This thesis examines the morphological changes of non-tidal meandering rivers at the spatial scale of several meanders. With this purpose, a physics-based mathematical model, MIANDRAS, has been developed for the simulation of the medium-term to long-term evolution of meandering rivers. Application to several real rivers shows that MIANDRAS can properly simulate both equilibrium river bed topography and planimetric changes. Three models of different complexity can be obtained by applying different degrees of simplification to the equations. These models, along with experimental tests and field data, constitute the tools for several analyses. At conditions of initiation of meandering, it is found that river bends can migrate upstream and downstream. This depends on meander wave length and width-to-depth ratio, irrespective of whether the parameters are in the subresonant or the superresonant range.

This monograph discusses the mechanics of Meandering Rivers with the help of the mathematical and modeling tools built up in the previous monograph of the same Authors (monograph 1 of the present series). After introducing the reader to the ubiquitous character of meandering streams, we discuss the hydrodynamics of curved channels with fixed beds and banks. Next, we extend the analysis to account for the mobile character of the bed and show that it gives rise to the alternate sequence of riffles and pools that characterize river meanders. Allowing for the erodible character of the river banks then allows to build up a rational theory of meander formation able to explain most of the features observed in nature: meander growth, migration, skewing, multiple loops, cutoffs and meander belts.

Rivers are important agents of change that shape the Earth's surface and evolve through time in response to fluctuations in climate and other environmental conditions. They are fundamental in landscape development, and essential for water supply, irrigation, and transportation. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the geomorphological processes that shape rivers and that produce change in the form of rivers. It explores how the dynamics of rivers are being affected by anthropogenic change, including climate change, dam construction, and modification of rivers for flood control and land drainage. It discusses how concern about environmental degradation of rivers has led to the emergence of management strategies to restore and naturalize these systems, and how river management techniques work best when coordinated with the natural dynamics of rivers. This textbook provides an excellent resource for students, researchers, and professionals in fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, river science, and environmental policy.

This textbook offers a thorough analysis of rivers from upland areas to oceans. It scrutinizes select methods underlining both theory and engineering applications, emphasizing the mechanics of flood wave propagation and sediment transport in rivers. The text covers fundamental principles, engineering analysis, and engineering design, with problems, examples, and case studies throughout. Channel stability and river dynamics are examined in terms of river morphology, lateral migration, aggradation, and degradation. Detailed treatments of riverbank stabilization and engineering methods are provided, while separate chapters cover physical and mathematical models. This essential text presents both the theory and design of measures to reduce flood impact and bank erosion, to improve navigation, and to increase water supply to cities and irrigation canals. Over 100 exercises and nearly twenty case studies make this book an invaluable learning tool for students, and researchers and practitioners will find it a concise resource on the mechanics of rivers.