From Process to Centuries: Upscaling Field-Calibrated Models of Fluvial Bedrock Erosion
OPEN ACCESS
Loading...
Author / Producer
Date
2021-09-20
Publication Type
Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
Citations
Altmetric
OPEN ACCESS
Data
Abstract
Fluvial bedrock erosion formulas lack validation over space and time. We explore the performance of field-calibrated models at the patch-scale (<1m2) and from minutes to centuries. At the hour to annual scales (in 1-min resolution), we verify predictions using linked discharge, bedload transport and at-a-point erosion, together with spatial erosion from a mountain streambed. Local and spatial erosion linearly scale with bedload mass. The unit stream power model (USP) fails to describe erosion dynamics without a threshold for its onset. Extrapolating over the decadal scale (14 years of discharge and bedload data), scaled models predict up to 12% of erosion for two exceptional floods. Erosion predictions for a bi-centennial discharge varied over four orders of magnitude (extrapolated from 32.5 years discharge and 16 years bedload data at 10-min resolution). Bi-centennial erosion predictions summing up to 1 m for bedload models versus 0.1 m for USP highlight the likely dominance of large events in setting long-term erosion under sediment-starved conditions.
Permanent link
Publication status
published
External links
Editor
Book title
Journal / series
Volume
48 (18)
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
fluvial bedrock erosion; model scaling; field calibration