Bed-material entrainment in a mountain river affected by hydropeaking.

Hydropeaking, by artificially generated flow peaks, influences hydro-sedimentary dynamics on rivers and, consequently, affects bed material entrainment and transport. This study examines the onset of motion of sediment particles in four sections of a Pyrenean gravel-to-cobble bed river exposed to frequent hydropeaking (once per day, on average). Five criteria of particle entrainment have been used to assess the prediction of the initiation of grain motion at-a-section scale.

A review of the impacts of dams on the hydromorphology of tropical rivers.

A major programme of dam building is underway in many of the world's tropical countries. This raises the question of whether existing research is sufficient to fully understand the impacts of dams on tropical river systems. This paper provides a systematic review of what is known about the impacts of dams on river flows, sediment dynamics and geomorphic processes in tropical rivers.

Water and sediment budgets unveiling contrasting hydro-sedimentary patterns in a mountainous Mediterranean catchment.

Mountain regions have a key role in the generation of runoff, and in the production and transfer of sediments to fluvial networks, especially in Mediterranean catchments where these processes are affected by marked changes in climate and land use (i.e. global change).

Downstream changes of particle entrainment in a hydropeaked river.

Hydropeaking, through artificially generated flow peaks, affects hydro-sedimentary dynamics on rivers. The frequency and magnitude of such artificial flow pulses impact sedimentary process and, inevitably, affects bed-material entrainment. This study analyses the entrainment of particles in six sections of a Pyrenean river under frequent hydropeaking.

Mapping water and sediment connectivity.

Connectivity has become a key issue in the study of processes acting in hydro-geomorphic systems and has strong implications on the understanding of their behaviour. Given the high complexity of hydro-geomorphic systems and the large variety of the processes controlling the efficiency of water and sediment transfer through a catchment, mapping hydrological and sediment connectivity is fundamental to understand the linkages between different parts of the system and the role played by system configuration, natural landforms and man-made structures in favouring or obstacolating the continuity of runoff and sediment pathways. Furthermore, the analysis of changes on connectivity through time can help to investigate the effect of both natural and anthropic disturbance on water and sediment fluxes and associated processes.