Physical Hydrology

Earth’s Surface – “drained”

Seawater

Rivers
Lakes
Ice
https://vimeo.com/99171074
The Rock Cycle
 Erosion - where does it happen?

Wilkinson & Elroy, 2007

 Mountains vs. low-lands

Wilkinson & Elroy, 2007

 Erosion rates in the U.S.A.

Wilkinson & McElroy, 2007

Lithological Control on
Sediment Discharge as
Function of Rainfall

Milliman & Farnsworth, 2011 (after Hicks et al., 1996

Grain Size Distribution
 Hjulström Curve

F. Hjulström (1935, PhD Thesis), Studies of the morphological activity of rivers as illustrated by the River Fyris, Bull. Geol. Inst. Uppsala, 25, 221-527.
 Combination of
depth-integrated
and
depth-specific
samplers on the
Fraser River, B.C.
Isokinetic USGS Sampler
Fraser, 06/2011 BPE11
 PHI - mm

Decimal inches
SIEVE Settling

equivalent to sieve size

SIZE TERMS Threshold

Fractional mm
Number

Intermediate diameters
COVERSION
φ = log 2 (d in mm) SIZES of grains Velocity Velocity

of natural grains
1µm = 0.001mm (after

and
Wentworth,1922) per mg (Quartz, for traction
φ

(U.S. Standard)
20°C) cm/sec
mm

ASTM No.

Mesh No.

(Gibbs, 1971)

(modified from
Hjuistrom,1939)
-8

Tyler
256 10.1"

(Nevin,1946)
Spheres

Crushed
spheres

Natural
Quartz

sand
200 BOULDERS
> -8φ )
(_
-7 128 5.04"
cm/sec
100 COBBLES 200
1m
above
-6 64.0 2.52" 2 1/2" bottom
53.9 2.12" 2"
50 very
45.3
40 coarse 150
33.1 1 1/2" 1 1/2"
-5 30 32.0 1.26" 1 1/4"
26.9 1.06" 1.05"
22.6 coarse 50
20 17.0 3/4" 100
.742"
-4

PEBBLES
16.0 0.63" 5/8" 90 40 100
13.4 1/2" .525"
11.3 medium 7/16" 80 90
10 9.52 3/8" .371" 30
70 80
-3 8.00 0.32" 5/16"
6.73 .265" 3 60
5.66 fine 70
5 4.76 4 4 50
-2 4 4.00 0.16" 5 5 60 100
very 20
3.36 6 6 40
3 2.83 fine 7 7
2.38 Granules 8 8 30 50
-1 2 2.00 0.08" 10 9
1.63 inches very 12 10
1.41 coarse 14 12 20 50
mm 16 14 40
1.19 10
0 1 1.00 1 18 16 1.2 .72 .6 9 40
.840 20 20 8
.707 coarse 25 24 .86 2.0 1.5 10 7
.545 30 28 6 30
1 .5 .500 1/2 35 32 .59 5.6 4.5 8
7 5 30

SAND
.4 .420 40 35 6
.354 medium 45 42 .42 15 13 5 4
.3 .297 50 48 4
2 .250 1/4 60 60 .30 43 35 3 3
.2 .210 70 65 20 26
.177 fine 80 80 .215 120 91 2 2
.149 100 100 Minimum
3 .125 1/8 120 115 .155 350 240 (Inman,1949)
1
.1 .105 very 140 150 1.0
.088 fine 170 170 .115 1000 580
.074 200 200 0.5 0.5
4 .062 1/16 230 250 .080 2900 1700 0.329
.05 .053 270 270

Note: The relation between the beginning

depends on the height above the bottom
.044 coarse 325 325

that the velocity is measured, and on

.04

of traction transport and the velocity

.037 400 0.1
5 .03 .031 1/32 0.085

Note: Sieve openings differ by as

Note: Some sieve openings differ

much as 2% from phi mm scale

medium
.02

Stokes Law (R = 6πrηv)

Note: Applies to subangular to

Note: Applies to subangular to

SILT

slightly from phi mm scale

6 .016 1/64 0.023

subrounded quartz sand

subrounded quartz sand

other factors.
fine 0.01
.01
7 .008 1/128 ( in mm ) 0.0057
very
.005 fine
8 .004 .004 1/256
Clay/Silt
0.0014
0.001
.003 boundary
for mineral
CLAY

analysis
9 .002 .002 1/512 0.00036

0.0001
10 .001 .001 1/1024
Ganga River Observatory
Collaboration with
Mustafisur Rahman
(Dakha Univ.), and
Christian France-Lanord
(CRPG Nancy)

Lupker et al., 2011 (JGR)

Ganga River at Harding Bridge

Monsoon

Pre-Monsoon

Lupker et al., 2011 (JGR)

 Ganga-Brahmaputra Observatory

TSS: 6 m TSS: 6 m

Water level

Graph courtesy of Valier Galy (WHOI)

 Ganges River Observatory

Data: Valier Galy, WHOI

Ganga at Harding Bridge – Effects of Hydrodynamic Sorting

Lupker et al., 2011 (JGR)

Amazon at Obidos – Effects of Hydrodynamic Sorting

Bouchez et al., 2011 (GCA)

 Amazon at Obidos – Effects of Hydrodynamic Sorting
ADCP Water Velocity Measurements Suspended Particulate Matter

Sampling profiles

Bouchez et al., 2011 (GCA)

Amazon at Obidos – Effects of Hydrodynamic Sorting

D90 Al/Si

Si Al

Bouchez et al., 2011 (GCA)

Amazon at Obidos – Effects of Hydrodynamic Sorting
Particulate 87Sr/86Sr

Bouchez et al., 2011 (GCA)

 Dams - A Historical Perspective

Chao et al., 2008

Dams – A Historical Perspective