Background and why we're covering it

Floodplains make up the vast majority of most riverscapes and represent the largest temporary store of sediment. In this module, we focus on the primary processses by which floodplains are built and reworked, and how these leave characteristic geomorphic units. We will again reference the Wheaton et al. (2015) Fluvial Taxonomy for geomorphic units, which is an extension and recasting of geomorphic units as described in your book and the River Styles Framework.

Learning Outcomes

• LO 1. Confidently read any riverscape and be able to map its core characteristics.
• LO 6. Appreciate that topography is a quantitative record of landforms and apply morphometric analysis can be used to map and differentiate those landforms (i.e., geomorphic units).
• LO 7. Gain an appreciation of how geomorphic processes of erosion, deposition transport and storage of sediment shape topography and create, maintain, sculpt and destroy distinctive landforms.

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Resources

Part 1 - Introduction to Floodplains

12 minutes.

Slides

Part 2 - Floodplain Formation Processes

1 hour 4 minutes.

Slides

Part 3 - Floodplain Reworking Processes

51 minutes.

Slides

Part 4 - Floodplain Geomorphic Units

33 minutes.

Slides

Part 5 - Energy Spectrum of Floodplains

6 minutes.

Slides

Part 6 - Flooding of Floodplains - Not during floods?

13 minutes.

Slides

Related Reading

This module focus on: CHAPTER NINE: Floodplain forms and processes from:

• Fryirs KA, Brierley GA. 2013. Geomorphic Analysis of River Systems: An Approach to Reading the Landscape, First Edition. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.: Chichester, U.K.

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Other Resources

Geomorphic Unit Toolkit

• Geomorphic Unit Toolkit
• GUT Projects in Riverscapes Data Exchange

2015 Fluvial Taxonomy

Wheaton J, Fryirs K, Brierley GJ, Bangen SG, Bouwes N, O’Brien G. 2015. Geomorphic Mapping and Taxonomy of Fluvial Landforms. Geomorphology 248 : 273–295. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.07.010

Williams RD, Bangen S, Gillies E, Kramer N, Moir H, Wheaton J. 2020. Let the river erode! Enabling lateral migration increases geomorphic unit diversity. Science of The Total Environment : 136817. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136817

Examples of Floodplain Forms and Processes

Meander Migration

Why Rivers Curve

3 minutes.

Time Lapse on Variety of Rivers

1 minute.

Physcial Models

Meandering and braided river in the laboratory

24 seconds from Wout van Dijk

Morphodynamic Models (Numerical Simulations)

Modelling the evolution of large river floodplains

30 minutes from Andrew Nicholas (my modelling hero) presenting at 2014 CSDMS Meeting in 2014.

Modelling Floodplain Evolution

40 seconds from CHILD model at CU Boulder