Grain and bedform roughness properties isolated from gravel-patch DEMs

• Main Authors: Bertin Stephane, Groom Jane, Friedrich Heide
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2018-01-01
• Series: E3S Web of Conferences
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20184004005

Remote sensing of gravel-bed patches and resulting high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) allow for the identification of various spatial scales of surface roughness. Thus far, dimensions relating to grain and bedform roughness scales have been determined using semivariograms or equivalent structure/autocorrelation functions. However, it is difficult to clearly differentiate roughness scales and separate analysis of roughness properties is not possible. This study examines the use of moving-window detrending on gravel-patch DEMs for isolating grain and bedform roughness and their respective topographic signatures. An extensive dataset of water-worked gravel surfaces collected in both laboratory and field environments is used. The measured bed topography is separated into two distinct DEMs: one representing grains, the other representing bedforms, and roughness properties are determined separately for grain and bedform DEMs. The results show that both roughness scales are controlled by the size of the coarse sediment forming the bed surface, with positive linear relationships connecting bed composition and vertical roughness. Coarse sediment is controlling bedform development by forming humps on the surface, in the lee of which finer sediment is sheltered. We present synthesis relationships connecting vertical roughness of gravel patches to the vertical roughness of grains and bedforms.