Spatial variability in bedload transport rates determined by river pattern

Quick, Laura A, Hoey, Trevor B, Williams, Richard David, Boothroyd, Richard J ORCID: 0000-0001-9742-4229, Tolentino, Pamela ML and David, Carlo PC (2025) Spatial variability in bedload transport rates determined by river pattern [Preprint]

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Abstract

Local spatial patterns in flow hydraulics generate temporal variations in bedload transport rates. The nature of this local spatial variability changes as larger spatial scales are considered. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that spatial variability in bedload transport is a function of river pattern defined at the reach scale. A high-resolution system-scale DEM, which fuses bathymetric and topographic surveys, is used for two-dimensional hydraulic modelling to predict distributions of flow depth, velocity and shear stress. From this modelling, we predict bedload transport rates in four contiguous reaches with different (meandering, wandering, braided, deltaic) river patterns. Spatial and frequency distributions of bedload transport rate reveal distinct signatures associated with each river pattern. The results enable the real-world variance in the continuum of river patterns and bedload transport to be characterised, with implications for assessing channel change from, for example, anthropogenic modification and restoration.

Item Type:	Preprint
Uncontrolled Keywords:	3707 Hydrology, 3709 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience, 37 Earth Sciences, 1.1 Normal biological development and functioning
Divisions:	Faculty of Science & Engineering Faculty of Science & Engineering > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	07 Jul 2025 09:25
Last Modified:	23 May 2026 10:22
DOI:	10.5194/egusphere-2025-2722
Open Access URL:	https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/eg...
Related Websites:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3193576
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