TY - JOUR
T1 - Mediated equilibrium
T2 - The influence of riparian vegetation and wood on the long-term evolution and behaviour of a near-pristine river
AU - Brooks, Andrew P.
AU - Brierley, Gary J.
PY - 2002/4
Y1 - 2002/4
N2 - Analysis of the contemporary geomorphology, vegetation and in-channel wood within the relatively pristine Thurra River in southeastern Australia provides insight into river behaviour prior to European disturbance. This sand-bed river has an extremely low channel capacity with a pronounced pool-riffle morphology. Lateral migration rates are low (11-24 mm a-1), as are floodplain aggradation rates (average = 0.27 mm a-1). Sedimentological evidence is used to place contemporary channel dynamics within a 16 ka evolutionary framework. The floodplain has continuously aggraded over this interval, despite a number of avulsions and numerous meander cutoffs. Avulsions occur on a timeframe of once in 5 ka or more, while cutoffs occur around once in 1 ka. The morphology and evolution of the Thurra River are appraised in terms of a mediated equilibrium condition, in which channel capacity, hydraulics, bedload transport rates, bank erosion rates and in-channel deposition are substantially influenced by vegetation and wood within the channel and on the floodplain.
AB - Analysis of the contemporary geomorphology, vegetation and in-channel wood within the relatively pristine Thurra River in southeastern Australia provides insight into river behaviour prior to European disturbance. This sand-bed river has an extremely low channel capacity with a pronounced pool-riffle morphology. Lateral migration rates are low (11-24 mm a-1), as are floodplain aggradation rates (average = 0.27 mm a-1). Sedimentological evidence is used to place contemporary channel dynamics within a 16 ka evolutionary framework. The floodplain has continuously aggraded over this interval, despite a number of avulsions and numerous meander cutoffs. Avulsions occur on a timeframe of once in 5 ka or more, while cutoffs occur around once in 1 ka. The morphology and evolution of the Thurra River are appraised in terms of a mediated equilibrium condition, in which channel capacity, hydraulics, bedload transport rates, bank erosion rates and in-channel deposition are substantially influenced by vegetation and wood within the channel and on the floodplain.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036539617&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/esp.332
DO - 10.1002/esp.332
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036539617
SN - 0197-9337
VL - 27
SP - 343
EP - 367
JO - Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
JF - Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
IS - 4
ER -