Dynamical characteristics of geomorphologic evolution of the basins covered by Pisha-sandstone in the eastern wing of the Ordos Plateau, China

There are several basins with high sediment yield in the Pisha-sandstone covering area of the east wing of the Ordos Plateau. Due to the lack of targeted research on the dynamical characteristics of geomorphic evolution that plays an important role in the sand production, this paper analyzed the tectonic activity intensity and erosion characteristics of the area. The results show that the intensity of tectonic activities in the area is generally moderateweak and shows an unconspicuous increase from north to south. Tectonic activity is manifested mainly in the form of uplift. The uplift rate in the lower reaches of each basin is greater than the erosion rate,which is prominent in the Kuyehe and the Tuweihe rivers. During the uplift of the regional topography,the most serious parts under erosion are generally concentrated in the upstream and midstream of basins. All longitudinal profiles of the basins have a shape close to an exponential function, which indicates that they are in the early stage of erosion evolution. The mechanisms of geomorphologic evolution of these basins have a great similarity. The conservative estimate of historical average erosion rate was less than 182–520 t/(km^2·yr), much less than that of the modern times. The average stream power values are typically distributed between 4 and102 W/m, with the larger being in the Kuyehe and the Tuweihe rivers and the smallest being in the Qinshuihe River. The maximum stream power value appears in the downstream reach, which should be the main reason for the particles being directly injected into the Yellow River. From the perspective of geomorphological evolution, the current soil and water conservation measures can hardly cure the erosion of these basins in the long run.

Quantitative analysis of the macro-geomorphic evolution of Buyuan Basin, China

Buyuan River, the largest tributary within the Chinese Lancang-Mekong River region downstream of the Jinghong Dam, plays a crucial role in river function and ecosystem service of the Lancang-Mekong River. The geomorphic evolution of a basin exerts a key control on riverine sediment input and transport. In this study, the geomorphic characteristics of Buyuan Basin are analyzed using morphological parameters, hydrodynamic parameters and the stream power river incision model. The results show that: 1) The slight north-south difference of channel density is most likely due to lithology and independent of tectonic activity and climate. 2) The weak tectonic activity and the low hypsometric integral(HI) value suggest that the macroscopic landform condition limits erosion and sediment production. 3) The logarithmic longitudinal profile of the main channel defends that the upstream sediments generated by erosion are easily deposited in the downstream channel, rather than being transported directly into the Lancang-Mekong River. 4) Approximately 74% of the reaches have annual average stream power less than 500 W·m^(-1). The narrow variation ranges of stream power in 50% of the river channel indicate relatively stable hydrodynamic environment. 5) Stream erosion and tectonic activity make the longitudinal profiles of the main channel and most tributary channels unstable. The wide range(between 22.01 and 45.58 with θ=0.43) of steepness index(k_(sn)) of longitudinal profiles implies differential uplift in the basin.

Controls on geomorphic characteristics of the Xiaohei River basin in the upper Lancang-Mekong, China

Understanding the evolution of the fluvial geomorphology in an orogenic belt provides valuable insight into the relationship between upper crustal deformation and surface processes.The upper Lancang-Mekong River is in an area experiencing both uplift and erosion.The related processes provide a steady sediment supply to the lower reaches of the river and play an important role in the regional environmental changes.The Xiaohei(Weiyuan)River Basin is an important sub-basin in this area,which is characterized by large-scale topographic fluctuations,active tectonics and erosion,and anthropogenic activities.These different factors introduce numerous complexities to the local surface processes.In this study,we investigate and quantify the controls of geomorphic evolution of the Xiaohei River Basin.We located and mapped the main knick-zones within the channels and examined the main genetic factors,such as faults and stratigraphic differences.The results show that the areas with the lowest uplift rates are characterized by a low steepness index and are located in the southeastern part of the basin.The stream power of the mainstream increases downstream,with an average value of^122 W/m.The erosional activity of the various stream channels is intense.Overall,the basin tends to expansion,with only local instances of inward contraction.Our analysis confirms that a number of the geomorphic evolutionary characteristics of the Xiaohei River Basin are transient.In addition,the future potential for the increasing the number of dams and the hydropower development in the basin may weaken the expansion trend of the basin over a long period of time.

Reconstruction of surface deformation characteristics in alpine canyons under shadow conditions

Monitoring deformation in high undulating mountainous environments is critical for surface process research and disaster prevention studies. Although observations based on interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(InSAR) are an excellent tool for monitoring deformation, the shadow phenomena can limit its application. Based on a series of geomorphic parameters and limited InSAR observation data, surface deformations were reconstructed in areas with missing observations by constructing a random forest model to compensate for the shadow phenomenon at the grid-scale. The findings suggest that this method can be used to rebuild landscape variation characteristics in places where observation data is lacking. The dominant slope direction in the observation area corresponded to a more significant correlation between the reconstructed topography deformation characteristics and the observation. In addition, when building this model, consideration was given to the geomorphic parameter selection, elevation variation, hypsometric integral value, slope form, lithology, slope variation,and aspect variation;these parameters can significantly affect the surface deformation, which is closely related to their spatial autocorrelation. These findings are significant for eliminating the shadow phenomenon, which often occurs in In SAR observations taken over alpine canyon regions. The terrain and lithology of the underlying surface should be considered when reconstructing the surface deformation characteristics of the shadow region by using satellite observation data.

Mapping of geomorphic dynamic parameters for analysis of landslide hazards:A case of Yangbi river basin on the upper Lancang-Mekong of China

Landslides are common hazards in orogenic belt areas.However,it is difficult to quantitatively express the driving effects of tectonic uplift and stream erosion on the occurrence of landslides on large spatial scales by conducting field investigations.In this study,we analyzed a relatively large region that extends over the Yangbi River basin on the upper Lancang-Mekong in China.A series of quantitative indices,including kernel density of the landslide(KDL),hypsometric integral(HI),steepness index(ksn),stream power(?),and stream power gradient(ω)were used to explore the promoting effects of tectonic uplift and stream action intensity on landslides by mapping geomorphic dynamic parameters combined with actual landslide data.The analysis showed that the HI value in the highest landslide risk area was approximately 0.47,and that the KDL in the region can be expressed as a function of steepness or stream power gradient of the channel network,namely,KDL=0.0127 Ln ksn-0.0167(R2=0.72,P<0.001)and KDL=0.0219 Lnω-0.0558(R2=0.21,P<0.02).Therefore,the lower reach of the Yangbi River basin,with higher steepness and stream power gradient,usually has a high uplifting rate and stream incision that drives landslides and causes the entire river network system to be in a stage of longterm active erosion.Furthermore,the results suggest that sediments were being rapidly discharged from the steep tributary channels to the mainstream.This practical situation highlights that the downstream area of the river basin is a high-risk area for landslide hazards,especially in association with heavy rainfall and earthquakes.