Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sediment Dynamics in a Large Alluvial River: Characterization of Materials and Processes and Management Challenges

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
River System Analysis and Management

Abstract

Sediments of a large alluvial river often hold the key to its geoenvironmental behavior. Several physical and chemical behaviours of high sediment carrying river including water quality, bank line shifting, sediment budget and bank erosion are influenced by sediments. The current study carries out a partial evaluation on some of the key factors. Considering severity of bank erosion problem in the last few years, six locations on the river Brahmaputra were considered for this study. Role of individual bank material properties in bank erosion were studied with binary logistic regression using SPSS.

Young lithology, seismicity, unconsolidated sedimentary rocks of the Himalayas, steep slope of the Brahmaputra in the Himalayas, heavy rainfall in monsoon, deforestation and Jhum cultivation were the causes of sediment generation in the river, whereas decrease of slope in Assam plains was the main cause of sediment deposition. Steepness of the Brahmaputra River is high compared to most of the large rivers of the world including Amazon, Congo, Yangtze, Volga, Mississippi, Ganges and Indus. Slope of the Brahmaputra River created by using data of 175 points along the channel taken from GoogleEarth demonstrated a much clear picture with marked differences compared to the earlier figure based on a few points proposed by other researcher.

Erosion was more severe in the south bank whereas more deposition is taking place in the north bank of the Brahmaputra, particularly in upstream of Dibrugarh. Erosion during 1990–2008 in north bank and south bank of the Brahmaputra (within Assam) were 544 km2 and 920 km2 respectively, whereas corresponding deposition were 145 km2 and 68 km2 respectively.

An attempt was made to construct a sediment budget for the Brahmaputra River in Assam using a mass balance equation. Major tributaries were found to contribute 326 × 106 t suspended sediment in a year to the Brahmaputra. Considering 30 % of riverine sediments trapped in the river beds and flood-plains, 228 × 106 t sediments were considered in suspension at downstream, whereas 98 × 106 t was estimated to be deposited. From scouring and deposition data, mass of deposited sediment on river bed has been 69 × 106 t in a year. Area of land lost due to bank erosion in a year was found to be 81 × 106 m2. Total sediment load in the river at downstream was estimated 869 × 106 t/year. Considering 10 % of sediment load of the Brahmaputra as bed load, suspended sediment load at downstream was 782 ×3 106 t/year. Tributaries, bank erosion and scouring of river bed were found to contribute 26 %, 54 % and 20 % to suspended load of the Brahmaputra at downstream. The findings differed somewhat from previous estimates possibly due to relatively dependable volume of currently measured data.

Among the analysed parameters pH, OC, CC, CEC, ESP, d10, d50 and d90, were more fluctuating in bank materials of erosion sites than that of non-erosion sites. Low (<2 %) organic content, dominance of silt and sand sized particles, particularly in lower layer of sediment profile were the major geochemical properties of bank materials contributing to bank erosion in sites like A, B, E and F. Decrease of SAR, ESP and CEC towards deeper depth showed similarity to results of other erodible areas elsewhere. Presence of clay pocket and high organic content at lower layer of sediment profile had no role in stability of bank profile in C area due to overall dominance of silt particles in the bank.

The present study has the potential scope of study of fate and transport of sediments of a large alluvial river using more data from tributaries as well as the main stem. Inclusion of hydrological parameters can led to reliable erosion prediction in a particular area. Consideration of bank material properties and erosion behavior can be effective in site specific protection measures of erosion problem.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • ADB (2007) Technical assistance consultant’s report, India: Northeastern integrated flood and riverbank erosion management project (Assam), TA (Phase 1) Workshop Materials

    Google Scholar 

  • Arulanandan K, Gillogley E, Tully R (1980) Development of a quantitative method to predict critical shear stress and rate of erosion of natural undisturbed cohesive soils. Report GL-80-5, U.S. Army Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashworth PJ, Lewin J (2012) How do big rivers come to be different? Earth Sci Rev 114(1–2):84–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barman B (2013) Evaluation of suspended sediment flux along a cross-section of the Brahmaputra River. PhD thesis submitted to IIT Guwahati

    Google Scholar 

  • Brady NC, Weil RR (2002) The nature and properties of soils. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, p 960

    Google Scholar 

  • Bristow CS (1987) Brahmaputra river: channel migration and deposition. In: Ethridce FG, Flores RM, Harvey MD (eds) Recent developments in fluvial sedimentology. Society of economic paleontologists and mineralogists special publications, SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology, USA. 39, pp 63–74

    Google Scholar 

  • BWDB (1972) Sediment investigations in main rivers of Bangladesh, 1968 & 1969, BWDB water supply paper No. 359. Bangladesh Water Development Board, Bangladesh

    Google Scholar 

  • Campos EJD, Mukherjee S, Piola AR, de Carvalho FMS (2008) A note on a mineralogical analysis of the sediments associated with the Plata River and Patos Lagoon outflows. Cont Shelf Res 28:1687–1691

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang HH (1988) Fluvial processes in river engineering. Wiley, New York, p 5

    Google Scholar 

  • Charlton R (2008) Process of erosion, transport and deposition: fundamentals of fluvial geomorphology. Routledge, London, p 97

    Google Scholar 

  • Church M (2006) Bed material transport and the morphology of alluvial river channels. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 34:325–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman JM (1969) Brahmaputra river: channel processes and sedimentation. Sedimentol Geol 3(2–3):129–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins AL, Walling DE, Leeks GJL (1997) Finger printing suspended sediment sources in larger river basins: combining assessment of spatial provenance and source type. Geogr Ann 79A:239–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dade WB, Nowell ARM, Jumars PA (1992) Predicting erosion resistance of muds. Mar Geol 105(1–4):285–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Datta DK, Gupta LP, Subramanian V (1999) Distribution of C N and P in the sediments of the Ganges – Brahmaputra – Meghna river system in the Bengal basin. Org Geochem 30:75–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EPA (2003) River morphology, low land river bank stability and erosion assessment. pp 6–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans DJ, Gibson CE, Rossell RS (2006) Sediment loads and sources in heavily modified Irish catchments: a move towards informed management strategies. Geomorphology 79:93–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fayed LA (1970) Clay minerals of some of the river Nile sediments near Cairo. Int J Rock Mech Miner Sci 7:249–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garzanti E, Andò S, France-Lanord C, Vezzoli G, Galy V, Najman Y (2010) Mineralogical and chemical variability of fluvial sediments 1. Bedload sand (Ganga – Brahmaputra, Bangladesh). Earth Planet Sci Lett 299(3–4):368–381

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodbred SL Jr, Kuehl SA (1998) Floodplain processes in the Bengal Basin and the storage of Ganges–Brahmaputra river sediment: an accretion study using Cs-137 and Pb-210 geochronology. Sediment Geol 121(3):239–258

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goodbred SL Jr, Kuehl SA (1999) Holocene and modern sediment budgets for the Ganges-Brahmaputra River: evidence for high stand dispersal to floodplain shelf and deep-sea depocenters. Geology 27:559–562

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goswami D (1985) Brahmaputra river, Assam, India: physiography, basin denudation and channel aggradation. Water Resour Res 21(7):959–978

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grabowski RC, Droppo IG, Geraldene W (2011) Erodibility of cohesive sediment: the importance of sediment properties. Earth Sci Rev 105:101–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hay R (1998) Sense of place in developmental context. J Environ Psychol 18(1):5–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Hjulstrom F (1935) Studies of the morphological activity of rivers as illustrated by the river Fyris. Bull Geol Inst Univ Upps 25:221–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Hossain MM (1992) Total sediment load in the lower Ganges and jamuna. J Inst Eng Bangladesh 20(1–2):1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam MR, Begum SF, Yamaguchi Y, Ogawa K (1999) The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers in Bangladesh: basin denudation and sedimentation. Hydrol Process 13(17):2907–2923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kakati H, Changkakati PP (eds) (2013) Proceedings of the Assam Water Conference 2013. Water Resources Department, Government of Assam, Dispur, p 41

    Google Scholar 

  • Latrubesse E (2008) Patterns of anabranching channels: the ultimate end-member adjustment of mega rivers. Geomorphology 101(1):130–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lebert M, Horn R (1991) A method to predict the mechanical strength of agricultural soils. Soil Tillage Res 19(2–3):275–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee S (2005) Application of logistic regression model and its validation for landslide susceptibility mapping using GIS and remote sensing data. Int J Remote Sens 26(7):1477–1491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin J, Ashworth PJ (2014) Defining large river channel patterns: alluvial exchange and plurality. Geomorphology 215:83–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu JP, Xue Z, Ross K, Wang HZ, Yang ZS, Li AC, Gao S (2009) Fate of sediments delivered to the sea by Asian large rivers: long-distance transport and formation of remote alongshore clinothems. Sediment Rec 7(4):4–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Lohnes RA, Handy RL (1968) Slope angles in friable loess. J Geol 76(3):247–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin JM, Meybeck M (1979) Elemental mass-balance of material carried by major world rivers. Mar Chem 7(3):173–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Milliman JD, Meade RH (1983) World-wide delivery of river sediment to the oceans. J Geol 91(1):1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milliman JD, Syvitski PM (1992) Geomorphic/tectonic control of sediment discharge to the ocean: the importance of small mountainous rivers. J Geol 100:525–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RPC (2005) Soil erosion and conservation. Blackwell, Oxford, p 304

    Google Scholar 

  • NEC (1993) Chapter VIII, morphological studies of river Brahmaputra, WAPCOS. pp VIII–2

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohlmacher CG, Davis CJ (2003) Using multiple regression and GIS technology to predict landslide hazard in northeast Kansas, USA. Eng Geol 69(3–4):331–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ojha CSP, Singh VP (2004) Introduction. The Brahmaputra basin water resources. V.P Singh et al. (eds). p 2

    Google Scholar 

  • Osman AM, Thorne CR (1988) Riverbank stability analysis I: theory. J Hydraul Eng ASCE 114:134–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pahuja S, Goswami D (2006) A fluvial geomorphology perspective on the knowledge base Brahmaputra. Draft paper No. 3, Study of natural resources, water and the environmental nexus for development and growth in Northeast India, World Bank and Gauhati University

    Google Scholar 

  • Pokrovsky OS, Schott J, Kudryavtzev DI, Dupre B (2005) Basalt weathering in central Siberia under permafrost conditions. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 69(24):5659–5680

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Quirk JP (2001) The significance of the threshold and turbidity concentrations in relation to sodicity and microstructure. Aust J Soil Res 39(6):1185–1217

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raudkivi AJ (1999) Loose boundary hydraulics-grey zones, river sedimentation. In: Jayawardena L, Wang (eds) Balkema, Rotterdam, p 5

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauret G, Lopez-Sanchez JF, Sahuquillo A, Rubio R, Davidson C, Ure A, Quevauvillerc P (1999) Improvement of the BCR three step sequential extraction procedure prior to the certification of new sediment and soil reference materials. J Environ Monit 1(1):57–61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rengasamy P, Churchman GJ (1999) Cation exchange capacity, exchangeable cations and sodicity. In: Peverill KI, Sparrow LA, Reuter DJ (eds) Soil analysis: an interpretation manual. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson DA, Phillips CP (2001) Crust development in relation to vegetation and agricultural practice on erosion susceptible, dispersive clay soils from central and southern Italy. Soil Tillage Res 60(1):1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowell DL (1994) Soil science: methods and applications. Longman, London, p 350

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabri AW, Rasheed KA, Kassim TI (1993) Heavy metals in the water, suspended solids and sediment of the River Tigris impoundment at Samarra. Water Res 27(6):1099–1103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanford LP (2008) Modeling a dynamically varying mixed sediment bed with erosion, deposition, bioturbation, consolidation, and armoring. Comput Geosci 34(10):1263–1283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santis FD, Giannossi ML, Medici L, Summa V, Tateo F (2010) Impact of physico-chemical soil properties on erosion features in the Aliano area (Southern Italy). Catena 81(2):172–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarin MM, Borole DV, Krishnaswami S (1979) Geochemistry and geochronology of sediments from the Bay of Bengal and the equatorial Indian Ocean. Proc Indian Acad Sci Sect A, Phys Sci 88 (pt. 2, 2):131–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarin MM, Krishnaswami S, Dilli K, Somayajulu BLK, Moore WS (1989) Major ion chemistry of the Ganga– Brahmaputra river system: weathering processes and fluxes to the Bay of Bengal. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 53(5):997–1009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarkar MH, Thorne CR (2006). Morphological response of the Brahmaputra-Padma-Lower Meghna river system to the Assam Earthqake of 1950. Braided Rivers, Special publication no. 36, International Association of Sedimentologists, University of Nottingham, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarma JN (2005) Fluvial processes and morphology of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India. Geomorphology 70(3–4):226–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumm SA (1960) The shape of alluvial channels in relation to sediment type. US Geological Survey Professional Paper No. 352-B

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumm SA (1971) Fluvial geomorphology: historical perspective, river mechanics. In: Shen HW (ed) P.O. Box 606, Ft. Collins, Colorado, FAO, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumm SA (1977) The fluvial system. Wiley, New York, p 388

    Google Scholar 

  • Sekely AC, Mulla DJ, Bauer DW (2002) Streambank slumping and its contribution to the phosphorus and suspended sediment loads of the Blue Earth River, Minnesota. J Soil Water Conserv 57:243–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon A, Darby SE (1999) The nature and significance of incised river channels. In: Darby SE, Simon A (eds) Incised river channels. Wiley, Chichester, pp 3–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh SK, France-Lanord C (2002) Tracing the distribution of erosion in the Brahmaputra watershed from isotopic compositions of stream sediments. Earth Planet Sci Lett 202(3–4):645–662

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh M, Sharma M, Tobschall HJ (2005) Weathering of the Ganga alluvial plain, northern India: implications from fluvial geochemistry of the Gomati River. Appl Geochem 20:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stigliani WM (1991) Chemical time bombs: definition, concepts and examples, IIASA executive report 16. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria

    Google Scholar 

  • Subramanian V, Richey JE, Abbas N (1985) Geochemistry of river basins of India, Pt II: Preliminary studies on the particulate C and N in the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system. In: Degens, ET, Kempe S, Herrera R (Eds) Transport of carbon and minerals in major world rivers, Pt.3, Mitt. Geol.- Paläont. Inst. Univ. Hamburg, SCOPE/UNEP Sonderbd Heft 58, pp. 513–518

    Google Scholar 

  • Sumner ME (1993) Sodic soils: new perspectives. Aust J Soil Res 31:683–750

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takaldany AE (2003) Bank Stability analysis for predicting reach scale land loss and sediment yield. J Am Water Resour Assoc 39(4):897–909

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tandon SK, Sinha R (2007) Geology of large river systems. In: Gupta A (ed) Chapter 2: large rivers. Wiley, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorne CR, Tovey NK (1981) Stability of composite river banks. Earth Surf Process Landf 6:469–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tripathy GR, Singh SK, Ramaswamy V (2014) Major and trace element geochemistry of Bay of Bengal sediments: implications to provenances and their controlling factors. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 397:20–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turkian KK, Wedephol KH (1961) Distribution of the elements in some major units of the earth crust. Geol Soc Am Bull 72(2):175–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Twidale CR (2004) River patterns and their meaning. Earth Sci Rev 67(3–4):159–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viers J, Dupre B, Gaillardet J (2009) Chemical composition of suspended sediments in world rivers: new insights from a new database. Sci Total Environ 407(2):853–868

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walker J, Arnborg L, Peippo J (1987) Riverbank erosion in the Colville Delta, Alaska. Geogr Ann 69(1):61–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Web BW, Foster IDL, Gurnell AM (1995) Hydrology, water quality and sediment behaviour. In: Foster IDL, Gurnell AM, Webb BW (eds) Sediment and water quality in river catchments. Wiley, England

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiebe H (2006) Brahmaputra flooding and erosion in Northeast India, Draft paper No. 4, study of natural resources, water and the environmental nexus for development and growth in Northeast India, World Bank and Gauhati University

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson CG, Kuhnle RA, Bosch DD, Steiner JL, Starks PJ, Tomer MD, Wilson GV (2008) Quantifying relative contributions from sediment sources in conservation effects assessment project watersheds. J Soil Water Conserv 63:523–531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winterwerp JC, Kesteren WGM (2004) Introduction to the physics of cohesive sediment in the marine environment. Elsevier, Amsterdam, p 576

    Google Scholar 

  • Wischmeier WH, Mannering JV (1969) Relation of soil properties to its erodibility. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 33:131–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolman MG (1959) Factors influencing erosion of a cohesive river bank. Am J Sci 257(3):204–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yujun YI, Zhaoyin WANG, Zhang K, Guoan YU, Xuehua DUAN (2008) Sediment pollution and its effect on fish through food chain in the Yangtze River. Int J Sediment Res 23(4):338–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang RJ (1989) River dynamics. Water Power Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

Web References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India

    Chandan Mahanta & Lalit Saikia

Authors
  1. Chandan Mahanta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lalit Saikia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chandan Mahanta .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Water Resources Development & Management, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India

    Nayan Sharma

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Mahanta, C., Saikia, L. (2017). Sediment Dynamics in a Large Alluvial River: Characterization of Materials and Processes and Management Challenges. In: Sharma, N. (eds) River System Analysis and Management . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1472-7_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation