Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management

Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management explores an important topic in geomorphology and sedimentology: the form and function of major rivers. Our knowledge of the big rivers of the world is limited. It is currently difficult to recognise large rivers of the past from relict sedimentary deposits or to structure management policies for long international rivers. This volume brings together a substantial number of chapters on large rivers to form possibly the first structured introduction to this demanding subject. The distinguished contributors to Large Rivers have a long association with rivers of considerable dimensions.
The book includes thirty chapters organised into three sections. The first part is on the environmental requirements for creating and maintaining a major river system. The second is a collection of case studies on 14 large rivers from different continents, covering a range of physical environments. The third section includes chapters on the measurement and management of large rivers.
This comprehensive volume should be essential reading for postgraduate students and researchers in fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, sedimentary geology, and river management. It will be of relevance to engineers and environmental consultants in the private and public sectors working on major rivers of the world. Large Rivers is a pioneering study that hopefully will generate enough interest and controversy to push the boundaries of our knowledge related to big rivers. It may even contribute towards preventing their channels and basins from random or organised mismanagement.     

Spis treści:
Contents
IntroductionA book on large riversWhat is a large river?The book and its contentAcknowledgements
References   
Geology Of Large River SystemsIntroductionTectonic Settings Of Large River Systems
Rivers in Continental collision belts
2.2.2       Rivers in Rift settings
2.2.3       Rivers in cratonic settings
2.3 Complexity Of Drainage Types
2.4 Large Rivers – Climatic Settings And Climatic Variability
2.5 Modern Large Rivers – Hydrology And Sediment Dispersal
2.6 Variability In The Alluvial Architecture Of Large River Systems
2.6.1       Longitudinal trunk systems
2.6.2       Radial fans
2.6.3       Fan–interfan setting
2.6.4       Interfluves
2.7 Growth And Development Of Large River Systems
2.8 Duration Of Large River Systems And The Rock Record
2.9 Sea Level, Tectonic And Climatic Controls On The Large River Systems
2.10         Concluding Remarks
Acknowledgements
References
Hydrology And Discharge 
3.1 Hydrology of large river basins
3.2 Large rivers of the equatorial regions
3.2.1 Amazon River
3.2.2 Congo River
3.2.3 Zambezi River
3.3 Large rivers of the drylands
3.3.1 Nile River
3.3.2 Indus River
3.3.3 Colorado River
3.3.4 Murray–Darling River
3.5 Rivers of the mid–latitudes
3.5.1 Mississippi River
3.5.2 Danube River
3.6 Rivers draining south from the Himalaya
3.6.1 Ganga River
3.6.2 Brahmaputra River
3.7 Rivers of East and Southeast Asia
3.7.1 Huang He
3.7.2 Chang Jiang
3.7.3 Mekong River
3.8 High–latitude rivers
3.8.1 Ob, Yenisey, Lena Rivers
3.8.2 Mackenzie and Yukon Rivers
3.9 Summary
Acknowledgements
References
4.      TranscontinentalMoving And Storage: The Orinoco And Amazon Rivers Transfer The Andes To The Atlantic
Greatest Floods and Largest Rivers
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Historical background
5.3 Terrestrial glacial megafloods
5.3.1       Cordilleran Ice Sheet
5.3.2       Laurentide Ice Sheet
5.3.3       Eurasia Ice Sheets
5.4 Extraterrestrial megafloods and megarivers
5.5 Conclusions
References
Classification, Architecture, and Evolution of Large–river Deltas
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Definition of a Delta and Delta Components
6.3 Classification of Deltas
6.4 Morphology and Sediment
6.4.1       Morphology
6.4.2       Sediments and sediment facies
6.4.3       Sediment accumulation rates
6.5 Delta Evolution
6.5.1       Response to Holocene sea–level change
6.5.2       Changes in the course of a river channel and of its distributaries
6.5.3       Coastal environment change related to delta progradation
6.6 Problems of Sediment Supply
6.6.1       Estimation of past sediment discharge
6.6.2       Sediment budgets in deltas and sediment supply to the oceans
6.7 Concluding Remarks
Acknowledgements
References
Sedimentology and stratigraphy of large river deposits: recognition in the ancient record, and distinction from “incised valley fills”
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of Modern Big Rivers
7.3 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of Ancient Big Rivers
7.4 Discussion: Ancient big river deposits vs. “incised valley fills”
7.5 Conclusions
Acknowledgements
References
Effects of tectonism , climate change, and sea–level change on the form and behaviour of the modern Amazon River and its floodplain
8.1 Background
8.2 Amazon Basin Characteristics
8.3 Lithologic and Tectonic Influences on the Modern Amazon
8.3.1       First–order basin–scale influences
8.3.2       Second–order transverse structures
8.3.3       Fracture patterns
8.3.4       Structural influences on Amazon River geomorphology
8.4 Influence of Climate Change on the Amazon River
8.5 Influence of Sea–level Changes on the Amazon River and Floodplain
8.6 Conclusions
8.7 References
The Mississippi River System
10. The Colorado River
11. The Lena River: hydromorphodynamic features in a deep permafrost zone
11.1         Introduction
11.2         Description of the Lena Drainage Basin
11.3         A periglacial environment
11.4         Floodplain, delta and periglacial land forms
11.5         Fluvial dynamics and landforms
11.6         Thermal erosion and its impact on the fluvial forms
11.7         Impact of climatic change on the hydrosystem
11.8         Conclusion
References
The Danube: morphology, evolution and environmental issues
12.1         Introduction
12.2         Water and sediment
12.3         Headwaters of the D