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Fluvial Geomorphology studies the biophysical processes acting in rivers, and the sediment patterns and landforms resulting from them. It is a discipline of synthesis, with roots in geology, geography, and river engineering, and with strong interactions with allied fields such as ecology, engineering and landscape architecture. Tools in Fluvial Geomorphology comprehensively reviews tools used in fluvial geomorphology, at a level suitable to guide the selection of research methods for a given question. Presenting an integrated approach to the interdisciplinary nature of the subject, it provides guidance for researchers and professionals on the tools available to answer questions on river restoration and management.
Thoroughly updated since the first edition in 2003 by experts in their subfields, Tools in Fluvial Geomorphology presents state-of-the-art tools that have revolutionized fluvial geomorphology in recent decades, such as physical and numerical modelling, remote sensing and GIS, new field techniques, advances in dating, tracking and sourcing, statistical approaches as well as more traditional methods such as the systems framework, stratigraphic analysis, form and flow characterisation and historical analysis.
Tools in Fluvial Geomorphology:
- Covers five main types of geomorphological questions and their associated tools: historical framework; spatial framework; chemical, physical and biological methods; analysis of processes and forms; and future understanding framework.
- Provides guidance on advantages and limitations of different tools for different applications, data sources, equipment and supplies needed, and case studies illustrating their application in an integrated perspective.
It is an essential resource for researchers and professional geomorphologists, hydrologists, geologists, engineers, planners, and ecologists concerned with river management, conservation and restoration. It is a useful supplementary textbook for upper level undergraduate and graduate courses in Geography, Geology, Environmental Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and interdisciplinary courses in river management and restoration.
List of Contributors xi
Preface xv
Section I: Background
1 Tools in fluvial geomorphology: problem statement and recent practice 3
Section II: The Temporal Framework: Dating and Assessing Geomorphological Trends
2 Surficial geological tools in fluvial geomorphology 15
3 Archaeology and human artefacts 40
Section III: The Spatial Framework: Emphasizing Spatial Structure and Nested Character of Fluvial Forms
4 Using historical data in fluvial geomorphology 56
5 System approaches in fluvial geomorphology 79
6 Analysis of aerial photography and other remotely sensed data for fluvial geomorphology and river science 103
7 Geomorphic classification of rivers and streams 133
Section IV: Chemical, Physical and Biological Evidence: Dating, Emphasizing Spatial Structure and Fluvial Processes
8 Modelling catchment processes 159
9 Using environmental radionuclides, mineral magnetism and sediment geochemistry for tracing and dating fine fluvial sediments 183
Section V: Analysis of Processes and Forms: Water and Sediment Interactions
10 Vegetation as a tool in the interpretation of fluvial geomorphic processes and landforms 210
11 Channel form and adjustment: characterization, measurement, interpretation and analysis 237
12 Flow measurement and characterization 260
13 Measuring bed sediment 278
14 Coarse particle tracing in fluvial geomorphology 306
15 Sediment transport 324
Section VI: Discriminating, Simulating and Modelling Processes and Trends
16 Sediment budgets as an organizing framework in fluvial geomorphology 357
17 Models in fluvial geomorphology 383
18 Modelling flow, sediment transport and morphodynamics in rivers 412
19 Modelling fluvial morphodynamics 442
20 Experimental studies and practical challenges in fluvial geomorphology 456
Section VII: Conclusion: Applying the Tools
21 Statistics and fluvial geomorphology 476
22 Integrating geomorphological tools to address practical problems in river management and restoration 509
Acknowledgements 529
References 529
Index 533
Mathias (Matt) Kondolf, Professor of Environmental Planning, University of California Berkeley, USA Professor Kondolf is a fluvial geomorphologist specializing in environmental river management and restoration. At Berkeley he teaches courses in hydrology, river restoration, and environmental science. His research focuses on human-river interactions, with emphasis on managing of flood-prone lands, managing sediment in rivers and reservoirs, and river restoration, and he has published extensively on these topics. He has served as advisor to US and state agencies on river management and restoration, and provided expert testimony before the US Congress, the California Legislature, and the International Court of Justice and International Court of Arbitration in the Hague. Herve Piegay, Research Director at CNRS National Centre of Scientific Research, ENS of Lyon, France
Professor Hervé Piégay is involved in integrated sciences for rivers, and works closely with practitioners, providing knowledge for river management, planning and restoration and methodological frameworks and tools, especially using GIS and remote sensing. As scientific director of the Rhone Observatory of Human and Environment Interactions, he leads an interdisciplinary scientific team conducting research on the Rhone valley, to inform management of the river, its floodplain, and tributaries. He has contributed to more than 200 papers in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, and has coordinated several edited books.
