Climate change is expected to alter the distribution of flow discharge in rivers worldwide. We study the impact of climate-driven flow changes on the shape of riverbed, and specifically on alternate bars, large deposits of gravel/sand that often form in rivers. We consider the illustrative example of the Alpine Rhine River, showing two nearby reaches with similar hydro-morphological characteristics, but different channel width. Hydrological projections are obtained from literature, while the evolution of alternate bars is predicted through a novel, semi-analytical model. Results show a remarkably different behavior of the two reaches: the upstream one, being wide enough for a full development of alternate bars, is resistant to flow alterations; the downstream reach, whose width is close to threshold conditions, is highly susceptible to future changes, showing a strong tendency to increase bar prominence. These findings reflect a general tendency of near-threshold geomorphic systems to be vulnerable to anthropic stressors.

The Impact of Climate Change on River Alternate Bars / Redolfi, M.; Carlin, M.; Tubino, M.. - In: GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS. - ISSN 0094-8276. - 2023, 50:5(2023), pp. 1-11. [10.1029/2022GL102072]

The Impact of Climate Change on River Alternate Bars

Redolfi M.;Tubino M.
2023-01-01

Abstract

Climate change is expected to alter the distribution of flow discharge in rivers worldwide. We study the impact of climate-driven flow changes on the shape of riverbed, and specifically on alternate bars, large deposits of gravel/sand that often form in rivers. We consider the illustrative example of the Alpine Rhine River, showing two nearby reaches with similar hydro-morphological characteristics, but different channel width. Hydrological projections are obtained from literature, while the evolution of alternate bars is predicted through a novel, semi-analytical model. Results show a remarkably different behavior of the two reaches: the upstream one, being wide enough for a full development of alternate bars, is resistant to flow alterations; the downstream reach, whose width is close to threshold conditions, is highly susceptible to future changes, showing a strong tendency to increase bar prominence. These findings reflect a general tendency of near-threshold geomorphic systems to be vulnerable to anthropic stressors.
2023
5
Redolfi, M.; Carlin, M.; Tubino, M.
The Impact of Climate Change on River Alternate Bars / Redolfi, M.; Carlin, M.; Tubino, M.. - In: GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS. - ISSN 0094-8276. - 2023, 50:5(2023), pp. 1-11. [10.1029/2022GL102072]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11572/388791
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