Articles | Volume 7, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-949-2019
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-949-2019
Research article
 | 
09 Oct 2019
Research article |  | 09 Oct 2019

Experiments on patterns of alluvial cover and bedrock erosion in a meandering channel

Roberto Fernández, Gary Parker, and Colin P. Stark

Data sets

Experiments on patterns of alluvial cover and bedrock erosion in a meandering channel R. Fernández, G. Parker, and C. P. Stark https://doi.org/10.13012/B2-3044828_V1

Model code and software

Experiments on patterns of alluvial cover and bedrock erosion in a meandering channel R. Fernández, G. Parker, and C. P. Stark https://doi.org/10.13012/B2-3044828_V1

Video supplement

Evolution of alluvial cover (19% mean cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40247

Evolution of alluvial cover (27% mean cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40246

Evolution of alluvial cover (38% mean cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40245

Evolution of alluvial cover (46% mean cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40244

Evolution of alluvial cover (54% mean cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40243

Evolution of alluvial cover (72% mean cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40242

Evolution of alluvial cover (79% mean cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40241

Erosion Front (19% cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40240

Erosion Front (27% cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40239

Erosion Front (38% cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40238

Erosion Front (46% cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40237

Erosion Front (72% cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40233

Erosion Front (79% cover) R. Fernández https://doi.org/10.5446/40232

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Short summary
This paper describes the case of a meandering bedrock river with loose sediment on the bed. In such rivers, the sediment hits and erodes the bed as it moves with the flow. We did experiments in a laboratory flume to identify the areas where the sediment moves and those where it deposits. We discovered that the size and location of those areas change with the amount of sediment in the channel and its curvature. The fluctuations of sediment cover over the bed drive the erosion potential.