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Title: Control of Basin Water Depth On Channel Morphology and Autogenic Timescales in Deltaic Systems

Abstract

River channel geometry is often controlled by upstream boundary conditions, including fluvial discharge and sediment properties. At the coast, downstream boundary conditions (e.g., tides, waves, water depth) also strongly influence channel formation and evolution. Here, we conducted a set of experiments to determine the effects of basin water depth (i.e., a downstream boundary condition) on the evolution and geometry of fluviodeltaic channels and lobes. Internal dynamics (autogenic processes) in the fluviodeltaic system drive channel avulsion through cycles of sediment storage and release. Experimental results indicate an increase in the timescale of autogenic storage and release with increasing basin water depth. Deeper basin water requires a larger volume to be filled within the delta front, thus more time to complete one autogenic storage and release cycle for a given sediment discharge. While a relationship between delta-front volume and autogenic storage and release timescales is expected, we show that autogenically generated morphological changes in the delta topset and distributary channels also exert control on timescales of storage and release. Deltas building into deeper basins develop steeper topsets, and deeper distributary channels that cause high-magnitude topset slope fluctuations, which contribute to the long autogenic timescales. Deposits in shallow basins exhibit both shallower topsetmore » slopes and shallower channels. Channel bed slopes are similar (~0.06) across all experiments, but lateral channel migration rates varied with basin depth. Deltas building into shallow basins had rapid lateral channel migration, such that channels quickly reworked the delta topset. For deep basins, channel migration rates were much slower, so the topset was reworked less often, allowing the topset to build to steeper slopes before being reworked. These experiments indicate an intimate relationship between lateral channel migration and topset aggradation. In addition, the deeper and more stable channels in deeper basins generally developed a wider range of channel widths, some of which produced elongate lobes. Finally, we conclude that the downstream boundary has a strong control on fluviodeltaic morphology, which can result in a striking difference in the autogenic timescale.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Jackson School of Geosciences, Dept. of Geological Sciences; Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States). Dept. of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences
  2. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Jackson School of Geosciences, Dept. of Geological Sciences; Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  3. Nagasaki Univ., Nagasaki (Japan). Dept. of Environmental Science
  4. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Jackson School of Geosciences, Dept. of Geological Sciences
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1485389
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-24075
Journal ID: ISSN 1527-1404
Grant/Contract Number:  
89233218CNA000001; EAR-1148005
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Sedimentary Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 88; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 1527-1404
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; Earth Sciences

Citation Formats

Carlson, Brandee, Piliouras, Anastasia, Muto, Tetsuji, and Kim, Wonsuck. Control of Basin Water Depth On Channel Morphology and Autogenic Timescales in Deltaic Systems. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.2110/jsr.2018.52.
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Carlson, Brandee, Piliouras, Anastasia, Muto, Tetsuji, & Kim, Wonsuck. Control of Basin Water Depth On Channel Morphology and Autogenic Timescales in Deltaic Systems. United States. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2018.52
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Carlson, Brandee, Piliouras, Anastasia, Muto, Tetsuji, and Kim, Wonsuck. Tue . "Control of Basin Water Depth On Channel Morphology and Autogenic Timescales in Deltaic Systems". United States. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2018.52. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1485389.
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@article{osti_1485389,
title = {Control of Basin Water Depth On Channel Morphology and Autogenic Timescales in Deltaic Systems},
author = {Carlson, Brandee and Piliouras, Anastasia and Muto, Tetsuji and Kim, Wonsuck},
abstractNote = {River channel geometry is often controlled by upstream boundary conditions, including fluvial discharge and sediment properties. At the coast, downstream boundary conditions (e.g., tides, waves, water depth) also strongly influence channel formation and evolution. Here, we conducted a set of experiments to determine the effects of basin water depth (i.e., a downstream boundary condition) on the evolution and geometry of fluviodeltaic channels and lobes. Internal dynamics (autogenic processes) in the fluviodeltaic system drive channel avulsion through cycles of sediment storage and release. Experimental results indicate an increase in the timescale of autogenic storage and release with increasing basin water depth. Deeper basin water requires a larger volume to be filled within the delta front, thus more time to complete one autogenic storage and release cycle for a given sediment discharge. While a relationship between delta-front volume and autogenic storage and release timescales is expected, we show that autogenically generated morphological changes in the delta topset and distributary channels also exert control on timescales of storage and release. Deltas building into deeper basins develop steeper topsets, and deeper distributary channels that cause high-magnitude topset slope fluctuations, which contribute to the long autogenic timescales. Deposits in shallow basins exhibit both shallower topset slopes and shallower channels. Channel bed slopes are similar (~0.06) across all experiments, but lateral channel migration rates varied with basin depth. Deltas building into shallow basins had rapid lateral channel migration, such that channels quickly reworked the delta topset. For deep basins, channel migration rates were much slower, so the topset was reworked less often, allowing the topset to build to steeper slopes before being reworked. These experiments indicate an intimate relationship between lateral channel migration and topset aggradation. In addition, the deeper and more stable channels in deeper basins generally developed a wider range of channel widths, some of which produced elongate lobes. Finally, we conclude that the downstream boundary has a strong control on fluviodeltaic morphology, which can result in a striking difference in the autogenic timescale.},
doi = {10.2110/jsr.2018.52},
journal = {Journal of Sedimentary Research},
number = 9,
volume = 88,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {9}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2018.52
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Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 20 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Radially-averaged shoreline position against time. Autogenic sediment release events as times of increased progradation rates are indicated by arrows. The best-fit curve exponents range 0.35 – 0.55, where a lower exponent is consistent with rapid shoreline progradation into shallow water while larger exponents are consistent with slow shorelinemore » progradation into deep water.« less
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Works referenced in this record:

Basin Depth Control on Autogenic Delta-Building Processes
dataset, January 2019

  • Piliouras, Anastasia; Kim, Wonsuck
  • https://sead2.ncsa.illinois.edu/api/users/566aef07e4b06374fd3161fd, SEAD (http://sead-data.net)
  • DOI: 10.26009/s0tnb1mw
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Laboratory Investigation on Effects of Flood Intermittency on Fan Delta Dynamics
    journal, February 2019

    • Miller, Kimberly Litwin; Kim, Wonsuck; McElroy, Brandon
    • Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Vol. 124, Issue 2
    • DOI: 10.1029/2017jf004576

    Morphodynamics of River Deltas in Response to Different Basin Water Depths: An Experimental Examination of the Grade Index Model
    journal, May 2019

    • Wang, Junhui; Muto, Tetsuji; Urata, Kento
    • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 10
    • DOI: 10.1029/2019gl082483

    Origin of a Preferential Avulsion Node on Lowland River Deltas
    journal, April 2019

    • Chadwick, A. J.; Lamb, M. P.; Moodie, A. J.
    • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 8
    • DOI: 10.1029/2019gl082491

    Upstream and Downstream Boundary Conditions Control the Physical and Biological Development of River Deltas
    journal, October 2019

    Modeling Deltaic Lobe‐Building Cycles and Channel Avulsions for the Yellow River Delta, China
    journal, November 2019

    • Moodie, Andrew J.; Nittrouer, Jeffrey A.; Ma, Hongbo
    • Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, Vol. 124, Issue 11
    • DOI: 10.1029/2019jf005220

    Impacts of backwater hydrodynamics on fluvial–deltaic stratigraphy
    journal, July 2019

    • Wu, Chenliang; Nitterour, Jeffrey A.
    • Basin Research, Vol. 32, Issue 3
    • DOI: 10.1111/bre.12385

    The grade index model as a rationale for autogenic nonequilibrium responses of deltaic clinoform to relative sea‐level rise
    journal, April 2020

    • Wang, Junhui; Naruse, Hajime; Muto, Tetsuji
    • Basin Research, Vol. 32, Issue 2
    • DOI: 10.1111/bre.12418

    A global delta dataset and the environmental variables that predict delta formation on marine coastlines
    journal, January 2019

    • Caldwell, Rebecca L.; Edmonds, Douglas A.; Baumgardner, Sarah
    • Earth Surface Dynamics, Vol. 7, Issue 3
    • DOI: 10.5194/esurf-7-773-2019

    How does the downstream boundary affect avulsion dynamics in a laboratory bifurcation?
    journal, January 2019

    • Salter, Gerard; Voller, Vaughan R.; Paola, Chris
    • Earth Surface Dynamics, Vol. 7, Issue 4
    • DOI: 10.5194/esurf-7-911-2019
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      Figures / Tables found in this record:

      Figure 1 (p. 37)figure
      Figure 2 (p. 38)figure
      Figure 3 (p. 39)figure
      Figure 4 (p. 40)figure
      Figure 5 (p. 41)figure
      Figure 6 (p. 42)figure
      Figure 7 (p. 43)figure
      Figure 8 (p. 44)figure
      Figure 9 (p. 45)figure
      Figure 10 (p. 46)figure
      Table 1 (p. 47)table
      Table 2 (p. 47)table
      Table 3 (p. 47)table
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