A gradient or mosaic of patches? The textural character of inset-flood plain surfaces along a dryland river system

Author(s)
Southwell, Mark
Thoms, Martin
Publication Date
2006
Abstract
This paper investigated the textural character of surface sediments across a range of inset-flood plain surfaces on the Barwon Darling River, Australia. Surface sedi­ments ranged in size from clay to coarse sand (-1Φ - <4.75Φ) but varied in composition between different inset-flood plain surfaces. Multivariate entropy analysis detected five sediment classes based on the grain size distributions of individual samples. River channel sediments were present in two of the entropy classes, whereas the different inset-flood plain surfaces were present in four or more of the identified entropy classes. A number of factors may be influencing the spatial distribution of sediment texture across the inset-flood plain surfaces including: (1) decreasing energy gradients with increasing elevation from the channel; (2) variable sediment supply conditions during flow events; and (3) local sediment inputs. The resulting patterns found in the study area demonstrate there to be a mosaic of sediment texture patches rather than a simple gradient of changing sediment texture with increasing distance from the channel.
Citation
Sediment Dynamics and the Hydromorphology of Fluvial Systems, p. 487-495
ISBN
1901502686
Link
Publisher
IAHS Press
Series
IAHS Publication
Edition
1
Title
A gradient or mosaic of patches? The textural character of inset-flood plain surfaces along a dryland river system
Type of document
Book Chapter
Entity Type
Publication

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