Abstract
A detailed survey of the Fraser River in Canada challenges preconceptions about how river water flows. The results call for a re-evaluation of how waterways carve through bedrock to form canyons. See Letter p.534 Canyons carved into the bedrock in areas of actively uplifting terrain are important for our understanding of the link between tectonics, climate and topography. Fluid flow and sediment transport are processes associated with canyon bedrock incision in models, but to date there are no field observations of the flow structure in bedrock canyons that can be used to test the model components that represent fluid flow. This paper describes a survey along the Fraser Canyon in Canada that provides detailed measurements of flow in a narrow bedrock canyon. The data reveal a more complex flow structure than currently assumed in flow models, implying that a revision in our understanding of bedrock canyon incision is required.
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