Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 6-16-2017 12:00 AM Morphological Bedload Transport in Gravel-Bed Braided Rivers Sarah E. K. Peirce The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Peter Ashmore The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Geography A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Sarah E. K. Peirce 2017 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Physical and Environmental Geography Commons Recommended Citation Peirce, Sarah E. K., "Morphological Bedload Transport in Gravel-Bed Braided Rivers" (2017). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 4595. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/4595 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Abstract Gravel-bed braided rivers, defined by their multi-thread planform and dynamic morphology, are commonly found in proglacial mountainous areas. With little cohesive sediment and a lack of stabilizing vegetation, the dynamic morphology of these rivers is the result of bedload transport processes. Yet, our understanding of the fundamental relationships between channel form and bedload processes in these rivers remains incomplete. For example, the area of the bed actively transporting bedload, known as the active width, is strongly linked to bedload transport rates but these relationships have not been investigated systematically in braided rivers. This research builds on previous research to investigate the relationships between morphology, bedload transport rates, and bed-material mobility using physical models of braided rivers over a range of constant channel-forming discharges and event hydrographs.