Longitudinal profile of channels cut by springs
Name
Rothman_Longitudinal profile.pdf
Size
1.42 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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Author(s)
Devauchelle, Olivier
Petroff, A. P.
Lobkovsky, Alexander E.
Rothman, Daniel H.
Date Issued
December 2010
Journal
Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Citation
Devauchelle, O. et al. “Longitudinal Profile of Channels Cut by Springs.” Journal of Fluid Mechanics 667 (2010): 38–47. © Cambridge University Press 2010
Version
Final published version
Abstract
We propose a simple theory for the longitudinal profile of channels incised by groundwater flow. The aquifer surrounding the stream is represented in two dimensions through Darcy's law and the Dupuit approximation. The model is based on the assumption that, everywhere in the stream, the shear stress exerted on the sediment by the flow is close to the minimal intensity required to displace a sand grain. Because of the coupling of the stream discharge with the water table elevation in the neighbourhood of the channel head, the stream elevation decreases as the distance from the stream's tip with an exponent of 2/3. Field measurements of steephead ravines in the Florida Panhandle conform well to this prediction.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112010005264
