazards from geological processes (volcanoes, earthquakes,
landslides and avalanches, subsidence, floods, coastal erosion).
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5.1 Igneous Rock:
Form from hot, molten (liquid) rock material that originated deep within
Earth. Only igneous rocks have this origin. Hot, liquid rock is called magma.
(At Earth’s surface magma is known as lava.) We have learned that Earth’s
temperature increases as we go deeper within the planet. In some places
within Earth, it is hot enough to melt rock. When this molten rock rises to or
near Earth’s surface where it is cooler, the liquid rock material changes to
solid rock. Igneous rocks are especially common around volcanoes and in
places where large bodies of rock that have melted and then solidified
underground have been pushed to the surface. So the rock formed by the
cooling and crystallization of magma is known as igneous rock and the
process is known as magmatism.
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5.2 Sedimentary Rock:
Within Earth’s crust, igneous rock is the most common rock type. However,
most of the surface of our planet is covered with a relatively thin layer of
sedimentary rocks. Unlike igneous rocks, it is difficult to give a precise
definition of sedimentary rocks. Most sedimentary rocks are made of the
weathered remains of other rocks that have been eroded and later deposited as
sediment in layers. Over time, the sediments are compressed by the weight of
the layers above them. In addition, the layers may be cemented by mineral
material left by water circulating through the sediments. The cementing
material is usually silica (fine-grained quartz), clay, or calcite. All sedimentary
rocks are formed at or near Earth’s surface. Although this description applies
only to the classic, or fragmental, group of sedimentary rocks, these are the
most common rocks of sedimentary origin. Fossils are any remains or
impressions of prehistoric life. If fossils are present in a rock, the rock is almost
certainly a sedimentary rock. The processes that create igneous and
metamorphic rocks usually destroy any fossil remains.
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5.3 Metamorphic Rock
The three major classes of metamorphic rock are based upon the formation
mechanism. An intrusion of magma that heats the surrounding rock causes
contact metamorphism—a temperature-dominated transformation. Pressure
metamorphism occurs when sediments are buried deep under the ground;
pressure is dominant and temperature plays a smaller role. This is termed
burial metamorphism, and it can result in rocks such as jade.. Where both heat
and pressure play a role, the mechanism is termed regional metamorphism.
This is typically found in mountain-building regions.
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5.4 Description of Rocks Identified in the field.
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Left Bank of Malekhu Khola about 1 km upstream
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Right Bank of Malekhu Khola about 1 km downstream
6. Geological structures
Structure geology deals with the mechanism and types of deformation of rock
or earth’s crust due to the distribution of stress generated through various
geological processes such as earthquake, volcano etc.
Beds refers to the layers of sedimentary rock that possess almost planar top
and bottom surfaces and beddings are the planar top and bottom surface of
the beds. These are the plane of weakness.
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If thickness of beds is >100cm very thick beeded
30-100 cm thick
10-30 cm medium
1-10cm thin
<1 lamination
(1) Primary structures: those which develop at the time of formation of the rocks
(e.g. sedimentary structures, some volcanic structures, etc.).
(2) Secondary structures: which are those that develop in rocks after their
formation as a result of their subjection to external forces.
Stress: is the force applied over a given area of the rock mass. It is of three
different kinds:
(3) Shear stress, which results from parallel forces that act on different
parts of the rock body in opposite directions.
Strain: Is the change in the shape or size of a rock in response to stress. A rock
is said to deform elastically if it can return to its original size once the stress is
removed. Plastic deformation on the other hand, results in permanent changes in
the size and shape of the rock, even after the stress is removed. Plastic
deformation of a rock is also known as ductile deformation. After deforming
plastically for some time, a rock which continues to be subjected to stress may
finally break, a behavior known as brittle deformation.
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6.3 Factors affecting how a rock deforms:
6.3.2 Time
6.3.3 Composition
6.3.4 Fluids
Strike: (direction)
Folds, which are a form of ductile deformation, and (b) fractures, represented by
faults and joints which generally result from the brittle behavior of rocks in
response to stress.
I- Folds
Folds are bends or flexures in the earth's crust, and can therefore be identified by
a change in the amount and/or direction of dip of rock units. Most folds result
from the ductile deformation of rocks when subjected to compressional or shear
stress. In order to understand and classify folds, we must study their forms and
shapes, and be able to describe them. The following definitions are therefore
essential for the description of a fold:
Hinge line: Is the line of maximum curvature on a folded surface. The hinge line
almost always coincides with the axis of the fold defined as a line lying in the
plane that bisects a fold into two equal parts.
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The axial plane: is an imaginary plane dividing the fold into two equal parts
known as limbs. It is therefore the plane which includes all hinge lines for
different beds affected by the same fold.
The crest: of a fold can be considered the highest point on a folded surface.
The interlimb angle: Is the angle between two limbs of the same fold. It is
measured in a plane perpendicular to that of the fold axis.
The angle of plunge: of a fold is the angle between the fold axis and the
horizontal plane, measured in a vertical plane. The direction of plunge of a fold
is the direction in which the fold axis dips into the ground from the horizontal
plane.
The median surface: Is the surface that passes through points where the fold
limb changes its curvature from concave to convex.
The amplitude: of a fold: is the vertical distance between the median surface and
the fold hinge, both taken on the same surface of the same folded unit.
The wavelength: of a fold system is the distance between two consecutive crests
or troughs taken on the same folded surface.
A. Classification of folds
Folds may be classified based on the direction of dip of their limbs, the inclination
of their axial planes, the value of their interlimb angle, their plunge, and their
general shape and effects on the thickness of the folded layers. In order to describe
a fold correctly, one may have to use more that one of these classifications; e.g.
recumbent anticline, open syncline, tight plunging anticline.... etc.
When both limbs of a fold dip away from the fold axis, the fold is called an
antifoam. If both limbs dip towards the fold axis, the fold is known as a synform.
If the relative ages of the folded units are known, such that the oldest units occur
in the core of the antifoam, the antifoam is called "anticline". Similarly, if the
youngest units occur in the "center" of a synformal structure, it is known as a
syncline.
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A monocline is a single step-like bend in a rock unit, and is often caused by
vertical displacement. A dome consists of uparched rocks that dip in all directions
away from the central point. A basin is a downward in which the layers dip in all
directions from all sides towards the center. A fold is described as isoclinal if
both limbs dip in the same direction at the same angle.
A symmetrical (or upright) fold is one in which the axial plane bisects the fold
(and is vertical). If the axial plane is inclined at an angle < 45° (measured from
the vertical plane), the fold is said to be inclined. If the angle of inclination of the
axial plane is > 45° (from the vertical plane), then both limbs of the fold will dip
in the same direction, and the fold is known as inverted or overturned. If the
axial plane is horizontal, the fold is known as recumbent.
II- Faults
A fault is a fracture in the earth's rock units along which there has been an
observable amount of movement and displacement. Unlike folds which form
predominantly by compressional stress, faults result from either tension,
compression or shear. In order to correctly describe a fault, it is essential to
understand its components:
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3. The downthrown and upthrown blocks: The downthrown block is the one
that has moved downwards relative to the other block, whereas the upthrown
block is that which registers an upward relative movement.
4. The Dip of the fault plane is the angle of inclination of the fault plane
measured from the horizontal plane perpendicular to its strike.
5. Fault Throw: Is the vertical displacement of a fault.
6. Dip slip: Is the amount of displacement measured on the fault plane in the
direction of its dip.
7. Strike slip: Is the amount of displacement measured on the fault plane in the
direction of its strike.
8. Net slip: Is the total amount of displacement measured on the fault plane in
the direction of movement.
B. Types of Faults
- Normal fault: Is a fault in which the hanging wall appears to have moved
downwards relative to the footwall (i.e. downthrown block = hanging wall
block).
- Reverse fault: Is a fault in which the hanging wall appears to have moved
upwards relative to the footwall (i.e. upthrown block = hanging wall
block). Because the displacement in both normal and reverse faults occurs
along the dip of the fault plane, they may be considered types of dip slip
faults.
- Thrust fault (or thrust): Is a reverse fault in which the fault plane is dipping
at low angles (< 45°). Thrusts are very common in mountain chains (fold
and thrust belts) where they are characterized by transporting older rocks
on top of younger ones over long distances.
From this classification of faults, it can be seen that normal faults result
predominantly from tensional stress, reverse faults and thrusts from
compression (or shear), and strike slip faults from tension, compression or
shear.
Faults often occur in groups. If two normal faults have parallel strikes and
share the same downthrown block, a trough-like structure results which is
known as a graben. A horst is an uplifted block bounded by two normal
faults that strike parallel to each other (and which share the same upthrown
block the horst). Grabens and horsts are common in areas of very early
rifting (e.g. the East African Rift Valley). Step faults are several faults with
parallel strikes and a repeated downthrow in the same direction giving the
area an overall step - like appearance. They are common in rifted areas (e.g.
on the flanks of the Red sea).
Fault planes often result in the exposure of units that erode easily along the
fault trace resulting in the development of valleys or the control of stream
flow. In other cases, faults cause the offset of streams, causing them to bend
sharply when they intersect the fault plane. The topography may also be
strongly influenced by faulting so that the fault plane can be identified on
the ground by a sudden and sharp change in elevation, known as a fault
scarp.
- Fault drag: where small - scale folding or warping of units takes place
as a result of the dragging forces along the fault plane.
- Fault breccia and fault gouge: As a result of movement along the fault
plane, rocks are often broken up into sharp angular pieces known as
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breccia. The fragments may be further crushed into powder - like
material, known as fault gouge.
- Slickensides: As a result of movement and friction along the fault
plane, this plane may become highly polished or abraded with striations
that are known as slickensides.
III- Joints
A. Types of joints
- Columnar joints: Are joints that form in basalts. When the basaltic lava
cools, it contracts giving rise to hexagonal shaped columns.
- Mud cracks: Are joints that form in mud. As the mud loses its water,
it contracts and cracks.
- Secondary joints: Are joints that form in rocks as a result of their
subjection to any form of stress (compression, tension or shear). Joints
that are oriented in one direction approximately parallel to one another
make up a joint set. Rocks often have more than one set of joints with
different orientations, which may intersect, and are then known as joint
systems (Fig. 9). Note that tensional stress usually results in one set of
joints, whereas compression may form more than one set.
- Sheet joints: Are joints that form in granitic rocks in deserts causing
them to break into thin parallel sheets. These joints form when the rocks
expand as a result of the rapid removal of the overlying rock cover,
possibly due to faulting or quarrying. This process is called exfoliation.
A. Unconformities
An unconformity is a surface (or contact) along which there was no
fracturing (i.e. not a fault or joint) and which represents a break in the
geologic record. An unconformity therefore indicates a lack of continuity
of sedimentary deposition in an area, resulting in rocks of widely different
ages occurring in contact with each other. Unconformities usually result
from changes in the sedimentary history of an area, which may be due to
vertical movements (e.g. uplift followed by erosion and deposition),
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deformation (also followed by deposition), changes in sea level (which
may be due to climatic changes, among other things), ...etc.
In many cases, unconformities represent a buried erosional surface. In such
cases, erosion of the older units results in their fragmentation into smaller
pieces. As soon as deposition resumes, these fragments may consolidate to
form a rock known as breccia (if the fragments are angular) or
conglomerate (if the fragments are rounded). Because the breccia or
conglomerate occur at the base of the younger units lying on top of the
unconformity surface, and because their fragments are derived from the
units below this surface, the conglomerates or breccias are known as basal
conglomerates or basal breccias.
B. Types of unconformities
- Angular unconformities: are those in which the angle of dip of the
younger layers is different from that of the older ones.
- Disconformities: are those in which the units above and below the
unconformity surface are parallel to each other, but not continuous in
deposition or age.
- Nonconformities: are those in which plutonic or metamorphic rocks
are covered by sedimentary or volcanic units.
Fig :-Unconformility
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7. Geological compass
Geological compass is defined as the combination of the compass and the
inclinometer. The compass gives the direction whereas the inclinometer gives
the Inclination of the plane to the horizontal.
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7.2 Brunton Compass
A Brunton compass, properly known as the Brunton Pocket Transit, is a type
of precision compass made by Brunton, Inc. of Riverton, Wyoming. The
instrument was patented in 1894 by a Canadian-born Colorado geologist
named David W. Brunton. Unlike most modern compasses, the Brunton
Pocket Transit utilizes magnetic induction damping rather than fluid to damp
needle oscillation. Although Brunton Inc. makes many other types of magnetic
compasses, the Brunton Pocket Transit is a specialized instrument used widely
by those needing to make accurate degree and angle measurements in the field.
These people are primarily geologists, but archaeologists, environmental
engineers, and surveyors also make use of the Brunton's capabilities. The
United States Army has adopted the Pocket Transit as the M2 Compass for use
by crew-served artillery.
The Pocket Transit may be adjusted for declination angle according to one's
location on the Earth. It is used to get directional degree measurements
(azimuth) through use of the Earth's magnetic field. Holding the compass at
waist-height, the user looks down into the mirror and lines up the target,
needle, and guide line that is on the mirror. Once all three are lined up and the
compass is level, the reading for that azimuth can be made. Arguably the most
frequent use for the Brunton in the field is the calculation of the strike and dip
of geological features (faults, contacts, foliation, sedimentary strata, etc.). If
next to the feature, the strike is measured by leveling (with the bull's eye level)
the compass along the plane being measured. Dip is taken by laying the side
of the compass perpendicular to the strike measurement and rotating horizontal
level until the bubble is stable and the reading has been made. If properly used
and if field conditions allow, additional features of the compass allow users to
measure such geological attributes from a distance.
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7.3 Clark Compass
Planes.
8.3 Attitude:
Orientation of the planar feature of the rock is called attitude. It Includes strike
and dip.
b) Dip:-
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Figure: Strike and Dip
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9. Geological works of physical agents
9.1 Erosion
There are several different ways that a river erodes its bed and banks. The
first is hydraulic action, where the force of the water removes rock
particles from the bed and banks. This type of erosion is strongest at rapids
and waterfalls where the water has a high velocity. The next type of erosion
is corrasion1. This is where the river’s load acts almost like sandpaper,
removing pieces of rock as the load rubs against the bed & banks. This sort
of erosion is strongest when the river is transporting large chunks of rock
or after heavy rainfall when the river’s flow is turbulent.
9.2 Transportation
When a river erodes the eroded material becomes the river’s load and the
river will then transport this load through its course until it deposits the load.
There are a few different ways that a river will transport load depending on
how much energy the river has and how big the load is.
Fine particles like clay and silt are transported in suspension, they are
suspended in the water. Most of a river’s load is transported by suspension.
9.3 Deposition
To transport load a river needs to have energy so when a river loses energy it
is forced to deposit its load. There’s several reasons why a river could lose
energy. If the river’s discharge is reduced then the river will lose energy
because it isn’t flowing as quickly anymore. This could happen because of a
lack of precipitation or an increase in evaporation. Increased human use
(abstraction) of a river could also reduce its discharge forcing it deposit its
load.
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If the gradient of the river’s course flattens out, the river will deposit its load
because it will be travelling a lot slower. When a river meets the sea a river
will deposit its load because the gradient is generally reduced at sea level and
the sea will absorb a lot of energy.
A Hjulström curve is a special type of graph that shows how a river’s velocity
affects it competence and its ability to erode particles of different sizes.
There’s a lot going on the graph but it’s fairly easy to read once you get the
hang of it:
There’s two curves on the Hjulström Curve, a critical erosion velocity curve
and a mean settling velocity curve. The critical erosion curve shows the
minimum velocity needed to transport and erode a particle. The mean settling
velocity shows the minimum speed that particles of different sizes will be
deposited by the river. The shaded areas between the curves show the
different process that will be taking place for particles that lie in those shaded
areas.
As an example, a river flowing at 10cms-1 will transport clay, silt and sand
particles but will deposit gravel, pebble and boulder particles. Conversely, a
river flowing at 100cms-1 will erode and transport large clay particles, silt
particles, sand particles and most gravel particles. It will transport all but the
largest of pebbles and will deposit boulders.
The easiest way to read the curve is to draw a horizontal line from the velocity
you’re trying to read and seeing which shaded area it crosses the particle size
you’re interested in. This will tell us whether that particle is eroded,
transported or deposited at that velocity.
There’s a few interesting things to note about the Hjusltröm Curve. The first
is that clay sized particles don’t appear to have a mean settling velocity. This
is because these particles are so fine that a river would have to be almost
perfectly stationary in order for them to fall out of solution. In addition, the
small particles seem to have an erosive velocity that’s the same as the velocity
for larger particles. This is because smaller particles are cohesive, they stick
together, making them harder to dislodge and erode without high velocities.
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Figure: The Hjulström Curve
B. By wind
Wind erosion occurs in three ways, they are:
a) Deflation
b) Abrasion
c) Attrition
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C. By Glaciers
a) Plucking
b) Abrasion
1. Pothole
2. Waterfall
It is a place where water flows over a vertical drop in the course of a stream
or river. Waterfalls also occur where melt water drops over the edge of a
tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the
channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant
bedrock, erosion happens slowly, while downstream the erosion occurs more
rapidly. As the watercourse increases its velocity at the edge of the waterfall,
it plucks material from the riverbed. Whirlpools created in the turbulence as
well as sand and stones carried by the watercourse increase the erosion
capacity. This causes the waterfall to carve deeper into the bed and to recede
upstream. Often over time, the waterfall will recede back to form a canyon or
gorge downstream as it recedes upstream, and it will carve deeper into the
ridge above it.[The rate of retreat for a waterfall can be as high as one and
half meters per year.
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Fig: Formation of waterfalls
3. River Valley
4. Floodplain
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5. Terrace
6. Oxbow lake
It is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main
stem of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. This
landform is so named for its distinctive curved shape, resembling the bow
pin of an oxbow. In Australia, an oxbow lake is known as a billabong, from
the indigenous language Wiradjuri.
The word "oxbow" can also refer to a U-shaped bend in a river or stream,
whether or not it is cut off from the main stream.
7. River delta
It is a landform that forms at the mouth of a river, where the river flows
into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, or reservoir. Deltas form from deposition
of sediment carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth. Over long
periods, this deposition builds the characteristic geographic pattern of a
river delta.
8. Point bar
Point bars are composed of sediment that is well sorted and typically
reflects the overall capacity of the stream. They also have a very gentle
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slope and an elevation very close to water level. Since they are low-lying,
they are often overtaken by floods and can accumulate driftwood and other
debris during times of high water levels. Due to their near flat topography
and the fact that the water speed is slow in the shallows of the point bar
they are popular rest stops for boaters and rafters. However, camping on a
point bar can be dangerous as a flash flood that raises the stream level by
as little as a few inches (centimetres) can overwhelm a campsite in
moments.
Point bars are formed as the secondary flow of the stream sweeps and rolls
sand, gravel and small stones laterally across the floor of the stream and up
the shallow sloping floor of the point bar.
9. Braid Bars
They are landforms in a river that begin to form when the discharge is low
and the river is forced to take the route of less resistance by means of
flowing in locations of lowest elevation. Over time, the river begins to
erode the outer edges of the bar, causing it to become a higher elevation
than the surrounding areas. The water level decreases even more as the
river laterally erodes the less cohesive bank material resulting in a widening
of the river and a further exposure of the braid bar. As the discharge
increases, material may deposit about the braid bar since it is an area in the
river of low velocity due to its increased elevation in relation to
surrounding areas. During times of extremely high flow, the bars may
become covered; only to resurface when the flow decreases. Most braid
bars do not remain stable or in one location. However, vegetation
succession on braid bars can increase the stability of the landform. They
are commonly composed of sand or gravel and typically occur in braided
rivers.
10. Moraine
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may have fallen off the valley walls as a result of frost wedging or
landslide. Moraines may be composed of debris ranging in size from silt-
sized glacial flour to large boulders. The debris is typically sub-angular to
round in shape. Moraines may be on the glacier’s surface or deposited as
piles or sheets of debris where the glacier has melted. Moraines may also
occur when glacier- or iceberg-transported rocks fall into a body of water
as the ice melts.
a. Drumlin,
From the Irish word droimnín ("little ridge"), first recorded in 1833, is an
elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed
by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.
11.Kame
12. Esker
13. Kettle
14.Dune
Some coastal areas have one or more sets of dunes running parallel to the
shoreline directly inland from the beach. In most cases the dunes are
important in protecting the land against potential ravages by storm waves
from the sea. Although the most widely distributed dunes are those
associated with coastal regions, the largest complexes of dunes are found
inland in dry regions and associated with ancient lake or sea beds.
Dunes also form under the action of water flow (fluvial processes), and on
sand or gravel beds of rivers, estuaries and the sea-bed.
15.Loess
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10.1.2 How meanders grow
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10.3 Braided River Channel
Is one of a number of channel types and has a channel that consists of a
network of small channels separated by small and often
temporary islands called braid bars or, in British usage, aits or eyots.
Braided streams occur in rivers with high slope and/or
large sediment load.[1]Braided channels are also typical of environments
that dramatically decrease channel depth, and consequently channel
velocity, such as river deltas,alluvial fans and peneplains. Alluvial
fans and peneplains.
Braided rivers, as distinct from meandering rivers, occur when a threshold
level of sediment load or slope is reached. Geologically speaking, an
increase in sediment load will over time increase the slope of the river, so
these two conditions can be considered synonymous; and, consequently, a
variation of slope can model a variation in sediment load. A threshold slope
was experimentally determined to be 0.016 (ft/ft) for a 0.15 cu ft/s
(0.0042 m3/s) stream with poorly sorted coarse sand.[1] Any slope over this
threshold created a braided stream, while any slope under the threshold
created a meandering stream or— for very low slopes—a straight channel.
So the main controlling factor on river development is the amount of
sediment that the river carries; once a given system crosses a threshold
value for sediment load, it will convert from a meandering system to a
braided system. Also important to channel development is the proportion
of suspended load sediment to bed load. An increase in suspended sediment
allowed for the deposition of fineerosion-resistant material on the inside of
a curve, which accentuated the curve and in some instances caused a river
to shift from a braided to ameandering profile The channels and braid bars
are usually highly mobile, with the river layout often changing significantly
during flood events. Channels move sideways via differential velocity: On
the outside of a curve, deeper, swift water picks up sediment
(usually gravel or larger stones), which is re-deposited in slow-moving
water on the inside of a bend.
The report has been prepared with including the important topics and is prepared
with sketches on site observation and their description also. From the field ,we
are able to study and identify about the rocks ,minerals and the various types of
geological structures like bedding, graded bedding ,joint, fault, thrust ,fold and
unconformity. As we also able to use the geological compass during the
investigation of rock structures. By using this also we had measured the attitude
of planner features like joint, bedding and foliation. We studied the river channel
morphology, how they forms and various types of river channel like straight,
meandering and Braded River. We also understand the features developed by this
types of river.
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