Author(s): V. I. Nikora; D. G. Goring; B. J. F. Biggs
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Abstract: Statistical properties of gravel-bed roughness are investigated using field and laboratory data. The probability distribution of bed elevations appeared to be near-Gaussian. The empirical structure function of bed elevations consisted of two regions: a scaling region at small spatial lags and a saturation region at large lags. Thus, the structure function of bed elevations could be parametrised by introducing five parameters which fully describe roughness properties. We hypothesised that the scaling exponents are universal which reduces the number of roughness parameters to characteristic longitudinal, transverse and vertical scales. These can be determined from empirical longitudinal and transverse structure functions.
Year: 1997