Bedrock Channels Research Articles

Volcanically induced glacier collapses in southern Jan Mayen (Sør‐Jan), Norway

Jan Mayen is a small volcanic island situated in the Norwegian–Greenland Sea. The entire island was covered by a contiguous ice cap during the Last Glacial Maximum. The deglaciation of the ice cap was interrupted by a glacier advance in the southern part of the island in the Early Holocene. Today, there are no glaciers in this area, and until now it has been unknown whether any glaciers survived there into the Middle–Late Holocene. We show here that glaciers existed at several sites in the mountain areas of southern Jan Mayen. The investigations were triggered by the discovery of a relict glacier completely covered by tephra and impacted by a lava flow. Samples of ice from the glacier have 18O values that are isotopically indistinguishable from modern precipitation values and fall along the local meteoric water line trend. The lava flow in the glacier catchment and sculpted forms along the base of dry meltwater channels in bedrock show that glacier melting was abrupt and marked by sudden meltwater outbursts (jökulhlaups). Three more sites in southern Jan Mayen have meltwater channels with sculpted beds, gorges and/or sediments associated with lava flows and can be attributed to jökulhlaups caused by rapidly melting glaciers. Radiocarbon dates associated with glacial outwash sediments, cosmogenic dates of meltwater channel incisions, and cosmogenic and K‐Ar dates of lava flows associated with former periods of rapid glacier melting show that the four glaciers collapsed at different times in the Holocene. None of the glaciers reformed after their collapses despite subsequent cooling event(s). Likely, the glaciers were on the brink of existence before their sudden demise.

Experiments on Constriction‐Pool‐Widening Morphology in Bedrock Canyons

AbstractBedrock rivers often alternate between relatively wide unconstrained reaches and conspicuously narrow deep incised bedrock reaches (canyons). These bedrock canyons exhibit a constriction‐pool‐widening (CPW) morphology that consists of a lateral constriction, a deeply scoured pool formed downstream of the constriction, and a channel widening at or near the pool exit. To explore how CPWs are formed in bedrock canyons, we hypothesize that the lateral constriction at the canyon entrance forces a CPW to form allogenically with subsequent CPWs propagating further downstream. Our hypothesis was tested experimentally in a flume channel with a forced lateral constriction at the canyon entrance. Our experiment shows that the forced constriction can cause a primary CPW to form allogenically because the backwater upstream of the forced constriction causes sediment deposition that creates an elevation drop, promoting flow and sediment to plunge toward the bed and carve a primary pool. Channel widening occurs at the primary pool exit because sediment deposit forms that deflects sediment into the banks, causing lateral erosion. Downstream of the primary widening, channel width declines and a new lateral constriction forms, which causes the formation of pools and widening downstream, resulting in downstream CPW propagation. In our experiment, the bedrock channel evolved until a persistent alluvial cover formed, reaching a steady state morphology without further vertical erosion until perturbed by higher discharge. Our experiment shows that discharge variation is necessary for a channel to evolve in the absence of uplift.

A mathematical model for bedrock incision in near‐threshold gravel‐bed rivers

AbstractGravel‐bed rivers that incise into bedrock are common worldwide. These systems have many similarities with other alluvial channels: they transport large amounts of sediment and adjust their forms in response to discharge and sediment supply. At the same time, the occurrence of bedrock incision implies behaviour that falls on a spectrum between fully detachment‐limited ‘bedrock channels’ and fully transport‐limited ‘alluvial channels’. Here, we present a mathematical model of river profile evolution that integrates bedrock erosion, gravel transport and the formation of channels whose hydraulic geometry is consistent with that of near‐threshold alluvial channels. We combine theory for five interrelated processes: bedload sediment transport in equilibrium gravel‐bed channels, channel width adjustment to flow and sediment characteristics, abrasion of bedrock by mobile sediment, plucking of bedrock and progressive loss of gravel‐sized sediment due to grain attrition. This model contributes to a growing class of models that seek to capture the dynamics of both bedrock incision and alluvial sediment transport. We demonstrate the model's ability to reproduce expected fluvial features such as inverse power law scaling between slope and area, and width and depth consistent with near‐threshold channel theory, and we discuss the role of sediment characteristics in influencing the mode of channel behaviour, erosional mechanism, channel steepness and profile concavity.

Hyperconcentrated flows shape bedrock channels

AbstractGeomorphological evidence of incised bedrock channels is widespread in all mountain landscapes worldwide. However, the processes controlling incision and gorge formation in bedrock have not directly been observed in an actualistic way. Here, we show a LiDAR change detection deciphering the erosive power of a 60,000 m3 hyperconcentrated flow (transition between flood and debris flow) in a deeply incised rock gorge in June, 2020. The flow laterally eroded up to 1 m of massive limestone and widened a 4 m narrow section of the gorge by up to 15%. Sinuosity, convergence, and gradient of the channel were proven to not influence erosivity indicating the hyperconcentrated nature of erosion. Furthermore, other than in prior studies no abrasion of thin rock veneer dominates erosion but mechanically excited breakout of rock fragments. Magnitude-frequency relations of eroded volumes mimic subaerial rock wall retreat. We show how single hyperconcentrated flows can erode bedrock channels far more efficient than decades of turbulent flows and hypothesise that repeated hyperconcentrated flows in phases of enhanced precipitation or by elevated material supply could control erosion boosts in gorge formation, e.g. in the Lateglacial or during climatic fluctuations.

Bedrock rivers are steep but not narrow: Hydrological and lithological controls on river geometry across the USA

Bedrock rivers are commonly expected to have steeper and narrower channels than alluvial rivers. However, understanding of bedrock river characteristics has largely been based on small samples of sites in specific climates and upland locations. We provide the first systematic assessment of bedrock and alluvial river channel characteristics for 1274 sites across a broad climatic gradient. We assess whether the width, width-to-depth ratio, and slope of bedrock channels differ from those of alluvial channels and the extent to which these differences are correlated with drainage area, mean annual flow (QMAF), grain size, and lithology. We find that bedrock channels occur at all drainage areas. For the same drainage area, bedrock channels are wider and steeper than alluvial channels. They also have a higher mean annual precipitation and hence QMAF, which likely causes the increased width. After accounting for differences in QMAF, both bedrock and alluvial channels have similar hydraulic scaling. Lithology affects both types of channels in a similar way, with channels on sedimentary lithologies being wider and less steep compared to those on igneous-metamorphic lithologies. Overall, our findings raise new questions about the evolution of bedrock river channels and pave the way for more accurate landscape evolution modeling.

Flood dynamics on the upper Letaba River, South Africa, deduced from luminescence dating

ABSTRACT The Letaba River is one of several east-flowing rivers in the semiarid region of northeast South Africa. There is strong seasonality of river discharge and patterns of geomorphic behaviour along bedrock- and sediment-dominated reaches in these rivers, and in response to extreme seasonal flood events. This paper presents new luminescence ages on sediment samples from five sites in upper (headwater) reaches of the Letaba River catchment outside of Kruger National Park, South Africa, combined with evidence from reach-scale geomorphology and sediment sample analysis. River reaches are mainly mixed bedrock-alluvial with a patchwork of poorly sorted coarse sand bars overlying an abraded extended bedrock channel system. Luminescence ages from river sediment deposits (n = 13) cluster around three time periods of the last 400 years, 500–1100 BP, and 1400 BP. This suggests different reworked populations are present, which are a result of the partial bleaching of quartz grains and, thus, a mixed luminescence signal as flood-transported sediments are progressively moved from one depositional sink to another. This pattern of luminescence ages is quite different to lowland river systems in the same region where ages on the whole are significantly younger. Flood processes and dynamics in headwater reaches of semiarid rivers are often not considered but can yield a better understanding of system sensitivity to climate and event forcing.

Shear margins in upper half of Northeast Greenland Ice Stream were established two millennia ago

Only a few localised ice streams drain most of the ice from the Greenland Ice Sheet. Thus, understanding ice stream behaviour and its temporal variability is crucially important to predict future sea-level change. The interior trunk of the 700 km-long North-East Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) is remarkable due to the lack of any clear bedrock channel to explain its presence. Here, we present a 3-dimensional analysis of the folding and advection of its stratigraphic horizons, which shows that the localised flow and shear margins in the upper NEGIS were fully developed only ca 2000 years ago. Our results contradict the assumption that the ice stream has been stable throughout the Holocene in its current form and show that upper NEGIS-type development of ice streaming, with distinct shear margins and no bed topography relationship, can be established on time scales of hundreds of years, which is a major challenge for realistic mass-balance and sea-level rise projections.

Weathering and River Erosion: Insights from the Variation of Intact Rock Strength in Rhyodacites

The relationship between weathering and fluvial erosion is important in shaping the incisions of bedrock channels. In rhyodacites from Paraná Volcanic Province, plucking and macro-abrasion processes are predominant in the fluvial incision process, according to field observations. Using the intact rock strength as a proxy for the weathering, this paper analyzes how the strength of rhyodacites behave along a cross section of a bedrock channel and seeks to understand how this affects erosion. Topography and intact rock strength were surveyed continuously along a 30 m cross section using a Schmidt hammer, model N. Mean, median, and standard deviation were calculated for each meter of the section. The topographic amplitude of the bed in the section is 30 cm, featuring an almost flat geometry. The average strength values range from 30 to 59 R (7.65 to 58.15 MPa). Despite the small topographical amplitude, the general behavior of the rock strength follows the macrotopography of the bed, increasing in the high zones and decreasing in the low zones. The standard deviation, interpreted as directly proportional to the degree of weathering, follows the microtopography of the bed (amplitude ≈ 10 cm), being greater in low areas and smaller in high areas. This association between standard deviation of strength and microtopography reveals the seasonal variation of the water level in the channel, whereby higher moisture in low-lying areas intensifies the weathering of the rock. Weathering affects the density of rhyodacites in the area with a minimum reduction of 11.2% being calculated. This enhances the erosion processes by plucking and macroabrasion by reducing the intact rock strength. The susceptibility of the rhyodacites to weathering, despite the differences within the section, favors the maintenance of the rectangular geometry of the channel and shows how erosive processes are affected by the condition of the rock. The study revealed that the notion of decreasing the intact rock strength towards the banks associated with greater weathering in higher areas, cannot be generalized, as it depends on the geometry of the channel section, the lithological nature of the bed, and the frequency of flows.

Patterns of Alluviation in Mixed Bedrock‐Alluvial Channels: 1. Numerical Model

AbstractMixed bedrock‐alluvial rivers can exhibit partial alluvial cover, which plays an important role in controlling bedrock erosion rates and landscape evolution. However, numerical morphodynamic models are generally unable to predict quasi‐steady persistent patches of depositional alluvial features under conditions where the sediment supply is less than the sediment transport capacity of the channel. Hence, we present a new two‐dimensional depth‐averaged morphodynamic model that can be applied to both fully alluvial and mixed bedrock‐alluvial channels, and we use the model to gain insight into the mechanisms responsible for the development of sediment patches and patterns of bedrock alluviation. The model computes hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and bed evolution using a roughness partitioning that accounts for differential roughness of sediment and bedrock, roughness due to sediment transport, and form drag. The model successfully replicates observations of bar development and migration from a fully alluvial flume experiment, and it models persistent sediment patches observed in a mixed bedrock‐alluvial flume experiment. Numerical experiments in which the form drag, sediment transport roughness, and bedform stress correction were neglected did not successfully reproduce the observed persistent sediment cover in the mixed bedrock‐alluvial case, suggesting that accounting for these different roughness components is critical to successfully model sediment dynamics in bedrock channels.

Steady-state forms of channel profiles shaped by debris flow and fluvial processes

Abstract. Debris flows regularly traverse bedrock channels that dissect steep landscapes, but our understanding of bedrock erosion by debris flows and their impact on steepland morphology is still rudimentary. Quantitative models of steep bedrock channel networks are based on geomorphic transport laws designed to represent erosion by water-dominated flows. To quantify the impact of debris flow erosion on steep channel network form, it is first necessary to develop methods to estimate spatial variations in bulk debris flow properties (e.g., flow depth, velocity) throughout the channel network that can be integrated into landscape evolution models. Here, we propose and evaluate two methods to estimate spatial variations in bulk debris flow properties along the length of a channel profile. We incorporate both methods into a model designed to simulate the evolution of longitudinal channel profiles that evolve in response to debris flow and fluvial processes. To explore this model framework, we propose a general family of debris flow erosion laws where erosion rate is a function of debris flow depth and channel slope. Model results indicate that erosion by debris flows can explain the occurrence of a scaling break in the slope–area curve at low-drainage areas and that upper-network channel morphology may be useful for inferring catchment-averaged erosion rates in quasi-steady landscapes. Validating specific forms of a debris flow incision law, however, would require more detailed model–data comparisons in specific landscapes where input parameters and channel morphometry can be better constrained. Results improve our ability to interpret topographic signals within steep channel networks and identify observational targets critical for constraining a debris flow incision law.

Steady‐State Bedrock Channel Width

AbstractThe increase in bedrock channel width and the decline in bedrock channel slope with increasing drainage area are fundamental characteristics of mountainous landscapes. Compared with slope, little is known about controls on steady‐state bedrock channel width. We model steady‐state bedrock channel width by iteratively solving models for bed and bank erosion by impacting bedload, using measurable physical parameters, including uplift rate, water discharge, sediment supply, grain size, rock strength, and bank angle. The results indicate that width is largely controlled by sediment flux, rather than water discharge. The commonly used width‐discharge scaling relation is an artifact of the covariance of sediment flux and water discharge. Scaling up from cross‐section to drainage basin scales, our model reproduces the width‐drainage area scaling relation and suggests that the scaling exponent is largely controlled by the downstream change in the fraction of total sediment supply transported as bedload.

Appraisal and Assessment of Hydraulic Geometry and Development of Potholes on Bedrock Channel of Kukadi River, Maharashtra, India

Appraisal and Assessment of Hydraulic Geometry and Development of Potholes on Bedrock Channel of Kukadi River, Maharashtra, India

Late Cenozoic deformation in the U.S. southern Colorado Front Range revealed by river profile analysis and fluvial terraces

Many post-orogenic settings exhibit a rugged topography, but the underlying mechanisms driving topographic rejuvenation are poorly understood. For example, the U.S. southern Colorado Front Range, a widely recognized and studied post-orogenic setting, contains deep canyons and steep channels even though the crustal deformation that built the range during the Laramide Orogeny ended at ca. 40 Ma. Two prevailing hypotheses are typically used to explain these topographically youthful features in the Colorado Front Range: (1) mantle dynamics and active tectonics during the late Cenozoic; and (2) enhanced erosional efficiency associated with Quaternary climatic changes. Here, we evaluate these end-member hypotheses through a tectonic geomorphological study of the upper Arkansas River Basin in southern Colorado. We perform river profile analysis on bedrock channels in the eastern Rockies and map and analyze fluvial terraces in the western High Plains. In the eastern Rockies, river knickpoints record a one- to two-stage increase in base-level fall rate downstream of the Colorado Front Range mountain front and an eastward increase in the magnitude of incision. In the western High Plains, Quaternary fluvial terraces also show an eastward increase in the total magnitude of incision. Supported by flexural and supplemental geomorphic analyses, these results suggest a previously undetected regional-scale, west-directed back-tilting associated with differential rock uplift. Based on the average timing of deformation, locations of major faults, and seismic activity, seismic tomographic data, and existing geodynamic models, we infer that this newly recorded westward tilting in the upper Arkansas Basin is the result of unsteady and potentially migrating dynamic topography that developed ca. 4 Ma.

Effects of erosional resistance on bedrock channel occurrence and morphology: Examination of the Seo River catchment in South Korea

In tectonically stable regions, bedrock channels develop along deep and narrow valleys that are usually associated with resistant lithology, which enables the transport capacity of these channels to exceed the upstream sediment supply. However, bedrock channels are not restricted to the reaches with a high transport capacity. They are often located in reaches with a lower transport capacity in wide valleys underlain by erodible bedrock. Even though bedrock channels are distributed over a wide range of lithologies, the effects of erosional resistance on the transport capacity required for bedrock channel formation have not been fully clarified. We investigated the bedrock channels in the Seo River catchment in South Korea to determine the relationship between erosional resistance and the occurrence and morphology of bedrock channels. We found that more than half of the bedrock channel segments were in resistant regions. However, a considerable portion also occurred in erodible regions. Most of the bedrock channels in the resistant regions were steep and narrow, generating a higher unit stream power. Therefore, these channels had long stretches of exposed bedrock with actively eroded features such as well-abraded surfaces. In the erodible regions, most of the bedrock channels were wide and gentle, leading to a lower unit stream power. Thus, the exposed bedrock surface was poorly polished, and the channel morphology preserved more of the underlying bedrock's joint or bedding structures. These results suggest that erosional resistance affects the occurrence of bedrock channels by adjusting the threshold stream power required for bedrock incision. Moreover, lithology strongly regulates the bedrock channel morphology in erodible regions.

Impacts of Spontaneous Waterfall Development on Bedrock River Longitudinal Profile Morphology

AbstractRiver profiles are shaped by climatic and tectonic history, lithology, and internal feedbacks between flow hydraulics, sediment transport and erosion. In steep channels, waterfalls may self‐form without changes in external forcing (i.e., autogenic formation) and erode at rates faster or slower than an equivalent channel without waterfalls. We use a 1‐D numerical model to investigate how self‐formed waterfalls alter the morphology of bedrock river longitudinal profiles. We modify the standard stream power model to include a slope threshold above which waterfalls spontaneously form and a rate constant allowing waterfalls to erode faster or slower than other fluvial processes. Using this model, we explore how waterfall formation alters both steady state and transient longitudinal profile forms. Our model predicts that fast waterfalls create km‐scale reaches in a dynamic equilibrium with channel slope held approximately constant at the threshold slope for waterfall formation, while slow waterfalls can create local channel slope maxima at the location of slow waterfall development. Furthermore, slow waterfall profiles integrate past base level histories, leading to multiple possible profile forms, even at steady‐state. Consistency between our model predictions and field observations of waterfall‐rich rivers in the Kings and Kaweah drainages in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, supports the hypothesis that waterfall formation can modulate river profiles in nature. Our findings may help identify how bedrock channels are influenced by waterfall erosion and aid in distinguishing between signatures of external and internal perturbations, thereby strengthening our ability to interpret past climate and tectonic changes from river longitudinal profiles.

Magnitude of formative flows in stream potholes

Although it is generally recognized that geomorphic work is tied to bedrock channel reshaping, the importance of low vs. high flow stages that cause the most geomorphic impact remains unclear. The objective of the research is to study the concept of “formative flow” in bedrock channels and determine, through morphological studies, if those flows have any impact on sculpted features such as potholes and how this relationship relates to various inputs such as flow stages (magnitude and frequency), shear stress, and sediment size. Here, we studied the distribution of the main pothole typologies and tried to understand why potholes are found along bedrock river channels. Specifically, we examined stream potholes from three locations along the Spanish Central System: Alberche, Tietar, and Manzanares rivers. We conducted the research by taking precise geometric measurements, classifying potholes, analyzing flow magnitude and frequency, and using a two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic model to assess key variables in Manzanares river. This research demonstrated that bankfull depths completely cover all pothole typologies in all the analyzed sites but are not sufficient to achieve its formative flow depth (FFD). Using a detailed 2D hydrodynamic model in Manzanares river, we discovered that dimensions of cylindrical potholes are closely related to bankfull discharge and that this depth is connected to FFD. Other potholes, such as erosive-compound and erosive-lateral, are historical remnants, and their shapes are not related to any particular FFD and are likely associated with rare events and catastrophic breaks. A collection of laterals that exhibit FFD near bankfull flows appear to represent a part of the recent evolution of a knickpoint. To summarize, it can be inferred from the findings that the utility of morphological analysis in conjunction with the 2D hydrodynamic model is to examine the fraction of erosional/active features to determine the degree of senescence and/or change in natural conditions in a river reach.

Lateral Erosion of Bedrock Channel Banks by Bedload and Suspended Load

AbstractBedrock rivers carry large amounts of fine sediment in suspension. We developed a mechanistic model for erosion of bedrock channel banks by impacting bedload and suspended load particles that are advected laterally by turbulent eddies (advection‐abrasion model). The model predicts high lateral erosion rates near the bed, with rates decreasing up to the water surface. The model also predicts greater erosion within the suspended load layer than the bedload layer for many typical sediment supply and transport conditions explored. We compared the advection‐abrasion model with a previously derived model for lateral erosion of bedrock banks by bedload particles deflected by stationary bed alluvium (deflection‐abrasion model). Erosion rates predicted by the deflection‐abrasion model are lower, except within limited conditions where sediment is transported near the threshold of motion and the bed is near fully covered in sediment. Both processes occur in bedrock rivers at the same time, so we combined the advection‐abrasion and deflection‐abrasion models and found that the lateral erosion rate generally increases with increasing transport stage and relative sediment supply for a given grain size. Application of our combined‐abrasion model to a natural bedrock river with a wide distribution of discharge and supply events, and mixed grain sizes, indicates that finer sediment dominates the lateral erosion on channel banks in low sediment supply environments and can be as important as coarser sediment in high sediment supply environments.

Morphometric analysis of Chapecó river basin: Searching for vestigial trace of neotectonic on a basaltic landscape at southern Brazil

The Chapecó River Basin (CRB) is located in the west of Santa Catarina State (South Brazil) and has a relief modelled by a large basalt lava outpouring that occurred in the Paraná Sedimentary Basin. The CRB is characterised by two plateau compartments resulting from regional denudation and associated with a river network that was formed after the basaltic lava completed its flow phase in the Lower Cretaceous. Elements of structural geology together with weathering of rocks and its products, such as regolith, have been commonly used to analyse and interpret the landforms in CRB, whose fluvial landscape is shaped by bedrock channels and incision valleys. Nevertheless, there is a lack of detailed studies about such structural factors in terms of type and origin, and to what extent they may be proxies of tectonic tensions of an intra-plate character. In the lack of guide levels and deposits that allow a better interpretation of recent tectonic deformations, in this work we aimed to evaluate tectonic-structural factors involved in the landscape evolution of the CRB through measurement and analysis of morphometric indices derived from the ALOS PALSAR DEM. We analysed the following morphometric parameters for 43 sub-basins: the basin asymmetry (FA), hypsometric integral (HI), elongation, local relief, slopes distribution, Hack index for the two main river channels (Chapecó and Chapecozinho), and concavity index of the main channels of sub-basins. The results obtained from the morphometric analysis of the river network indicate the existence of a geomorphological disequilibrium of its relief. This result was observed in the transition from the medium to the low basin and in the base levels of the Chapecó and Chapecozinho rivers. Such disequilibrium is shown by convex and irregular longitudinal profiles, knickpoints, sub-basins with high values of asymmetry and hypsometric integral (HI), as well as a low correlation between slope and channel gradients for the sub-basins analysed. This context is consistent with the neotectonic hypothesis of a regional uplift that provide energy to the system to reactivate faults, tilt blocks, and deepened the incision of the river network, leading to the creation of new knickpoints and a transient river network. From the results and analysis, we can conclude that the largest knickzones and waterfalls in the study area can be considered markers associated with quaternary tectonic forcings, although many of these geomorphological features may have originated simply by joints and fractures in the rocks.

New remote method to systematically extract bedrock channel width of small catchments across large spatial scales using high‐resolution digital elevation models

AbstractBedrock river width is an essential geometric parameter relevant to understanding flood hazards and gauging station rating curves, and is critical to stream power incision models and many other landscape evolution models. Obtaining bedrock river width measurements, however, typically requires extensive field campaigns that take place in rugged and steep topography where river access is often physically challenging. Although prior work has turned to measuring channel width from satellite imagery, these data present a snapshot in time, are typically limited to rivers ≥ 10–30 m wide due to the image resolution, and are physically restricted to areas devoid of vegetation. For these reasons, we are generally data limited, and the factors impacting bedrock channel width remain poorly understood. Due to these limitations, researchers often turn to assumptions of width‐scaling relationships with drainage area or discharge to estimate bedrock channel width. Here we present a new method of obtaining bedrock channel width at a desired river discharge through the incorporation of a high‐resolution bare‐earth digital elevation model (DEM) using MATLAB Topotoolbox and the HEC‐RAS river analysis system. We validate this method by comparing modeled results to US Geological Survey (USGS) field measurements at existing gauging stations, as well as field channel measurements. We show that this method can capture general characteristics of discharge rating curves and predict field‐measured channel widths within uncertainty. As high‐resolution DEMs become more available across the United States through the USGS three‐dimensional elevation program (3DEP), the future utility of this method is notable. Through developing and validating a streamlined, open‐source, and freely available workflow of channel width extraction, we hope this method can be applied to future research to improve the quantity of channel width measurements and improve our understanding of bedrock channels.

Bedrock Erosion by Debris Flows at Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA: Implications for Bedrock Channel Evolution

Debris flow erosion into bedrock helps to set the pace of mountain denudation, but there are few empirical observations of this process. We studied the effects of debris flows on bedrock erosion using Structure-From-Motion photogrammetry and multiple real-time monitoring measurements. We found that the distribution of bedrock erosion across the channel cross-section could be generalized as an exponentially decreasing function of height above the channel thalweg. Using this empirical function, we simulated the erosion at a cross-section after the theoretical passage of a migrating knickpoint effectively matching the upstream pre-knickpoint cross-sectional shape to the downstream post-knickpoint cross-sectional shape via debris-flow bedrock erosion.