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Laboratory alluvial fans in one dimension.

L Guerit1, F Métivier1, O Devauchelle1

  • 1Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris -Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, CNRS, UMR7154, 1 rue Jussieu, 75238 Paris Cedex 05, France.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
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Summary

Rivers form cone-shaped alluvial fans when sediment settles on flat plains. This study uses a simplified 1D experiment to show how water discharge controls the fan

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Area of Science:

  • Earth Science
  • Geomorphology
  • Fluid Dynamics

Background:

  • Rivers transport sediment and deposit it on plains, forming alluvial fans.
  • Alluvial fans are cone-shaped geological structures crucial for understanding sediment transport and landscape evolution.
  • Previous studies have explored alluvial fan formation, but simplified experimental models offer unique insights into fundamental processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reproduce key features of alluvial fan formation in a simplified, one-dimensional experimental setup.
  • To investigate the relationship between sediment discharge, water discharge, and the resulting fan morphology and growth dynamics.
  • To analyze the factors influencing the slope and profile curvature of a developing alluvial fan.

Main Methods:

  • A controlled laboratory experiment using a mixture of water and glycerol to transport glass beads (simulating sediment).
  • Sediment deposition occurred within a narrow gap between two transparent panels, creating a quasi-one-dimensional fan.
  • Systematic variation of sediment and water discharge to observe effects on fan growth and structure.

Main Results:

  • The experiment successfully replicated basic features of one-dimensional alluvial fan formation.
  • Fan slope was primarily determined by water discharge, maintaining a state just above the sediment transport threshold.
  • Sediment discharge influenced the fan's growth velocity, with a slight profile curvature correlating with sediment transport rates.

Conclusions:

  • Water discharge is a critical factor controlling the slope of alluvial fans.
  • Sediment discharge dictates the speed of fan growth rather than its fundamental slope.
  • The study provides a simplified yet effective model for understanding the physics of alluvial fan development.