Channel Widening Research Articles

Bringing a justice lens to ocean access

AbstractMaritime spaces have transformed rapidly the last decades. Open waters and beaches have become restricted and sometimes privatized enclosures. Different forms of extractivism have led to biodiversity loss and in particular to declining fish populations. Additionally, large-scale coastal and marine infrastructure projects, such as deepening and widening of shipping channels, have destroyed important habitats. These profound socio-ecological transformations have had an impact on geographies of resource access and control and consequently on the ability of actors to access, use and benefit from coastal and marine space. Moreover, changes in the lending policies of local banks have posed additional and severe challenges for fishers’ ability to fish. Such processes effect in particular the livelihoods of coastal and small-scale fisher communities and consequently increase existing inequalities and injustices. We suggest to bring the literature on ocean justice and access and property into dialogue and develop a heuristic for analysing inequalities and justice claims. Based on qualitative case studies focussing on the Sicily (Italy), the Elbe estuary (Germany) and the Lofoten (Norway), we show that investigating access relations facilitates the identification of unequal societal relationships with nature. Our cases illustrate that power relations in which privatization processes and access relations are embedded, determine whether injustices can be translated into justice claims and how successful these claims are. Moreover, unequal socio-ecological relations are also influenced by what we call translocal justice. Translocal justice is often lost in processes of commodification, privatization and in the rescaling of political authority and power, as local ties and confidential relationships vanish.

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.

Research on supersonic film cooling of hypersonic optical window under different nozzle pressure ratios

When optical imaging-guided aircraft flies at hypersonic speeds in the atmosphere, the optical window withstands severe aerodynamic heating. Conducting the thin film resistance thermometer measurements in a hypersonic gun wind tunnel with a Mach number of 7.1 and total temperature of 670 K, the study investigates the effect of nozzle pressure ratio (NPR = film exit static pressure/nearby mainstream static pressure) on supersonic (Mach 2.43) film cooling for the hypersonic optical window. By combining the flow information near the window obtained using the three-dimensional compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes method, the study reveals the mechanism of the effect of NPR on film cooling. The results indicate that increasing NPR can enhance the momentum of the unit volume film and improve the film's ability to resist mainstream mixing. Moreover, the film with a large NPR can better maintain its own momentum, leading to an increase in the film effective cooling length and film cooling effectiveness. The film effective cooling length corresponding to the unit mass flow rate of the cooling gas increases with the increase in NPR. It verifies the nonlinear relationship between the film cooling performance and the coolant mass flow rate, indicating the additional benefits of increasing NPR on the film cooling performance. Through research, it is found that increasing NPR can increase the film thickness, thereby enhancing its ability to isolate the mainstream. Moreover, as NPR increases, the cooling film expands, objectively leading to the widening of the film flow channel, allowing the Mach number of the supersonic film to increase continually. This further reduces the static temperature of the film in the flow field, thereby enhancing its cooling capability for the mainstream.

Cold Chain Distribution Route Optimization for Mixed Vehicle Types of Fresh Agricultural Products Considering Carbon Emissions: A Study Based on a Survey in China

With the improvement of people’s living standards and the widening of circulation channels, the demand for fresh agricultural products continues to increase. The increase in demand will lead to an increase in delivery vehicles, costs, and carbon emissions, among which the increase in carbon emissions will aggravate pollution and is not conducive to sustainable development. Therefore, it is very important to balance economic and environmental benefits in the distribution of fresh agricultural products. Based on the analysis of the distribution characteristics of fresh agricultural products, this paper studies the optimization of the cold chain distribution route of fresh agricultural products considering carbon emission. Firstly, the cold chain distribution route planning of fresh agricultural products was investigated and analyzed by the interview method, and the basis for establishing the model objective and constraint conditions was obtained. Then, taking the minimum total cost including carbon emission cost as the optimization goal, the cold chain distribution route optimization model for mixed vehicle types is established considering electric refrigerated vehicles, gasoline refrigerated vehicles, and so on. Genetic algorithm was used to solve the model, and MATLAB2018b was used to substitute specific case data for simulation analysis. The analysis results show that increasing the consideration of carbon emission and mixed vehicle types in the distribution route of fresh agricultural products can not only reduce the distribution cost but also reduce the carbon emission. To some extent, the research content of this paper can provide a reference for enterprises in planning cold chain distribution routes of fresh agricultural products.

Formation condition for concave-bank deposition in the meanders of the Middle Yangtze River and its application

In what kind of meanders concave-bank deposition (CBD) can occur remains an open question. This study investigated the characteristics and major influencing factors of CBD in the meanders of the Middle Yangtze River (MYR), and proposed a formation condition for CBD. Concave-bank deposition occurred in 10 of 23 meanders in the MYR, including two types: counter point bar (CPB) and concave-bank bench (CBB). CPB occurred in both mildly-curved and sharp bends, while CBB only occurred in sharp bends. Hydrodynamic conditions and sediment supply are two major factors controlling the formation of CBD. The incoming sediment load remained in an amount of 0.68 × 108 t/y at Jianli and 0.77 × 108 t/y at Luoshan after Three Gorges Project operation, therefore, CBD development was not limited by a lack of sediment and instead is mainly dependent on the hydrodynamic conditions in the MYR. Flow separation zones were observed in the typical CBD-type bends of the MYR, which indicated that CBD was the result of flow separation or recirculation. An adverse longitudinal water surface gradient is the necessary condition for the formation of concave-bank flow separation. Therefore, a formation condition for CBD was proposed based on this assumption, which considered the combined effects of channel resistance, riverbed slope, channel widening, and curvature. CBD happens when the channel widening and curvature terms are greater than the channel resistance and longitudinal channel slope terms. The proposed condition was verified based on the data of the 23 bends in the MYR and 26 bends in 12 other rivers. The results indicated that more than 85% of the bends were correctly identified. Therefore, the proposed formation condition provided considerably high accuracy.

Channel changes during and after extreme floods in two catchments of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

The Nure and Trebbia catchments were affected by an extreme flood event on 13-14th September 2015. This study investigates the morphological responses to the flood of the Nure and Trebbia rivers and 18 tributaries with the aims to: i) quantify channel changes in width and pattern; (ii) identify the morphological and hydrological factors which might have driven channel response; (iii) quantify channel changes which have occurred after the flood event.Channel changes were characterized by field surveys and geomorphological analysis of multi-temporal orthophotos acquired before (2011), immediately after the flood (2015) and in 2020.In the tributaries, reach-scale channel widths after the flood reached up to 15 times their pre-flood values, whereas in the main channels the post/pre-flood width ratio attained a maximum value of 4. Augmented channel width in the main rivers was mostly associated with banks and islands erosion, whereas in the tributaries it was also due to deposition of coarse sediments onto the former floodplains. Islands were swept away in the main channels while both island erosion and formation occurred in the tributaries. In terms of channel pattern, pre-flood single-thread reaches displayed mainly multi-thread morphologies after the flood, mostly in response to a sudden input of coarse sediment supply. In the 5 yr following the flood, channels slightly narrowed but still remained wider than in 2011. The narrower reaches before the flood resulted to be the most sensitive to changes even some years after the flood.Statistical analyses between the channel width changes and a series of variables showed significant positive correlations with confinement index, channel slope, and the local storm rainfall depth. This study confirms how channel widening during large floods – usually neglected in flood hazard mapping and river basin management – is a very important process which must be considered in flood hazard assessment in mountain rivers.

The Fate of Bars in Braided Rivers

Ancient river deposits are important archives of past landscape conditions on planetary surfaces. On Earth, they host valuable groundwater, energy resources, and carbon-storage potential. Reconstructing details of paleochannel forms and movements refines our understanding of the controls on river behavior under different climate, landcover, and tectonic conditions, and improves predictions and models of subsurface reservoirs. While studies have shown detailed connections between channel kinematics and bar-deposit architecture in meandering river systems, similar connections between braided river movements and preserved braided river deposits have not been established. Here we explore the potential for connecting braided river deposits to paleochannel movements, form, and flow conditions, and we evaluate the controls on bar preservation using synthetic stratigraphy generated with a numerical morphodynamic model. We investigate how attributes of channel morphodynamics, like channel widening or braiding intensity, impact bar deposits’ preservation, scale, geometry, and architecture. We then assess how the scale, preservation, and facies composition of bar deposits reflect formative flow conditions of the channel. Our results demonstrate that no diagnostic signature of braided channel morphodynamics is recorded in bar-deposit geometry, facies, or preservation patterns. Rather, the unique local history of thread movements combines stochastically to preserve or rework bar deposits, and the timing of channel avulsion is the dominant control on bar preservation. Our results also show that representative paleochannel flow conditions will likely be accurately reflected in aggregate observations of braid bar deposits within channel-belt sandbodies at a regional or member/formation scale. These results demonstrate the need for broad sampling and statistical approaches to subsurface prediction and paleo-flow reconstruction in ancient, braided river deposits.

Geomorphological processes following the construction of an offshore artificial island in the radial sand ridges of the South Yellow Sea

Offshore artificial islands represent a novel way to develop and utilize marine space resources. Previous research has focused on predicting erosion and deposition distributions following the islands construction, utilizing laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. However, the absence of long-term continuous monitoring has hindered systematic studies on the geomorphological processes of these islands. A 20-years of underwater terrain monitoring scheme was conducted before and after construction of the Rudong Artificial Island in Jiangsu Province, China. The results were combined with on-site observations of tidal currents, suspended sediment concentrations, and surficial sediment to investigate the evolution of the water channel–sand ridge system and the development process of local scour around the artificial island. The results indicated that after the construction of the artificial island, its surrounding water channels showed an overall evolution trend of the north channel shifting towards the north, the middle channel widening and moving south, and the south channel extending westward and southward. Scour has been observed at the four corners of the artificial island, with the peak depths of 7.3 m, 5.6 m, 13.7 m, and 12.2 m at the southwest, northwest, northeast, and southeast corners respectively. The scour in the southwest and northwest corners reached an equilibrium within five years. However, in the southeast corner, continuous erosion of the shoal on the southeast side of the artificial island enhanced the local hydrodynamic force, leading to further scour development. The large-scale scour in the northeast corner was mainly caused by changes in the local flow field following the construction of water intake pipelines and their protection projects. These geomorphological changes are the joint results of the natural evolution of the radial sand ridges and local erosion and deposition from engineering construction. Currently, the sandbanks surrounding the island are still undergoing dynamic evolution following engineering construction, and local scour around the island has not yet reached equilibrium.

Landscape evolution during Holocene transgression of a mid‐latitude low‐relief coastal plain: The southern North Sea

AbstractLow‐relief coastal landscapes are at major risk of rising sea levels, as vertical changes in relative sea level have far‐reaching lateral effects. Integration of a dense 2D grid of seismic reflection data with sedimentological and geotechnical data obtained in two offshore wind farm zones allows detailed documentation of postglacial landforms and environmental change over a 1,021 km2 area in the western sector of the southern North Sea. Following the retreat of Last Glacial Maximum ice sheets from the southern North Sea, the resulting postglacial terrestrial landscape provided a surface for peatland formation as climate started to warm and the water table rose in response to relative sea‐level rise. Southward‐draining fluvial networks formed contemporaneously with the peatlands, and remnants of this terrestrial wetland landscape are buried beneath Holocene marine sediments. Distinctive isolated incisional features and discrete widening of fluvial channels that cut through the peats are interpreted as either tidal ponds or relict tidal channels. These features record the evolution of this landscape through the Early Holocene as marine transgression inundated a low‐relief coastal plain. The erosion of the peatlands observed in the cores, the patchy preservation of the organic wetland landscape, and the lack of preserved barrier systems recorded by the seismic reflection data suggest that the rate of relative sea‐level rise outpaced sediment supply during the Late Postglacial and Early Holocene in this area of the southern North Sea. In a regional context, the southward draining river channels contrast to northward fluvial drainage to the North Sea, pointing to a subtle drainage divide in the palaeolandscape and the presence of a low‐relief land bridge separating the North Sea and the English‐Channel/La Manche during the Early Holocene. The documented scenario of rising sea levels combined with decreasing sediment supply in a low‐relief setting is a situation faced by many global deltas and coastlines, which makes the southern North Sea a crucial archive of coastal landscape change.

Using Bayesian multispecies models to evaluate fish and invertebrate detection probability and distribution in the hypersaline Bahia Grande tidal basin

AbstractObjectiveIn 2000, the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge acquired the Bahia Grande (Texas) management unit, a space that had lain barren and arid for 70 years. A large cooperative partnership launched a restoration project to replenish the basin and recover its original tidal hydrology. In 2005, the construction of a pilot channel successfully restored water throughout the basin, and plans to eventually widen the channel were developed. Our study aims to evaluate an estuarine habitat restoration by assessing ecological drivers and the impacts on species diversity.MethodsWe evaluated species richness, detection/occupancy rates, and species–habitat relationships, and we estimated the sampling effort required to achieve a given level of relative precision if relative abundance was used instead of occupancy to inform future sampling. Sampling gear included bag seines for juvenile life stages and gill nets for capturing subadult and adult life stages. For analysis, we used a Bayesian negative binomial linear mixed‐effects model to evaluate richness–habitat relationships and a hierarchical Bayesian multispecies model to evaluate individual species–habitat relationships, and we calculated the total number of fish captured and relative standard error by gear and sample year to produce a precise estimate of relative abundance.ResultOverall, 29 species were caught between 2018 and 2021. Salinity emerged as a clear driver in the Bahia Grande, as both species richness and individual‐level responses were negatively associated with high salinity values. We found that catch estimated as relative abundance had much variability, as is typical of most survey programs assuming constant detectability, and the number of net sets or seine hauls required to achieve a given level of relative precision varied considerably depending on the species, season, year, and gear type. The most collected species were found in the upper extremes of their salinity tolerances—potentially a unique adaptation to this hypersaline system.ConclusionBaseline data suggest that for the channel widening to be successful, there must be a noticeable increase in suitable habitat characteristics throughout the basin.

Bank strength variability and its impact on the system-scale morphodynamics of the upper Amazon River in Brazil

Large anabranching rivers form channels in sediments of varying strength, resulting from erosional and depositional processes that act over geological time scales. Although bank strength variability is known to affect channel morphodynamics, its impact on the migration of large sand-bed rivers remains poorly understood. We report the first in situ measurements of bank strength from an ∼100-km-long reach of the Solimões River, the Brazilian Amazon River upstream of Manaus. These show that cohesive muds in Pleistocene terraces along the river’s right margin have bank strengths as much as three times greater than Holocene floodplain deposits composing the left bank. Image analysis suggests these resistant outcrops determine channel-bar dynamics: channel widening and bar deposition are inhibited, which lowers planform curvature and reduces erosion of the opposing bank. Planform analysis of the 1600-km-long Solimões River between 1984 and 2021 shows that where the channel is associated with Pleistocene terraces, lower rates of bank erosion and bar deposition are evident. Heterogeneity in bank strength is thus a first-order control on the large-scale morphodynamics of the world’s largest lowland river.

The dynamics of marsh-channel slump blocks: an observational study using repeated drone imagery

Abstract. Slump blocks are widely distributed features along marsh shorelines that can disturb marsh edge habitats and affect marsh geomorphology and sediment dynamics. However, little is known about their spatial distribution patterns or their longevity and movement. We employed an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) to track slump blocks in 11 monthly images (March 2020–March 2021) of Dean Creek, a tidal creek surrounded by salt marsh located on Sapelo Island (GA, USA). Slump blocks were observed along both convex and concave banks of the creek in all images, with sizes between 0.03 and 72.51 m2. Although the majority of blocks were categorized as persistent, there were also new blocks in each image. Most blocks were lost through submergence, and both decreased in area and moved towards the center of the channel over time. However, some blocks reconnected to the marsh platform, which has not been previously observed. These blocks were initially larger and located closer to the marsh edge than those that submerged, and they increased in area over time. Only 13 out of a cohort of 61 newly created blocks observed in May 2020 remained after 5 months, suggesting that most blocks persist for only a short time. When taken together, the total area of new slump blocks was 886 m2, and that of reconnected blocks was 652 m2. This resulted in a net expansion of the channel by 234 m2 over the study period, accounting for about 66 % of the overall increase in the channel area of Dean Creek, and this suggests that slump block processes play an important role in tidal creek channel widening. This study illustrates the power of repeated UAV surveys to monitor short-term geomorphological processes, such as slump block formation and loss, to provide new insights into marsh eco-geomorphological processes.

Human interventions alter morphodynamics of meandering channels: Insights from decadal to pre-industrial observations in the Yangtze River

Human activities, such as reservoir construction and bank revetment, significantly alter downstream flow and sediment regimes and river channel changes, impacting river ecosystem services. However, our understanding of how intense human activities affect morphodynamics of meandering channels in big river systems remains incomplete due to the lack of high-resolution in-situ data. Here, we use comprehensive data encompassing hydrology and sediment, historical channel maps, and high-resolution river bathymetry to investigate the evolution of meandering bends in the Middle Yangtze River (MYR) across three distinct phases: the natural period (1490–1975), the bank revetment period (1975–2002), and the post-dam period (2003–2018). The study revealed that, in the absence of human intervention, the meandering channels of the MYR naturally experienced inner bank deposition and outer bank erosion, largely governed by curvature-induced secondary flow patterns in flow and sediment transport mode. In 1975–2002, outer-bank revetments reduced erodibility, stabilizing outer banks, while inner banks continued to experience lateral and vertical deposition, causing a narrower and deeper channel hydraulic geometry. Conversely, meandering bends had exhibited an unusual pattern of ‘outer bank deposition and inner bank erosion’ in 2003–2018. Channel morphological changes characterized by channel incision and widening were driven by changes from erodible bank boundaries to solidified bank boundaries, substantial reduction in suspended sediment concentration, and an altered and extended effective flow range (10,000–25,000 m3/s). Our findings highlight that human interventions such as damming and bank revetments can alter the conventional erosion–deposition morphodynamics of meandering bends in large river systems, carrying vital implications for sustainable river management in the Anthropocene.

Vegetation responses to large dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA

Large dam removal can trigger changes to physical and biological processes that influence vegetation dynamics in former reservoirs, along river corridors downstream of former dams, and at a river’s terminus in deltas and estuaries. We present the first comprehensive review of vegetation response to major fluvial disturbance caused by the world’s largest dam removal. After being in place for nearly a century, two large dams were removed along the Elwha River, Washington, USA, between 2011 and 2014. The exposure, erosion, transport, and deposition of large volumes of sediment and large wood that were impounded behind the dams created new fluvial surfaces where plant colonization and growth have occurred. In the former reservoirs, dam removal exposed ~290 ha of unvegetated sediment distributed on three main landforms: valley walls, high terraces, and dynamic floodplains. In addition to natural revegetation in the former reservoirs, weed control and seeding and planting of desirable plants influenced vegetation trajectories. In early years following dam removal, ~20.5 Mt of trapped sediment were eroded from the former reservoirs and transported downstream. This sediment pulse, in combination with transport of large wood, led to channel widening, an increase in gravel bars, and floodplain deposition. The primary vegetation responses along the river corridor were a reduction in vegetated area associated with channel widening, plant establishment on new gravel bars, increased hydrochory, and altered plant community composition on gravel bars and floodplains. Plant species diversity increased in some river segments. In the delta, sediment deposition led to the creation of ~26.8 ha of new land surfaces and altered the distribution and dynamics of intertidal water bodies. Vegetation colonized ~16.4 ha of new surfaces: mixed pioneer vegetation colonized supratidal beach, river bars, and river mouth bars, and emergent marsh vegetation colonized intertidal aquatic habitats. In addition to the sediment-dominated processes that have created opportunities for plant colonization and growth, biological processes such as restored hydrochory and anadromous fish passage with associated delivery of marine-derived nutrients may influence vegetation dynamics over time. Rapid changes to landforms and vegetation growth were related to the large sediment pulse in the early years following dam removal, and the rate of change is expected to attenuate as the system adjusts to natural flow and sediment regimes.

The effects of vegetative feedbacks on flood shape, sediment transport, and geomorphic change in a dryland river: Moenkopi Wash, AZ

Since the 1950s, Moenkopi Wash, in Arizona, United States, has been transformed from a relatively wide river at low flow, to a narrow, heavily vegetated river that is less than half of its former width. We analyzed a ~95-years-long instantaneous-discharge record, an extensive sediment-transport record, oblique and aerial photographs, historical channel surveys, and historical stage-discharge rating relations to determine the primary mechanisms responsible for this transformation.Frequent, large floods dominated the early part of the discharge record between 1926 and 1940. A dramatic ~30 % decrease in annual mean discharge, and ~27 % decrease in the mean of the partial-duration flood series occurred in 1941. This decline did not result in widespread channel change but provided an opportunity for vegetation to establish along the channel margins. Widespread channel narrowing began after a second decline in mean and peak discharge in 1956 at which time the channel banks became heavily vegetated. Between 1952 and 2019, the river channel narrowed by 57–59 %. Approximately 2–4 m of bed aggradation occurred at most study sites. As the channel narrowed and became more vegetated, large floods maintained the narrower channel width but did not cause rewidening. Suspended-sediment transport data illustrate the sediment trapping effects of vegetation that lead to channel narrowing; suspended-sand concentrations decline, thereby indicating sediment deposition, as vegetation becomes progressively inundated during floods. Furthermore, dense channel-margin and floodplain vegetation provide increased roughness, resulting in flood-peak attenuation and alteration of hydrograph shape. Vegetation expansion causes positive feedbacks whereby sediment deposition during floods is exacerbated by the roughness and sediment-trapping effects of vegetation leading to further narrowing. These positive feedbacks have reduced sediment delivery to the Little Colorado River downstream. Channel widening is not likely to occur unless there are very large floods that exceed the erosional threshold of the channel-margin vegetation, or unless large-scale vegetation removal efforts are undertaken.

Improved Cycle Life and Determination of Li Ion Transport Parameters in Mixed Cation Doped Ni-Rich NMC

Ni-rich Li-ion cathode materials like NMC-9.5.5 (LiNi0.9Mn0.05Co0.05O2) are of interest due to their higher energy density and limited cobalt content, aiding the transition away from critical raw materials, when compared to materials like NMC111 - 622. This has the advantage of reducing production costs while maintaining a high working voltage and capacity. However, the high nickel content of these materials can be detrimental due to disorder brought by Li+/Ni2+ cation mixing, lithium residuals, and irreversible phase changes during operation resulting in significant capacity fade during cycling. Similarly, the different synthesis methods and treatments drastically affect the morphological, structural, and electrochemical propertiesWe present a structural and electrochemical study of NMC-9.5.5 prepared at scale via a hydroxide coprecipitation synthesis in a 5 L continuous stirred reactor tank (CSTR). In this work, bulk doping and co-doping with two metal cations are investigated with a simple and scalable method to achieve mixed metal and mixed valence doped NMC-9.5.5 with the aim to further improve cycle life and stability. Additionally, the effect of bulk doping on the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the cathode material are investigated in both half-cells and full-cells using galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), where a 3-electrode configuration is used to elucidate the individual electrode potentials and stoichiometries.The bulk doping of the transition metal layer was found to significantly reduce the capacity fade in the NMC-9.5.5, increasing the capacity retention after 100 cycles from 78% in the undoped material to 92% and 89% in the doped and co-doped NMC-9.5.5 half-cells. The mixed metal co-doped material was also effective in delivering a higher specific capacity than the baseline throughout the full cycling range. The improved cycling performance can be understood by the inspection of the differential capacity plots, which show a suppression of the H2-H3 irreversible phase transition in the doped material and stabilisation of the peak to a higher voltage compared to the baseline. The effect of doping on the structural stabilisation is similarly reflected in the XRD characterisation, in which the introduction of the metal cation acts to constrain the detrimental Li+/Ni2+ cation mixing due to a widening of the transition metal channel. This is also supported by the EXAFS characterisation that indicate the dopants may act to stabilise the local Ni environment. These structural changes appear to be further beneficial in facilitating improved Li ion transport properties in the doped material as evidenced by the lower charge transfer resistances during cycling and increased diffusion coefficient.This research illustrates the high capacity performance of low cobalt cathode materials thus reducing the reliance on critical materials, as well as the ability to produce Ni-rich cathode material at large scale and further stabilise its cycle life by simple structural engineering. Improved materials manufacturing processes will enable a greater understanding of the synthesis process and enable more sustainable methods of synthesis. There are also benefits for cell makers with improvement in processability and additional stabilisation knowledge for battery manufacturers, as well as the consumers that benefit from longer driving ranges and battery life in their EV’s. Figure 1

Analysis of Navigation Aid Effectiveness of Tianjin Port Water Depth Signal Tower and Development Protection under New Technical Conditions

The Tianjin Port Water Depth Signal Tower is a navigational aid facility that provides tidal level information. In the last century, it made great contributions to the shipping industry of Tianjin Port and played an indispensable role in local flood control work; However, with the improvement of the accuracy of marine radar sounders, the influence of background lights, the increase of surrounding buildings, and the continuous widening and deepening of navigation channels, it is becoming increasingly rare for ship drivers to obtain tidal level information through their eyes or with the help of telescopes. In addition, whether drivers can obtain tidal level information through these methods is also a topic worthy of attention and research.

Channel change during catastrophic flood: Example of Storm Alex in the Vésubie and Roya valleys

Documenting and interpreting channel responses to catastrophic floods help understanding how rapid fluvial metamorphosis can propagate in a catchment under sediment cascading effects. The recent example of the October 2020 Storm Alex in SE France (∼500 mm of rain in 24 h) provides a unique opportunity to investigate major geomorphic responses along 70 km of two confined alpine valleys (Vésubie and Roya) and to link them to sediment wave initiation and propagation. GIS-based analysis of remote sensing data (high-resolution ortho-imagery and airborne LiDAR data) acquired before and after the flood allowed combining channel changes with sediment erosion and deposition along a 35-km reach of the Vésubie, including the most impacted portions of the valley. In the Roya, the analysis was restricted to 2D morphological changes reconstructed with the sequence of ortho-imagery. Archives of aerial imagery were also used to integrate the storm impact in the historical trajectory of the rivers. The reconstruction of geomorphic responses shows a quasi-continuous fluvial metamorphosis along the investigated stream networks, with dramatic active channel widening and aggradation, having no antecedent analogs during the last 70 years in both valleys. The different glacial imprints between the two valleys are considered a key factor explaining the exacerbated channel response in the Vésubie, where a braided channel emerged along a 35-km river length. Many evidences strongly support that the fuelling effect of alluvial storage is a key element of the sediment cascade at the origin of the braided channel formation. This regional case study allows us to discuss the critical role of floodplain and terrace erosion in the formation of the post-flood braided channel, and to compare the geomorphic impact of the storm with similar reported cases in the literature.

Patterns and processes of channel and floodout adjustment in a discontinuous dryland river, semi-arid eastern Australia

Alluvial rivers in semi-arid and arid landscapes are prone to episodic geomorphic adjustments related to long-term sediment accumulation and occasional reworking by flash floods. However, few studies document the rates, patterns and processes leading to channel breakdown, particularly avulsion and floodout. These intrinsically driven adjustments may pose a risk to water resource availability through redistribution of water and sediment on the floodplain. To address this knowledge gap, channel change associated with avulsion and flooding in the last ∼30 years were quantified for Little Faulkenhagen Creek, a dryland river of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. The semi-arid, low gradient catchment promotes transmission losses, which with loss of valley confinement leads to channel adjustment and contraction to occur where water, sediment and energy are spread across the floodplain. Pronounced downstream changes occur in channel capacity (i.e., reductions in bankfull width, depth and area) and hydrology (i.e., reductions in bankfull discharge and stream power) as the river enters the floodout zone. Vegetation roughness increases in and around the floodout, where shrubs and river redgum trees line and encroach upon the channel. Mapping and analysis of hydro-geomorphological parameters using cross sections from 1991 to 2021 reveal recent changes in channel capacity, discharge and stream power. The upper reach has experienced substantial channel widening from erosion, while the lower reach leading into the floodout has contracted because of sediment deposition within the channel. Unchannelised floodwaters are deflected around a raised alluvial ridge and over the floodout eventually dropping into several migrating upstream knickpoints (head-cutting gullies) with retreat rates up to 32 m a−1. Therefore, both the existing channel slope (i.e., decline) and potential avulsion courses (i.e., increase) are affected by reduced energy and enhanced sedimentation. The net result of upstream in-channel sedimentation and aggradation on the floodout and downstream incision and gullying is that the floodout has migrated ∼1 km upstream and the river is at risk of a secondary avulsion as gullies retreat towards the main channel, potentially circumventing the floodout within ∼11 years. An erosion cell conceptual model is suitable for this system, where sediment from the local upstream production (erosion) zone is transferred downstream to a sink (deposition) zone. Erosion and deposition will fluctuate over the long-term, leading to periods with dominantly incisional or aggradational processes. Cycles of erosion and deposition will vary over time and external forces may influence a wholesale shift to a new fluvial state. Understanding the context and patterns of recent dryland river adjustments, as well as the dominant processes and their variability, can assist water and land management.

Telescopic Megafans on the High Plains, USA Were Signal Buffers in a Major Source-To-Sink System

Sediment routing systems transport sediment and environmental signals inefficiently. The storage and recycling of sediment buffers the responses of sedimentary systems to tectonic, climatic, and geomorphic changes. Long-term ( >106 a.) storage may occur in megafans—large, low-relief, hemiconical fluvial deposystems—but the behavior of these systems over such timescales is unclear. We examine late Neogene megafan deposits on the High Plains, USA that are stored in the catchment of the continental-scale Rocky Mountain-Gulf of Mexico source-to-sink system. Using high-resolution elevation data, we map numerous fluvial ridges (inverted channel relics) that can be differentiated into five, chronologically distinct groups. The oldest four groups comprise radial arrays with multiple channel divergences (avulsion nodes). The inferred fan apices and longitudinal intersection points are offset successively downgradient, indicating that fanhead entrenchment and fan-lobe deposition were approximately contemporaneous and strongly suggesting a telescopic morphology. The youngest group of channels, also the lowest in elevation, is confined to terraces along the modern valley of the South Platte River. We interpret this group as direct evidence for the abandonment of the megafan and the incision of the present valley. Uplift was the chief driving mechanism for early telescoping, but channel widening and uniform downcutting in the younger groups suggest that change in stream power was the primary driver of later telescoping and incision. The storage of sediment in the megafan effectively decoupled sources from downstream sinks. Some of this sediment was recycled during entrenchment, but much of it remains in storage as the Ogallala Group and Broadwater Formation. Emplacement of telescopic megafans should be considered as a long-term ( ≥106 years) buffer in other modern and ancient sediment routing systems.