Assessing Channel Bank-Height Adjustments and Flood Frequency Trends in a Dynamic Channel-Levee Evolution Model

IF 3.5 2区 地球科学 Q1 GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
J. Han, W. Kim, D. A. Edmonds
{"title":"Assessing Channel Bank-Height Adjustments and Flood Frequency Trends in a Dynamic Channel-Levee Evolution Model","authors":"J. Han,&nbsp;W. Kim,&nbsp;D. A. Edmonds","doi":"10.1029/2024JF008137","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Natural levees form through sediment delivery from channels, dispersal onto floodplains, and storage at channel margins. When levees breach, they release water and sediment onto the floodplain, occasionally causing river avulsions. Despite their significance, levee growth remains poorly understood, and no existing models capture the dynamic channel-levee evolution systems. A common assumption is that levee and channel bed aggradation rates are coupled or equal; however, this cannot be true because levees do not accumulate everywhere along aggrading channel belts. Using a one-dimensional numerical model, we investigate levee growth decoupled from channel bed aggradation under flood scenarios wherein the flooded level: (a) exceeds the levee crest height (i.e., front loading); or (b) is lower than the levee crest partially inundating distal levee deposits (i.e., back loading). Front loading events initially aggrade the levee crest, which confines the channel, increases bankfull depth, and reduces flooding. During confinement, levee growth restricts flooding, and minor back loading events are more common. Over this period, the channel bed aggrades until bankfull depth decreases sufficiently to trigger larger floods. This channel-releasing process increases flood likelihood and enhances overbank accumulation, promoting front loading and re-confining the channel. Our findings suggest aggradational channels may experience confined-release phases characterized by episodic levee growth and fluctuating bankfull depth. Rapid in-channel aggradation increases flood frequency and variability with more confined-release cycles. These results imply that river avulsions and associated floods might preferentially occur when the channel bed aggrades faster than adjacent levees, whereby the channel becomes shallower and destabilized.</p>","PeriodicalId":15887,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface","volume":"130 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2024JF008137","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JF008137","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Natural levees form through sediment delivery from channels, dispersal onto floodplains, and storage at channel margins. When levees breach, they release water and sediment onto the floodplain, occasionally causing river avulsions. Despite their significance, levee growth remains poorly understood, and no existing models capture the dynamic channel-levee evolution systems. A common assumption is that levee and channel bed aggradation rates are coupled or equal; however, this cannot be true because levees do not accumulate everywhere along aggrading channel belts. Using a one-dimensional numerical model, we investigate levee growth decoupled from channel bed aggradation under flood scenarios wherein the flooded level: (a) exceeds the levee crest height (i.e., front loading); or (b) is lower than the levee crest partially inundating distal levee deposits (i.e., back loading). Front loading events initially aggrade the levee crest, which confines the channel, increases bankfull depth, and reduces flooding. During confinement, levee growth restricts flooding, and minor back loading events are more common. Over this period, the channel bed aggrades until bankfull depth decreases sufficiently to trigger larger floods. This channel-releasing process increases flood likelihood and enhances overbank accumulation, promoting front loading and re-confining the channel. Our findings suggest aggradational channels may experience confined-release phases characterized by episodic levee growth and fluctuating bankfull depth. Rapid in-channel aggradation increases flood frequency and variability with more confined-release cycles. These results imply that river avulsions and associated floods might preferentially occur when the channel bed aggrades faster than adjacent levees, whereby the channel becomes shallower and destabilized.

Abstract Image

求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface
Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface Earth and Planetary Sciences-Earth-Surface Processes
CiteScore
6.30
自引率
10.30%
发文量
162
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信