Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/R009821/1
Understanding geomorphic response to hydrological events: filling the data gaps
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr D Graham, Loughborough University, Geography and Environment
- Grant held at:
- Loughborough University, Geography and Environment
- Science Area:
- Earth
- Freshwater
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- Coastal & Waterway Engineering
- Sediment/Sedimentary Processes
- Earth Surface Processes
- Abstract:
- Context Flood intensity is increasing in the UK and many rivers are becoming more mobile, particularly Scotland's flashy and sediment laden systems. Flooding causes adjustment of the shape and pattern of river channels as a result of erosion and deposition of bed and bank material. Understanding and predicting the nature of these responses is essential for the effective management of flood risk, protection of critical infrastructure, and the maintenance of rivers' ecological health. Most information about river response currently comes from direct measurements of the river planform and cross section (e.g. from aerial surveys and historic maps). However, these data neglect the important role played by the nature of the constituent sediments, especially their size. Sediment is a critical element of geomorphic systems, controlling, for example, entrainment and mobility of sediment, the speed at which flood water is conveyed through channels, and the ability to support ecologically and economically important fauna and flora. However, data on sediment properties is relatively sparse, principally because it is expensive and time-consuming to collect. Aims This project aims to develop and apply a 'sediments toolkit' for the characterisation of river bed sediments at local to catchment scales to improve the management of river sediments and modelling of flood risk. The project will build on published methods of grain-size measurement from images, and new image-analysis developments (such as structurefrom-motion). These methods have shown great potential, but their adoption by practitioners has been constrained by the limited availability of guidance on their selection and use, and reluctance to adopt new and unproven technologies. Using the ability of small unmanned aircraft to obtain data over a wide range of spatial scales and resolutions, we will identify the most appropriate datasets and methods for a wide range of applications and combine these into a software 'toolkit' with associated documentation and guidance. The toolkit will be tested on the River Dee, Aberdeenshire, where the 2015/16 floods caused significant damage and there is an urgent need to integrate information on sediment properties into the management strategy. It will be used to identify potential zones of sediment supply, erosion and deposition. Management strategies will be designed to reduce flood risk, mitigate threats to infrastructure and maintain hydromorphological integrity. We also aim to explore applications in other environments where grain size is of fundamental importance for understanding adjustment to floods and storms, such as on gravelly beaches. Key benefits The project is driven by the need of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency for information to help them better manage Scotland's rivers. However, the toolkit will be applicable to river research and management problems in the rest of the UK, and beyond. Beneficiaries will include: agencies worldwide with responsibility for managing and regulating river systems; consulting flood protection engineers seeking to understand sediment dynamics; river restoration specialists; flood modellers who require accurate estimates of channel roughness; water companies and engineers seeking to understand sedimentation rates behind dams and other impoundments; and fisheries managers responsible for river habitat and spawning grounds. If the transfer of the toolkit to other environments is successful, it will have applications in, for example, modelling of beach response to storm events. An example benefit will be improvements in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. This requires assessment of the quality of water bodies, for which sediment characterisation is essential. Rivers below 'good' status must be restored. This must be process-based, which requires understanding of sediment characteristics at local and at catchment scales.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/R009821/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Doctoral Training
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- NPIF Allocation
This training grant award has a total value of £89,096
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Fees | Total - RTSG | Total - Student Stipend |
|---|---|---|
| £17,295 | £11,001 | £60,801 |
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