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Large Rivers

Geomorphology and Management
1. Aufl.

von: Avijit Gupta
228,99 €
Verlag:	Wiley
Format:	PDF
Veröffentl.:	28.02.2008
ISBN/EAN:	9780470723715
Sprache:	englisch
Anzahl Seiten:	720

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Titelbeschreibung

Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management explores an important topic in geomorphology and sedimentology: the form and function of major rivers. Our knowledge of the big rivers of the world is limited. It is currently difficult to recognise large rivers of the past from relict sedimentary deposits or to structure management policies for long international rivers. This exciting book brings together a set of papers on large rivers of the world, as a unique introduction to a demanding subject. The book includes thirty chapters and is organised into three sections. The first part is on the environmental requirements for creating and maintaining a major river system. The second is a collection of case studies on 14 large rivers from different continents, covering a range of physical environments. The third section includes chapters on the measurement and management of large rivers. <ul type="disc"> <li>First book to offer in a single volume state-of-the-art knowledge on management and geomorphology of large rivers of the world</li> <li>A pioneering study, pushing the boundaries of our knowledge related to big rivers</li> <li>Includes comprehensive case studies covering the major large rivers of the world including Amazon, Mississippi, Nile, Congo, Indus, and Mekong</li> <li>Written by a leading team of distinguished, international contributors</li> </ul> Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management is essential reading for postgraduate students and researchers in fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, sedimentary geology, and river management. It is also of relevance to engineers and environmental consultants in the private and public sectors working on major rivers of the world.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface xvii List of Contributors xix 1 Introduction 1 Avijit Gupta 1.1 A Book on Large Rivers 1 1.2 What is a Large River? 2 1.3 The Book and its Content 2 References 4 Part I: Background 2 Geology of Large River Systems 7 Sampat K. Tandon and Rajiv Sinha 2.1 Introduction 7 2.2 Tectonic Settings of Large River Systems 8 2.2.1 Rivers in Continental Collision Belts 9 2.2.2 Rivers in Rift Settings 10 2.2.3 Rivers in Cratonic Settings 10 2.3 Complexity of Drainage Types 11 2.4 Large Rivers – Climatic Settings and Climatic Variability 13 2.5 Modern Large Rivers – Hydrology and Sediment Dispersal 15 2.6 Variability in the Alluvial Architecture of Large River Systems 17 2.6.1 Longitudinal Trunk Systems 18 2.6.2 Radial Fans 20 2.6.3 Fan–Interfan Setting 20 2.6.4 Interfluves 20 2.7 Growth and Development of Large River Systems 21 2.8 Duration of Large River Systems and the Rock Record 22 2.9 Sea Level, Tectonic and Climatic Controls on the Large River Systems 22 2.10 Concluding Remarks 24 Acknowledgements 25 References 25 3 Hydrology and Discharge 29 Ellen E. Wohl 3.1 Hydrology of Large River Basins 29 3.2 Large Rivers of the Equatorial Regions 32 3.2.1 Amazon River 32 3.2.2 Congo River 35 3.2.3 Zambezi River 35 3.3 Large Rivers of the Drylands 35 3.3.1 Nile River 35 3.3.2 Indus River 36 3.3.3 Colorado River 36 3.3.4 Murray-Darling River 36 3.4 Rivers of the Mid-latitudes 37 3.4.1 Mississippi River 37 3.4.2 Danube River 37 3.5 Rivers Draining South from the Himalaya 37 3.5.1 Ganga River 38 3.5.2 Brahmaputra River 38 3.6 Rivers of East and Southeast Asia 38 3.6.1 Huanghe 38 3.6.2 Changjiang 39 3.6.3 Mekong River 39 3.7 High-latitude Rivers 39 3.7.1 Ob, Yenisey and Lena Rivers 40 3.7.2 Mackenzie and Yukon Rivers 40 3.8 Summary 40 Acknowledgements 41 References 41 4 Transcontinental Moving and Storage: The Orinoco and Amazon Rivers Transfer the Andes to the Atlantic 45 Robert H. Meade 4.1 Introduction 45 4.2 Andean Sources and Alluvial Storage 45 4.3 Orinoco 47 4.4 Amazon 49 4.4.1 Setting 49 4.4.2 Storage and Remobilization of Floodplain Sediment 52 4.4.3 Sediment Storage in the Lowermost Amazon Valley 57 4.5 The Amazon Goes to Sea 57 4.6 Coda 59 Acknowledgements 60 References 60 5 Greatest Floods and Largest Rivers 65 Victor R. Baker 5.1 Introduction 65 5.2 Historical Background 65 5.3 Terrestrial Glacial Megafloods 66 5.3.1 Cordilleran Ice Sheet 66 5.3.2 Laurentide Ice Sheet 66 5.3.3 Eurasian Ice Sheets 68 5.3.4 Central Asian Mountains 70 5.4 Extraterrestrial Megafloods and Megarivers 71 5.5 Conclusion 72 References 72 6 Classification, Architecture, and Evolution of Large-River Deltas 75 Kazuaki Hori and Yoshiki Saito 6.1 Introduction 75 6.2 Definition of a Delta and Delta Components 77 6.3 Classification of Deltas 79 6.4 Morphology and Sediment 82 6.4.1 Morphology 82 6.4.2 Sediments and Sediment Facies 85 6.4.3 Sediment Accumulation Rates 86 6.5 Delta Evolution 87 6.5.1 Response to Holocene Sea-Level Change 87 6.5.2 Changes in the Course of a River Channel and of its Distributaries 88 6.5.3 Coastal Environment Change Related to Delta Progradation 90 6.6 Problems of Sediment Supply 90 6.6.1 Estimation of Past Sediment Discharge 90 6.6.2 Sediment Budgets in Deltas and Sediment Supply to the Oceans 91 6.7 Concluding Remarks 91 Acknowledgements 92 References 92 7 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of Large River Deposits: Recognition in the Ancient Record, and Distinction from ‘Incised Valley Fills’ 97 Christopher R. Fielding 7.1 Introduction 97 7.2 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of Modern Big Rivers 100 7.3 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of Ancient Big Rivers 103 7.4 Discussion: Ancient Big River Deposits vs ‘Incised Valley Fills’ 105 7.5 Conclusion 107 Acknowledgements 108 References 108 Part II: Case Studies 8 Effects of Tectonism, Climate Change, and Sea-level Change on the Form and Behaviour of the Modern Amazon River and its Floodplain 115 Leal A.K. Mertes and Thomas Dunne 8.1 Background 115 8.2 Amazon Basin Characteristics 116 8.3 Lithologic and Tectonic Influences on the Modern Amazon 117 8.3.1 First-Order Basin-Scale Influences 117 8.3.2 Second-Order Transverse Structures 121 8.3.3 Fracture Patterns 121 8.3.4 Structural Influences on Amazon River Geomorphology 125 8.4 Influence of Climate Change on the Amazon River 132 8.5 Influence of Sea-Level Changes on the Amazon River and Floodplain 135 8.6 Conclusion 139 Acknowledgements 140 References 140 9 The Mississippi River System 145 James C. Knox 9.1 Introduction 145 9.2 Cenozoic Drainage Evolution 145 9.3 Influence of Quaternary Glaciations 148 9.4 Proglacial Lakes and Extreme Floods 150 9.5 Response of the Lower Mississippi Valley to Upper Valley Glaciation and Flooding 151 9.6 The Mississippi River System during the Holocene 153 9.6.1 Climate and Vegetation Changes 153 9.6.2 Holocene Alluvial Episodes 156 9.6.3 Holocene Flood Episodes in the Upper Mississippi Valley 156 9.6.4 Lower Valley Alluvial Responses to Upper Valley Holocene Environmental Change 160 9.7 Morphology of the Mississippi River 162 9.7.1 Upper Mississippi River 162 9.7.2 Lower Mississippi River 165 9.8 Modern Hydrology 167 9.8.1 Climate, Runoff, and Floods 167 9.8.2 Dams: Flow Modification and Sediment Storage 171 9.9 The Mississippi River System: Summary and Outlook 174 Acknowledgments 177 References 177 10 The Colorado River 183 John C. Schmidt 10.1 Introduction 183 10.2 Physiography 186 10.2.1 Description of the Green and Colorado Rivers, from Headwaters to the Sea 187 10.3 Age of the River 189 10.4 Gradient, Valley Width, and Channel Form in the Colorado Plateau 191 10.5 Hydrology: Pre-dam 193 10.6 Hydrology: Post-dam 196 10.6.1 Upper Basin 197 10.6.2 Lower Basin 198 10.7 Pre-Dam and Post-Dam Sediment Yield and Sediment Transport 200 10.8 Channel Adjustment and Change During the Twentieth Century 203 10.8.1 The Delta 204 10.8.2 The Imperial Valley and Salton Sea 206 10.8.3 The Lower River 208 10.8.4 The River System within the Colorado Plateau 209 10.9 Implications of Hydrology, Sediment Transport, Channel Change, and Temperature to the Endemic Fishery 211 10.10 Environmental Management of the Modern River 215 10.10.1 The Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program 215 10.10.2 Opportunities for Recovery of the Delta Ecosystem 217 10.11 The Future 217 10.11.1 The Delta and Lower River 217 10.11.2 The Grand Canyon Ecosystem 217 10.11.3 The Upper Basin 219 10.12 Conclusion 219 References 219 11 The Lena River: Hydromorphodynamic Features in a Deep Permafrost Zone 225 François Costard and Emmanuèle Gautier 11.1 Introduction 225 11.2 Description of the Lena Drainage Basin 225 11.3 A Periglacial Environment 227 11.4 Floodplain, Delta and Periglacial Landforms 227 11.5 Fluvial Dynamics and Landforms 227 11.6 Thermal Erosion and its Impact on the Fluvial Forms 231 11.7 Impact of Climatic Change on the Hydrosystem 232 11.8 Conclusion 232 References 232 12 The Danube: Morphology, Evolution and Environmental Issues 235 Dénes Lóczy 12.1 Introduction 235 12.2 Water and Sediment 235 12.3 Headwaters of the Danube 238 12.4 The Danube: a Description 239 12.4.1 The Upper Danube in Germany and Austria 239 12.4.2 The Middle Danube (Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia) 241 12.4.3 The Lower Danube (Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine) 242 12.5 The Danube Delta 242 12.5.1 Delta Habitats and Environmental Problems 243 12.6 The Evolution of the Valley of the Danube 245 12.6.1 The Upper Section 245 12.6.2 The Middle Section 251 12.6.3 The Lower Section 253 12.6.4 The Delta 254 12.7 Human Impacts 254 12.7.1 A Brief History of Channelization 254 12.7.2 The Rhine–Main–Danube Canal 256 12.7.3 A Recent Example of Damming the Danube: the Gabcíkovo Barrage in Slovakia 256 12.7.4 Pollution 256 12.7.5 How Much is the Danube Worth? 257 References 257 13 The Nile: Evolution, Quaternary River Environments and Material Fluxes 261 Jamie C. Woodward, Mark G. Macklin, Michael D. Krom and Martin A. J. Williams 13.1 Introduction 261 13.2 Nile Basin River Environments 263 13.3 Early Origins and the Late Miocene and Pliocene Nile 265 13.3.1 The Late Miocene Nile Canyon in Egypt 265 13.3.2 The Integrated Nile 267 13.4 The Late Pleistocene and Holocene Nile 268 13.4.1 20 000 to 12 500 14 C Years BP 268 13.4.2 12 500 to 5000 14 C Years BP 270 13.4.3 5000 14 C Years BP to Present 272 13.5 Records of Nile River Behaviour in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea 273 13.6 The Modern Nile: Hydrology and Geomorphology 274 13.6.1 The White Nile Basin 274 13.6.2 The Blue Nile and Atbara Basins 277 13.6.3 The Confluence Zone and the Desert Nile from Khartoum to the Mediterranean 278 13.7 The Suspended Sediment Budget 279 13.7.1 Reservoir Sedimentation 281 13.7.2 Suspended Sediment Dynamics Downstream of the Aswan High Dam 283 13.8 The Nile Delta and the Eastern Mediterranean 284 13.8.1 The Delta and Coastal Zone 284 13.8.2 Sediment Supply to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea 284 13.9 River Basin Management and Global Change 287 Acknowledgements 289 References 289 14 The Congo River, Central Africa 293 Jürgen Runge 14.1 Introduction 293 14.2 The Course of the Congo River 293 14.3 Geology and Geomorphology of the Congo Basin 299 14.3.1 The Central Congo Basin 299 14.3.2 The Asande Rise 301 14.3.3 The Atlantic Rise 301 14.3.4 The Angolan and Shaba Highland 302 14.3.5 The Western Rift Rise 302 14.4 Evolution of the Congo River 302 14.5 The Flow Regime of the Congo 303 14.6 Solid, Suspended, and Dissolved Load 303 14.7 The Congo Mouth and the Submarine Canyon 306 14.8 The Congo River and its Economic Importance 307 14.9 Conclusion 308 Acknowledgements 308 References 308 15 The Zambezi River 311 Andy E. Moore, Fenton P.D. (Woody) Cotterill, Mike P.L. Main and Hugh B. Williams 15.1 Introduction 311 15.2 The Zambezi River System 313 15.3 Hydrology 317 15.4 Ecological Impact of Major Dams 320 15.5 Evolution of the Zambezi River System 321 15.6 Drainage Evolution and Speciation 328 15.7 Cultural and Economic Aspects 330 15.8 Conclusion 330 Acknowledgements 331 References 331 16 The Geographic, Geological and Oceanographic Setting of the Indus River 333 Asif Inam, Peter D. Clift, Liviu Giosan, Ali Rashid Tabrez, Muhammad Tahir, Muhammad Moazam Rabbani and Muhammad Danish 16.1 Introduction 333 16.2 The Drainage Basin 334 16.2.1 Geology 334 16.2.2 Hydrology 334 16.3 The River 335 16.4 Evolution of the Indus River 335 16.5 The Indus Delta 336 16.6 Submarine Indus System 338 16.7 Water Management 339 16.8 The Indus Dolphins 341 16.9 Environmental Changes 342 16.10 Human-Induced Changes in the Indus Delta 342 16.11 Conclusion 344 References 345 17 The Ganga River 347 Indra B. Singh 17.1 Introduction 347 17.2 Hydrology 347 17.3 Water Quality 353 17.4 Sediment Transfer in the Ganga 353 17.4.1 Dissolved Load 353 17.4.2 Suspended Load and Bed Load 353 17.5 Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Sediments 355 17.6 Heavy Metals and Pollutants in the Sediment 356 17.7 The Plain and the River 356 17.8 The Delta 362 17.9 A Summary of Current Geomorphic Processes 365 17.10 Quaternary Evolution of the Ganga 366 17.11 Utilization of the River and Associated Problems 367 Acknowledgements 368 References 368 18 Erosion and Weathering in the Brahmaputra River System 373 Sunil K. Singh 18.1 Introduction 373 18.2 The Brahmaputra River System 373 18.3 Geology of the Basin 375 18.4 Hydrology 377 18.5 Floods in the Brahmaputra 378 18.6 Characteristics of the Brahmaputra Channel 381 18.7 Erosion and Weathering 382 18.8 Sediment Yield or Erosion Rates in the Various Zones 386 18.9 Chemical Weathering and Erosion 386 18.9.1 Water Chemistry 387 18.9.2 Silicate Weathering 388 18.10 Bed Load and Weathering Intensity 389 18.11 Control of Physical and Chemical Erosion in the Brahmaputra Basin 389 18.12 Conclusion 391 References 391 19 The Brahmaputra-Jamuna River, Bangladesh 395 James L. Best, Philip J. Ashworth, Maminul H. Sarker and Julie E. Roden 19.1 Background 395 19.1.1 The River 395 19.1.2 Basinal Setting and Controls on Sedimentation 397 19.1.3 Hydrology, Sediment Yield and Channel Size 398 19.2 Channel Scale Morphology and Historical Changes in the Course of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna River 399 19.3 Bedform Types and Dynamics 405 19.3.1 Small-Scale Bedforms (ripples, dunes and upper-stage plane beds) 405 19.3.2 Large-Scale Bedforms (bars and bar complexes) 407 19.4 Bifurcations, Offtakes and Confluences 413 19.5 Floodplain Sedimentation 414 19.6 Sedimentology of the Jamuna River 418 19.7 Applied Geomorphology and Engineering in the Jamuna River 423 19.8 Summary 427 Acknowledgements 429 References 430 20 The Mekong River: Morphology, Evolution, Management 435 Avijit Gupta 20.1 Introduction 435 20.2 The Mekong Basin 437 20.2.1 Geology 437 20.2.2 Relief 437 20.2.3 Hydrology 439 20.2.4 Land Use 440 20.3 The River 443 20.4 The Mekong Over Time: The Geomorphic History 449 20.5 Erosion and Sediment Transfer 450 20.6 The Mekong and its Basin: Resource and Management 451 20.7 Conclusion 453 Acknowledgements 453 References 453 21 Dynamic Hydrology and Geomorphology of the Yangtze River 457 Zhongyuan Chen, Kaiqin Xu and Masataka Watanabe 21.1 Basin Geology and Landforms 457 21.2 River Morphology 460 21.3 Storage and Transfer of Water and Sediment 460 21.3.1 Discharge and Flood Patterns 460 21.3.2 Sediment Flux in the Yangtze: A Decreasing Trend over the Last 40 Years 462 21.3.3 Three Gorges Area: A New Sediment Provenance and a Depleted Valley 463 21.3.4 Middle Yangtze: Sediment Sources and Sinks 463 21.3.5 The Lower Yangtze: Transfer of Sediment 466 21.3.6 The Yangtze Estuary: A Major Sediment Sink 466 21.4 Large-scale River Management – Three Gorges Dam and the Planned Water Transfer 467 Acknowledgements 468 References 468 Part III: Measurement and Management 22 The Nile River: Geology, Hydrology, Hydraulic Society 471 M. Gordon Wolman and Robert F. Giegengack 22.1 Introduction 471 22.2 Physiography 471 22.2.1 The Lake District 472 22.2.2 The Lowlands of Southern Sudan 472 22.2.3 The Ethiopian Tableland 472 22.2.4 The Cataract Reach 474 22.2.5 The Alluvial Nile 475 22.3 Geologic History 475 22.3.1 White Nile: Uganda, Kenya, Sudan 475 22.3.2 Egypt 476 22.3.3 The Blue Nile and the Atbara: Ethiopia 477 22.4 Climate and Climate Change 477 22.4.1 Introduction 477 22.4.2 The Region 479 22.5 Hydrology 481 22.5.1 Introduction 481 22.5.2 The White Nile 482 22.5.3 The Blue Nile 483 22.5.4 The Nile below Khartoum 483 22.5.5 The Nile Flows in Egypt 484 22.6 A Unique Record 484 22.7 The Nile and Hydraulic Civilizations 485 Acknowledgements 489 References 489 23 Patterns and Controls on Historical Channel Change in the Willamette River, Oregon, USA 491 Jennifer Rose Wallick, Gordon E. Grant, Stephen T. Lancaster, John P. Bolte and Roger P. Denlinger 23.1 Introduction 491 23.2 An Approach for Interpreting Multiple Impacts on Large Rivers 493 23.3 Geologic Setting, Human and Flood History of the Willamette 495 23.3.1 Watershed Physiography and Climate 495 23.3.2 Geological Setting of the Willamette in Relation to Channel Stability 495 23.3.3 Study Length Delineation 497 23.3.4 Timeline and Consequences of Euro-American Interaction with Willamette River 498 23.3.5 Flood History of the Willamette River 500 23.4 Data and Methods for Measuring Historical Channel Change 501 23.4.1 Historical Channel Maps 501 23.4.2 Measuring Rates and Styles of Channel Change 502 23.4.3 Development of a Two-Dimensional Flood Model for Willamette River 503 23.5 Results: Patterns and Controls on Historical Channel Changes 503 23.5.1 McKenzie Reach, 1850–1995 503 23.5.2 Long Tom Reach, 1850–1995 506 23.5.3 Santiam Reach, 1850–1995 506 23.5.4 Summary of Willamette River Channel Change, 1850–1995 506 23.5.5 Flood Model Results 507 23.6 Discussion, Narrative of Historical Channel Change 507 23.6.1 Interpreting Historical Channel Change, 1850–1995 508 23.6.2 Extending Lessons learned on the Willamette to Other Large Rivers 511 23.7 Conclusion 513 Acknowledgements 514 References 514 24 Rivers And Humans – Unintended Consequences 517 Stanley A. Schumm 24.1 Introduction 517 24.2 Armour 517 24.2.1 Missouri River 517 24.2.2 River Nile 518 24.2.3 Mississippi River 521 24.3 Hydrology 524 24.3.1 Platte River 524 24.3.2 Niobrara River 530 24.3.3 Middle Mississippi River 530 24.4 Conclusion 532 References 532 25 Large Rivers from Space 535 Leal A.K. Mertes and T. Tamuka Magadzire 25.1 Introduction 535 25.2 Basin Characteristics 536 25.3 Valley Configuration 537 25.4 Geomorphology 539 25.5 Water-Surface Elevation, Gradient and Discharge 542 25.6 Water Extent and Inundation Mapping 542 25.7 Mapping Sediment Concentration 542 25.8 Zambezi River – Water Type Mapping on Floodplains 546 25.9 Thermal Properties 546 25.10 Change Detection 548 25.10.1 Mesopotamian Marshlands 548 References 550 26 Channel Geometry Analysis Technique for the Lower Mississippi River 553 Philip J. Soar, Colin R. Thorne, Oliver P. Harmar, David S. Biedenharn and C. Fred Pinkard 26.1 Introduction 553 26.2 Context 554 26.2.1 Lower Mississippi River Channel Geometry 554 26.3 Data Acquisition and Pre-Processing 556 26.3.1 Pilot Study Reach 556 26.3.2 Low Water Reference Plane 556 26.3.3 Separation of Bends and Crossings 557 26.3.4 Divided Channels 557 26.3.5 Pre-Processing Procedure for Hydrographic Survey Files 558 26.3.6 Data Projection 559 26.3.7 Cross-Section Screening 559 26.4 Analytical Approach and Methodology 560 26.4.1 Channel Geometry Analysis 560 26.4.2 Probability Analysis 561 26.4.3 Spatial Analysis 561 26.4.4 Temporal Analysis 563 26.5 Results 563 26.5.1 At-a-station Channel Geometry 563 26.5.2 Spatial Variability and Adjustments 563 26.5.3 Temporal Variability and Adjustments 563 26.6 Interpretation and Commentary 563 26.6.1 Channel Geometry Analysis 563 26.6.2 Spatial Analysis 568 26.6.3 Temporal Analysis 568 26.7 Conclusion 569 Acknowledgements 569 References 569 27 The Management of Large Rivers: Technical and Political Challenges 571 Ian C. Campbell 27.1 Introduction 571 27.2 The Challenges of River Management 574 27.2.1 Technical Challenges 574 27.2.2 Political Challenges 576 27.2.3 Resources 579 27.2.4 Commitment and Political Influence 580 27.3 Management of Rivers in Developing Countries 581 27.3.1 Capacity 581 27.3.2 Need for Rapid Development 582 27.3.3 Lack of Inclusivity in Governance 582 27.3.4 Subsistence Use 582 27.4 Conclusion 583 References 583 28 The Physical Diversity and Assessment of a Large River System: The Murray-Darling Basin, Australia 587 Martin C. Thoms, Scott C. Rayburg and Melissa R. Neave 28.1 Introduction 587 28.2 The Murray-Darling Basin 588 28.3 The Science Challenge for Assessing Rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin 591 28.3.1 The Theory 591 28.3.2 Application 593 28.4 Assessing the Physical Condition of Rivers at the Catchment Scale 596 28.5 The Physical Condition of Rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin 598 28.5.1 Functional Process Zones 600 28.6 The Geography of Disturbance 603 28.7 Conclusion 604 Acknowledgements 605 References 605 29 Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on Water and Sediment Discharges from the Yangtze River (Changjiang), 1950–2005 609 Kehui Xu, John D. Milliman, Zuosheng Yang and Hui Xu 29.1 Introduction 609 29.2 Physical Setting 610 29.3 Data and Methods 611 29.4 Spatial Variations of Water and Sediment 611 29.5 Temporal Variations of Water and Sediment 613 29.5.1 Annual Variations 613 29.5.2 Monthly Variations 615 29.6 Discussion – Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts 616 29.6.1 Climatic Impacts 616 29.6.2 Anthropogenic Impacts 619 29.7 Future Change and Coastal Responses 621 29.7.1 Water Discharge 621 29.7.2 Sediment Discharge 621 29.7.3 Coastal Responses 621 29.8 Climatic and Anthropogenic Impacts on Other Global Rivers – The Mississippi Example 622 29.9 Conclusion 622 Acknowledgements 624 References 624 30 Large River Systems and Climate Change 627 Michael D. Blum 30.1 Introduction 627 30.2 A Brief History of Ideas 627 30.3 Fluvial Response to Climate Change: Some General Concepts 631 30.3.1 Continental Interiors: Uplift, Subsidence, and Climate Change 634 30.3.2 Continental Margins: Importance of Relative Sea-Level Change 637 30.4 Fluvial Response to Past Climate Change: Contrasting Examples 638 30.4.1 The Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Western USA 638 30.4.2 The Ganga-Brahmaputra System, India and Bangladesh 643 30.4.3 The Lower Mississippi River, South-central USA 646 30.5 Epilogue: Large Rivers and Climate Change, Past to Future 649 References 656 Index 661

Autorenportrait

Avijit Gupta, School of Geography, University of Leeds, UK, and Visiting Scientist, Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, National University of Singapore.

Back cover copy

Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management explores an important topic in geomorphology and sedimentology: the form and function of major rivers. Our knowledge of the big rivers of the world is limited. It is currently difficult to recognise large rivers of the past from relict sedimentary deposits or to structure management policies for long international rivers. This volume brings together a substantial number of chapters on large rivers to form possibly the first structured introduction to this demanding subject. The distinguished contributors to Large Rivers have a long association with rivers of considerable dimensions. The book includes thirty chapters organised into three sections. The first part is on the environmental requirements for creating and maintaining a major river system. The second is a collection of case studies on 14 large rivers from different continents, covering a range of physical environments. The third section includes chapters on the measurement and management of large rivers. This comprehensive volume should be essential reading for postgraduate students and researchers in fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, sedimentary geology, and river management. It will be of relevance to engineers and environmental consultants in the private and public sectors working on major rivers of the world. Large Rivers is a pioneering study that hopefully will generate enough interest and controversy to push the boundaries of our knowledge related to big rivers. It may even contribute towards preventing their channels and basins from random or organised mismanagement.