Analyzing the lateral changes of Aras River channel in Ardabil province using morphological indicators

Subject Areas : Applications in water resources management

Fariba Esfandyari Darabad ¹ , sayyad asghari saraskanroud ² , Mehdi Ghandai Asl ³ , Raoof Mostafazadeh ^{4 *}

1 - Professor, Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 - Professor, Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
3 - M.Sc in Geomorphology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
4 - Associate Professor, Department of Watershed Management and Member of Water Management Research Institute, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

Received: 2022-11-20 Accepted : 2022-12-09 Published : 2025-03-10

Keywords: River morphology, River dynamics, River channel change, Floodplain, Braided rivers,

Abstract :

Considering the morphological changes of rivers, the use of satellite images and information processing using geographic information system can be effective in quick and accurate evaluation of studies related to flooding. Quantitative geomorphic indices including the central Cornice angle, bending coefficient, Channel migration rate, Linear directional average and transect were calculated to assess Aras River morphometry. The indices were obtained in years 2000, 2010, and 2021 using RS and GIS. Results showed that the most important processes affecting the changes and lateral displacements of the Ares River channel is formation, development and advance of meanders across the floodplain, creating shortcuts and changing the routes of the channel. The development of shortcuts and changes of river path have caused a significant increase in the lateral changes of the river channel. Floods play the most important role in the shortcut formation and change of channel along Aras River. The results show that the Aras River has high mobility and lateral dynamics, which the river channel has moved more than 5 meters on average every year. However, all the quantitative geomorphic indicators show a decrease in changes and lateral displacements of the channel during recent years. The most important reason for the significant decrease in the values of quantitative geomorphic indices in the second time period (2010 to 2021) was in connection with the significant decrease in the occurrence of short-cuts and changes in the cut-off route. In general, it can be said that the decrease in the river discharge and the decrease in the intensity and frequency of floods have played the most important role in reducing the development of shortcuts and changing the path of the channel. The reduction of extreme floods has reduced the tendency for the braided pattern and increased the meander development.

References:


1- Amini H, Esmali-Ouri A, Mostafazadeh R, Sharari M, Zabihi M. 2019. Hydrological drought response of regulated river flow under the influence of dam reservoir in Ardabil Province. J. Earth Space Phys. 45(2): 473-486. (In Persian).
2- Amiri F, Tabatabaie T. 2022. The effect of land use change/land cover on land surface temperature in the coastal area of Bushehr. J GIS RS for Natur Res, 13(2):130-147. (In Persian)
3- Dewan A, Corner R, Saleem A, Rahman MM, Haider MR, Rahman MM, Sarker MH. 2017. Assessing channel changes of the Ganges-Padma River system in Bangladesh using Landsat and hydrological data. Geomorphology, 276, 257-279.
4-Edwards B.F, Smith DH. 2001. River meandering dynamics, National Energy Laboratory, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA.
5- Esfandiyari Darabad F, Bakhshandeh R, Rahimi M, Haji Kh, Mostafazadeh R. 2021. Geomorphological classification and analysis of Hamzekhanloo River using the Rosgen classification model. Hydrogeomorphology, 7(25): 39-59. (In Persian)
6- Esfandiyari darabad F, Hamzeei M, Alaei N, Mostafazadeh R. 2021. Spatial variations of landscape metrics in riparian area vegetation of Gharesou River reaches under the effect of different land uses, Ardabil province. Geogr Plann Space, 10(38):219-234. (In Persian)
7- Esfandyari-darabad F, Mostafazadeh R, Abyat A, Naseri A. 2021. Determination of meander pattern in Gharehsou river using sinuosity coefficients and central angle in Anzab-Samian bridge reach. Journal of App Res in Geogr Sci, 21(61):119-131. (In Persian)
8- Esmaieli R, Hosseinzadeh MM, Motevalli S. 2011) Field techniques in river geomorphology, Lahut publishing Institute, 1st Edition. (In Persian)
9- Esmaili R, Daliri R. 2019. Morphological and morphodynamic analysis of meanders in Shalmanrood River, Gilan Province. Earth Sci Res. 10(3):141-153. (In Persian)
10- Friedman J, M Osterkamp W R, Scott ML, Auble GT. 1998. Downstream effects of dams on channel geometry and bottomland vegetation: Regional patterns in the Great Plains. Wetlands, 18: 619-633.
11- Hosseini SA, Tabatabaei M. D (2020). etection of River Morphological Changes Using Aerial Photographs and Multi- Time Satellite Imagery (Case Study of Part of the Ghezel-Ouzan River from Pircham Village to Gilvan Village). J Watershed Mgmt Res, 11 (21):186-197. (In Persian)
12- Kazemi R, Yeganeh H, Khajeddin SJ, Amiri F. (2014). Comparing land use maps produced from IRS-WiFS and MODIS satellite images (Case study: Semirom- Borujen region). J GIS RS for Natur Res, 5(3):1-12. (In Persian)
13- Magdaleno, Fernando and Yuste, Jose A. Fernandez. 2011. Meander dynamics in a changing river corridor. Geomorphology, Vol. 130, pp. 197-207.
14- Maghsoudi M, Sharafi S, maghami Y. (2010) The process of changes in the morphological pattern of Khorram Abad river using RS, GIS and Auto Cad. J Spatial Plann, 14(3): 275-294. (In Persian)
15- Mehry S, Mostafazadeh R, EsmaliOuri A, Ghorbani A. 2017. Spatial and temporal variations of Base Flow Index (BFI) in the Ardabil Province rivers, Iran. Earth and Space Phys. 43(6):623-634. (In Persian)
16- Mirghasemi SH, Banejad H, Faridhaseini A. (2023). Application of remote sensing in hydraulic modeling and determination of riverbed boundaries (Case study: Ardak River). J GIS RS for Natur Res, 14(1):9-12. (In Persian)
17- Mitchell A. 2005. The ESRI guide to GIS analysis, volume 2. ESRI press.
18- Moghimi I. 2009. Ecogeomorphology and river rights. Tehran University Press. (In Persian)
19- Mostafazadeh R, Esfandiyari Darabad F, Mohammadirad L, Haji Kh. 2020. Quantitative changes and statistical comparison of river flow hydrological indicators after the construction of Yamchi Dam, Ardabil, Iran. Env & Water Eng, 6(2): 107-121. (In Persian)
20- Qiang ZC, Yongqin D, Tong J, Maotian L. 2007. Channel changes of the makou- tianjiazhen reach in the middle Yangtze River during the past 40 years, J Geogr Sci press-springer-vetlag.
21- Rezaei Moghadam MH, Tharvati MR, Asghari Saraskanroud S. (2013). investigation of the meandering pattern of Qezl-Ozen River using curvature coefficient and central angle indices. Geography, 10(34): 85-102. (In Persian)
22- Rezaei Moghaddam M.H, Keirizadeh M, Rahimi M. 2016. Investigating the Lateral Movement of Aras River from 2000-2014 (15 km away from West of Aslanduz City to Exit of the River in Iran’s Border). Geogr and Env Plann, 27(3):15-32. (In Persian)
23- Richard GA. 2001. Quantification and prediction of lateral channel adjustments downstream from Cochiti Dam, Rio Grande, NM. Ph.D Dissertation, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 229p.
24- Samiei M, Ghazavi R, Pakparvar M, Vali AA. (2017). The effect of climate change on Maharlo lake level change using satellite image processing. J GIS RS for Natur Res, 8(1):1-18. (In Persian)
25- Sayfizadeh M, Emadi AR, Fazlola R. (2013). Polerood river morphological variations in the downstream of dam, pre and post dam construction in short term scale. Irrig & Water Eng, 3(4): 59-70. (In Persian)
26- Sharafi S, Shami A, Yamani M (2014). Morphological changes of river Atrak a period of 20 years. Geographical Planning of Space, 4(14): 129-150. (In Persian)
27- Talebi khiavi H, Mostafazadeh R. 2022. The spatiotemporal dependencies of terrain indices with soil characteristics in a steep hillslope mountainous area. Arab J Geosci, 15(973).
28- Uddin K, Shrestha B, Alam M.S. 2011. Assessment of morphological Changes and Vulnerability of River Bank Erosion alongside the River Jamuna Using Remote Sensing, J Earth Sci & Eng, 1(1):29-34.
29- Valizadeh Kamran Kh, Delire Hasannia R, Azari Amghani Kh. (2019). Flood zoning and its impact on land use in the surrounding area using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) images and GIS. J GIS RS for Natur Res, 10(3):59-75. (In Persian)