RIVER MORPHOLOGY

Group 1: Cańa, Indaya, Mateo, Morata, Prangan

INTRODUCTION
-Mateo, Jullie Anne
RIVER MORPHOLOGY
• field of science dealing with changes of river
platform and cross-section shape due to
sedimentation and erosion processes. In this
field the dynamics of flow and sediment
transport are principal elements. Practically
all rivers are subject to morphological
processes.
 NORMAL RIVER BEHAVIOUR

• TRANSPORT OF SEDIMENT
• GRADED RIVERS
• CHANNEL CHARACTERISTICS
• DEGRADATION AND AGGRADATION
TRANSPORT OF SEDIMENT

-Caña, Elijah
TRANSPORT OF SEDIMENTS
• The transport of sediments plays an
important role in the reshaping of rivers and
the surrounding geological features. One
such example is the Grand Canyon in
Arizona, which was carved by the Colorado
River over the course of a million years, by
the constant transport of sediments down its
river path.
Grand Canyon in Arizona
 DISTINCTION BETWEEN BED LOAD AND
SUSPENDED LOAD
• The bed load is composed of relatively coarse
materials that roll and bounce over the river bed,
carried by the current of the river; while the
suspended load is composed of finer materials
that are kept in suspension by the turbulence of
the water.
• There is no sharp distinction between the
modes of sediment transport as it can work
both ways. Relatively large and coarse
materials can be kept suspended in the water
and take form as a suspended load, the same
way finer materials can be transported as bed
load.
SUB-DIVISIONS OF SUSPENDED LOAD
• SUSPENDED BED MATERIAL LOAD – includes
all particles that are also found in the river bed
material that varies depending on the river bed
• WASHED LOAD – includes all materials that are
smaller than the river bed material such as silt
and clay.
 EQUILIBRIUM
• During every phase of geomorphic activity, a
river will try to obtain some form of equilibrium in
which the slope is sufficient enough to carry the
sediment that is brought into the river system.
Nearly all the energy the river has is consumed
by internal friction (turbulence) and external
friction against the river bed but only a fraction of
the river energy goes into sediment transport.
• This is the case for drainage basins with
large amounts of sediment flows into a river
without the capacity to carry the load. Some
of the sediments will then be deposited into
the river bed, increasing its velocity to a point
where it reaches equilibrium between supply
and transport of sediments.
FACTORS THAT
AFFECT
EQUILIBRIUM
VARIABILITY OF DISCHARGE
FLUCTUATION OF TOTAL RUN-OFF
ACTUAL MODE OF
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT
 RELATIONSHIPS OF
DIFFERENT FACTORS IN
THE RIVER SEDIMENT
TRANSPORT SYSTEM
• Through a laboratory experiment performed
with an experimental flume, the following
observations were drawn:
 In the upper course of a river system, the
discharge Q is determined by hydrologic factors,
therefore an independent variable.
 The slope of the river S is determined by geological
factors, and is also an independent variable, same
with the nature of the sediment particles.
 The formation of the river channels, expressed as r
(ratio of the mean depth of the river to the width of
the river channel) and M (meander characteristics of
the river) is determined by the discharge, the slope
of the river, the effective diameter d of the sediment
particles and the flow of the sediments in the river T,
denoted as dependent variables.
 These relationships are rather complicated and requires
considerable amount of research for the time being,
given that they are approximations to allow the
determination of S, r, and M for a given discharge,
sediment flow and effective diameter of the sediment
particles.
 The hydraulic roughness of the river channel plays an
important role in truly defining the relationships of each
variable to one another. Such a simple relationship
between these variable may not exist as the hydraulic
roughness of each river channel varies with one another.
GRADED RIVERS

-Prangan, Kenneth
Graded River
• Davis defined graded river in 1902; it is
indicated that a river can be called mature
when it reached an equilibrium condition
between erosion and deposition.
• *Deposition is the process where material
being transported by a river is deposited. It
occurs when a river loses energy.
• *Abrasion is a process of erosion which
occurs when material being transported
wears away at a surface over time.
HOW TO DETERMINE THE WIDTH
OF A CURVED RIVER?
WHY DO RIVERS CURVE?
THIS IS AN OXBOW LAKE
Channel Characteristic
-Morata, Dave
Measurements
• Width
• Depth
• Velocity
• Discharge
• Flow resistance
• Slope
Bank Material
• Coarse sand – cohesive and relatively wide.
• Fine sand and silt – cohesive and relatively
narrow.
Slope Channel
• Steep slope – high velocity and will result to
wide channels
• The upper course of a river has a steep
gradient and carries coarse sediment,
whereas the lower course has a flat gradient
and carries fine sediment.
Meander pattern
• meander is one of a series of regular
sinuous curves, bends, loops, turns, or
windings in the channel of a river, stream, or
other watercourse.
• Changing relationship between 3 closely
related variable:
The flow and the hydraulic properties of
channel
The amount of sand moving along the bed
The rate of bank erosion
Nature of the movement of
water and sediment
• Wash load – travel with the same velocity as
the flow and are not deposit in the stream
channels (fine sediment particle).
• Bed material load – at times deposited in the
stream channels and at other times, picked
up again and carried along as bed load or as
suspended load.
Dominant discharge
• At this discharge, equilibrium is most closely
approached and the tendency to change is
least.
• This condition may be regarded as the
integrated effect of all varying condition over
of long period of time.
Note: dominant discharge is often helpful in discussing river behavior, but
that it is advisable to question constantly the adaptability of the simulated
presentation to the actual case.
DEGRADATION AND
AGGRADATION
-Indaya, Joshua
Aggradation
• It is the term used in geology for the increase in land
elevation, typically in a river system, due to the
deposition of sediment.
• It occurs in areas in which the supply of sediment is
greater than the amount of material that the system
is able to transport.
• is the accumulation of sediment in river channel
which causes raising of stream-bed height.
• It happens when the rate of sedimentation is greater
than the rate of sediment transportation
 Some Causes of Aggradation
• Changes in Climate (drier conditons cause river
flow to decrease resulting to accumulation of
greater quantities of sediment)
• geologic activity (e.g., volcanic eruption,
earthquakes, and faulting) (volcanic eruptiona
may lead to rivers carrying more sediment than
the flow can transport)
• Landslide, debris flow and river bank failure
DEGRADATION
• It is the process responsible for the lowering
of river bed over a period of time.
• Happens when the rate of sedimentation is
lower than the rate of sediment
transportation
Causes of Degradation
• Increase in water discharge
• decrease in size of bed material (bed
material disintegration or erosion)
• decrease in sediment discharge
Classification of Sedimentary
Deposits (according to
geologists)
1. Bottom-set bed (fine suspended sediment)
2. Foreset bed (coarse suspended sediment)
3. Topset bed (bed material or the vicinity of
the lake or river)
Conclusions:
• Aggradation and Degradation of channel
depends on the river discharge that has
used to transport the bed material
• Type of bed material whether it is of silt,
sand, gravel or boulders also affects on
these processes.
Real Situation examples
• River Sand Mining
• Mt. Pinatubo Eruption
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING