Rock and Roll: Passive and automated sensing of fluvial sediment and wood transport

河流推移质是河流作用下粗颗粒泥沙在景观中运移的基本过程。大型木材是许多河流的主要组成部分，但其对推移质输运的影响知之甚少。在过去的十年里，由于山松甲虫对森林的侵扰，美国西部的河流目前正在经历木材负荷的增加。该项目将调查增加木材负荷对受感染森林内河流推移质泥沙输运动力学的影响。该项目将采用无源无线电跟踪技术，其中单个谷物/木片用无源综合应答器（PIT）标记，以跟踪推移质和木材运输。使用这种技术的研究表明，床颗粒的移动就像一个随机行走模型，间歇性的运动周期，然后是长时间的休息（布拉德利和塔克，2012年）。该项目将首次获得关于木材对床颗粒静止间隔和移动距离的影响的数据。其次，该项目将应用和开发无人驾驶飞行器（UAV），以量化河流和河道地貌的木材负荷变化。特别是，它将开发技术，以帮助使用无人机在森林环境与紧张的飞行走廊。学生将是一个大规模的PIT示踪实验的推移质泥沙输运在圣刘易斯溪，在弗雷泽实验森林（FEF），科罗拉多，美国的高山溪流的一部分。2016年8月，G.班尼特和S.瑞恩在小溪里种了1000块PIT标记的石头。一年后的初步调查发现了90%的岩石，其中30%的岩石显示出从最初的种子位置沿着河床移动到沿着100米。学生将更新和分析不断增长的沉积物运输和木材补充数据库-从种子网站和其他子流域在FEF（例如，Ryan等人，2015年）。学生将比较所获得的泥沙输运数据与流量数据，以建立对泥沙输运的水文控制。此外，他们将使用无人驾驶飞行器（UAV）来评估河流中木材负荷的变化，通道地貌和对颗粒运动的结构控制。该学生将与Gerard Parr和UEA计算机科学的同事合作，开发无人机防撞技术，用于飞行通过森林集水区（例如Luo等人，布拉德利，D.E.，和塔克，通用电气，2012.用无源无线电示踪仪测量山区河流中砾石的输送和散布。地球表面过程和地貌，DOI：10.1002/esp.3223Ryan，S.E.，Bishop，E.L.，和Daniels，J.M. 2014.科罗拉多弗雷泽实验森林源头山溪中大木材对河道形态和沉积物储存的影响。Geomorphology 217：73-88. doi：10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.03.046 Luo，S. I. McClean，G.帕尔湖Teacy和R. De Nardi，“使用扩展卡尔曼滤波器的无人机位置估计和碰撞避免”，IEEE车辆技术学报，第62卷，第6期，第110页。2749-2762，July 2013.doi：10.1109/TVT.2013.2243480

Fluvial bedload is a fundamental process by which coarse sediment is transferred through landscapes by fluvial action. Large wood is a major component of many rivers, but its influence on bedload transport is poorly understood. Rivers across the western USA are currently experiencing increased wood loading due to infestation of forests by the mountain pine beetle over the past decade. This project will investigate the impact of increased wood loading on bedload sediment transport dynamics in a stream within an infected forest. The project will apply passive radio tracer technology in which individual grains/wood pieces are tagged with Passive Integrative Transponders (PIT) to track bedload and wood transport. Studies using this technology have shown that bed- particles move like a random walk model with intermittent periods of movement followed by long periods of rest (Bradley and Tucker, 2012). The project will acquire data on the impact of wood on bed-particle rest intervals and travel distances for the first time. Secondly, the project will apply and develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to quantify changes in wood loading to the stream and channel geomorphology. It particular, it will develop technology to aid the use of UAVs in forested environments with tight flying corridors.The student will be part of a large scale PIT tracer experiment of bedload sediment transport in St Louis Creek, an alpine stream in Fraser Experimental Forest (FEF), Colorado, USA. In August 2016, G. Bennett and S. Ryan seeded 1000 PIT tagged rocks in the stream. An initial survey one year later found 90% of the rocks, with 30% of these showing movement from their initial seed location to up to 100 m along the river bed. The student will update and analyze a growing database of sediment transport and wood recruitment - from the seeded site and other subwatersheds at FEF (e.g., Ryan et al. 2015). The student will compare data acquired on sediment transport with flow data in order to establish hydrologic controls on sediment transport. Furthermore, they will use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to assess changes in wood loading to the stream, channel geomorphology and structural controls on particle movement. The student will work with Gerard Parr and colleagues in Computer Sciences at UEA to develop UAV anti-collision technology for flying through forested catchments (e.g. Luo et al., 2013).Bradley, D.E., and Tucker, G.E., 2012. Measuring gravel transport and dispersion in a mountain river using passive radio tracers. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, DOI: 10.1002/esp.3223Ryan, S.E., Bishop, E.L., and Daniels, J.M. 2014. Influence of large wood on channel morphology and sediment storage in headwater mountain streams, Fraser Experimental Forest, Colorado. Geomorphology 217:73-88. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.03.046 C. Luo, S. I. McClean, G. Parr, L. Teacy and R. De Nardi, "UAV Position Estimation and Collision Avoidance Using the Extended Kalman Filter," in IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, vol. 62, no. 6, pp. 2749-2762, July 2013.doi: 10.1109/TVT.2013.2243480