A PHYSICAL EXPLANATION OF AN OBSERVED LINK AREA-SLOPE RELATIONSHIP

被引：137

作者：

WILLGOOSE, G ^{[1
]}

BRAS, RL ^{[1
]}

RODRIGUEZ-ITURBE, I ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] MIT, RALPH M PARSONS LAB, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 USA

来源：

WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH | 1991年 / 27卷 / 07期

关键词：

D O I：

10.1029/91WR00937

中图分类号：

X [环境科学、安全科学];

学科分类号：

08 ; 0830 ;

摘要：

An observed log-log linear relationship between channel slope and contributing area is explained by the erosional physics that lead to catchment form. It is postulated that tectonic uplift is in balance with the fluvial erosion downwasting that dominates catchment erosion, and it is shown that this relationship results in the observed log-log linear relationships at dynamic equilibrium. In addition, it has been observed that there are deviations from this log-log linear relationship near the catchment divide, with observed slopes being lower than those predicted from the relationship. This is explained by noting that for small areas, fluvial erosion effects are dominated by soil creep and rain splash, modeled by diffusive physics. The area at which this deviation from log-log linearity occurs is that point on the hillslope at which diffusive physics, like soil creep and rain splash, begin to dominate fluvial erosion. These predictions are confirmed by numerical simulations using a catchment evolution model.

引用

页码：1697 / 1702

页数：6

共 17 条

[1] MODELING DRAINAGE HEADWATER DEVELOPMENT [J].