Tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> method
Quantitative tectonic geomorphology hinges on the analysis of longitudinal river profiles. The model behind almost all approaches in this field originates from an empirical relationship between channel slope and catchment size, often substantiated in the form of the stream-power model for fluvial in...
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Copernicus Publications
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Earth Surface Dynamics |
| Online Access: | http://www.earth-surf-dynam.net/4/1/2016/esurf-4-1-2016.pdf |
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doaj-41c02f191f7646ed94461abdbcb7a9d22020-11-25T00:30:24ZengCopernicus PublicationsEarth Surface Dynamics2196-63112196-632X2016-01-01411910.5194/esurf-4-1-2016Tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> methodS. Hergarten0J. Robl1K. Stüwe2Institut für Geo- und Umweltnaturwissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, GermanyInstitut für Geographie und Geologie, Universität Salzburg, Salzburg, AustriaInstitut für Erdwissenschaften, NAWI Graz, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Graz, AustriaQuantitative tectonic geomorphology hinges on the analysis of longitudinal river profiles. The model behind almost all approaches in this field originates from an empirical relationship between channel slope and catchment size, often substantiated in the form of the stream-power model for fluvial incision. Significant methodological progress was recently achieved by introducing the <i>χ</i> transform. It defines a nonlinear length coordinate in such a way that the inherent curvature of river profiles due to the increase of catchment sizes in the downstream direction is removed from the analysis. However, the limitation to large catchment sizes inherited from the stream-power approach for fluvial incision persists. As a consequence, only a small fraction of all nodes of a digital elevation model (DEM) can be used for the analysis. In this study we present and discuss some empirically derived extensions of the stream power law towards small catchment sizes in order to overcome this limitation. Beyond this, we introduce a simple method for estimating the adjustable parameters in the original <i>χ</i> method as well as in our extended approaches. As a main result, an approach originally suggested for debris flow channels seems to be the best approximation if both large and small catchment sizes are included in the same analysis.http://www.earth-surf-dynam.net/4/1/2016/esurf-4-1-2016.pdf |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
S. Hergarten J. Robl K. Stüwe |
| spellingShingle |
S. Hergarten J. Robl K. Stüwe Tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> method Earth Surface Dynamics |
| author_facet |
S. Hergarten J. Robl K. Stüwe |
| author_sort |
S. Hergarten |
| title |
Tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> method |
| title_short |
Tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> method |
| title_full |
Tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> method |
| title_fullStr |
Tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> method |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> method |
| title_sort |
tectonic geomorphology at small catchment sizes – extensions of the stream-power approach and the <i>χ</i> method |
| publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
| series |
Earth Surface Dynamics |
| issn |
2196-6311 2196-632X |
| publishDate |
2016-01-01 |
| description |
Quantitative tectonic geomorphology hinges on the analysis of longitudinal
river profiles. The model behind almost all approaches in this field originates
from an empirical relationship between channel slope and catchment size, often
substantiated in the form of the stream-power model for fluvial incision.
Significant methodological progress was recently achieved
by introducing the <i>χ</i> transform. It defines a nonlinear length coordinate
in such a way that the inherent curvature of river profiles due to the
increase of catchment
sizes in the downstream direction is removed from the analysis.
However, the limitation to large catchment sizes inherited from the stream-power approach for fluvial incision persists. As a consequence,
only a small fraction of all nodes of a digital elevation model (DEM) can be used for the analysis.
In this study we present and discuss some empirically derived extensions of the stream
power law towards small catchment sizes in order to overcome this limitation.
Beyond this, we introduce a simple method
for estimating the adjustable parameters in the original <i>χ</i> method as well
as in our extended approaches. As a main result, an approach originally suggested
for debris flow channels seems to be the best approximation if both large and
small catchment sizes are included in the same analysis. |
| url |
http://www.earth-surf-dynam.net/4/1/2016/esurf-4-1-2016.pdf |
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AT shergarten tectonicgeomorphologyatsmallcatchmentsizesextensionsofthestreampowerapproachandtheichiimethod AT jrobl tectonicgeomorphologyatsmallcatchmentsizesextensionsofthestreampowerapproachandtheichiimethod AT kstuwe tectonicgeomorphologyatsmallcatchmentsizesextensionsofthestreampowerapproachandtheichiimethod |
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