Theory and application of nonlinear river dynamics

Abstract

A theoretical model for river evolution including riverbed formation and meandering pattern formation is presented in this paper. Based on nonlinear mathematic theory, the nonlinear river dynamic theory is set up for river dynamic process. Its core content includes the stability and tropism characteristics of flow motion in river and river selves' evolution. The stability of river dynamic process depends on the response of river selves to the external disturbance, if the disturbance and the resulting response will eventually attenuate, and the river dynamics process can be restored to new equilibrium state, the river dynamic process is known as stable; otherwise, the river dynamic process is unstable. The river dynamic process tropism refers to that the evolution tendency of river morphology after the disturbance. As an application of this theory, the dynamical stability of the constant curvature river bend is calculated for its coherent vortex disturbance and response. In addition, this paper discusses the nonlinear evolution of the river peristaltic process under a large-scale disturbance, showing the nonlinear tendency of river dynamic processes, such as river filtering and butterfly effect.