IntroductionWho am I?

• Physical Geography and Geology: SFU, Calgary, McMaster, UBC

• Professor at Guelph in Physical Geography and Earth Surface Science for 25 years

• ‘pseudo-retired’ Adjunct Professor in River Dynamics Research Group, SFU

IntroductionWhat is my research program?

• interdisciplinary studies of sedimentary processes in rivers and lakes, including:

- dunes on river beds

- continuous turbidity currents

- underwater debris flows

plunge line

plunge point

lobe

Dep

th (

m) 0

10

200 200 400 600 800

Distance (m)

Velo

city

(cm

/s)

0.5m

salt water

gatefresh water

bed

0.5m

salt water

gatefresh water

bed

What is a river?

• a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River)

• synonyms: watercourse, waterway, tributary, stream, rivulet, brook, inlet, rill, runnel, freshet, bourn, creek

Why are rivers important?

• main conduits for the transfer of water, sediment and nutrients to lakes and oceans

• water supply, health and sanitation, agriculture, navigation, hydroelectric power, industry, aquatic habitat, recreation, aesthetics, culture, spirituality

Who studies rivers?

• ecologists, engineers, sedimentologists, geomorphologists

• fluvial (river) geomorphology (surface of earth): the study of processes and landforms associated with rivers

Course outline

1. The Fluvial System

2. River Hydrology

3. Sedimentary Processes

4. River Morphology

5. Global Change

6.April 26 1000-1200: FIELD TRIP TO CHAPMAN CREEK; meet at Capilano campus at 0945 for car pool

Source material

1. The Fluvial Systemframework for examining spatial and temporal variations in rivers

defined by the drainage basin (catchment, watershed)

Charlton 2008, Fundamentals of Fluvial Geomorphology

three zones based of the dominant sedimentary processes operating within each zone:

• Zone 1: sediment production

• Zone 2: sediment transfer

• Zone 3: sediment deposition

Charlton 2008, Fundamentals of Fluvial Geomorphology

1. production

2. transfer

3. deposition

drainage divide

1. production

1. production1. production

2. transfer

2. transfer

3. deposition

3. deposition