Kammerer, Martin T U. of Southern California The research is directed toward an improved understanding of process-response interactions within river channels. Specifically, the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of bottom roughness elements and sediment transport rates will be examined with particular focus on feedback interactions. It is hypothesized that bedforms exert important controls on in-channel processes and thereby influence the spatial and temporal distribution of sediment transport rates and pathways. Frictional components of bedforms are viewed as active, rather than passive. This ultimately has important ramifications for channel stability. The crucial aspect of the work is to evaluate sediment transport processes in light of a drag-partitioned view of the fluid power available in a river system. A detailed study of velocity profiles, sediment transport rates and bottom configuration will be collected in the Green River of Colorado. The data will be analyzed within 'local' and 'spatial' frameworks. The results will yield new understanding of sediment transport predictive capabilities and bedform existence fields.
