River bed deformation and possible drivers in the Upper Apalachicola River, Florida

Keywords: Dem of Difference, River Bathymetry, Machine learning, Rivers, Sediment, bedload, river bed deformation
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Monday
Session Start / End Time: 2/28/2022 11:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/28/2022 12:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 33

Abstract

The fundamental importance of rivers as a geomorphic landscape cannot be overemphasized since water for drinking, cooling, irrigation, biodiversity, habitat, sediment, nutrients, flood protection, etc., are among the essential ecosystem services rivers provide. River degradation is a long-term change in riverbed elevation resulting from natural or human-induced factors. This research investigated riverbed deformation in the upper Apalachicola River. This study used historical hydrographic data of 1960 and 2010 and hydrological data (stage and discharge) to evaluate the river bed morphological changes and bedload sediment transport. To create an accurate bathymetric model—digital elevation model (DEM), we interpolated the survey points using the kriging method by first converting the stream to a channel centred coordinate system. Sediment changes and river bed deformation were then estimated by subtracting the elevations to generate the DEM of Difference (DoD). The results reveal changes in the river bed elevation. Drivers of river bed deformation were quantified using machine learning techniques (Boosted regression tree). The result indicates that human-induced drivers are more significant drivers responsible for river bed elevation changes and sediment volume changes.