Geomorphology 68 (2005) 1 2

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Preface

Fluid flow and sediment transport processes in geomorphology:

innovations, insights, and advances in measurement
We live in an era of rapid and innovative technological development. Advances in instrumentation
have allowed researchers to strive for a deeper
understanding of fundamental geomorphic processes.
Recent progress in the measurement and characterization of fluid flow and sediment transport has
provided new insight into sedimentary processes and
landform responses. For instance, instruments that
measure flow turbulence have allowed for the development of new and improved models of both sediment transport processes and bedform dynamics. This
research relies on the ability to measure at a high
temporal resolution with increased precision and to
characterize the three-dimensional components of the
flow over a wide range of spatial scales. For example,
ultrasonic anemometers are able to measure highfrequency, three-dimensional variations in airflow
while acoustic Doppler profilers can characterize flow
turbulence in rivers over an extensive and continuous
spatial field. Geomorphologists now require such
instruments to improve understanding of these processes and, increasingly, are involved in designing and
testing new instruments.
Despite the promise that these advances hold, it
remains to be seen if such an improvement in the
spatial and temporal resolution of measurement will
lead to anything more than the collection of extensive
site- or event-specific empirical datasets. Perhaps due
to our relative inexperience with these technologies
and the complexities and limitations of their designs,
we continue to learn about what these measurements
contribute to our understanding of geomorphic processes. There is also a concern that these small-scale
0169-555X/$ - see front matter D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2004.09.029

measurements may be difficult to incorporate into

models of landform- or landscape-scale dynamics at
longer time scales.
This special issue addresses some of these questions and is based on papers presented in three special
sessions held at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the
Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG). The
meeting was hosted from 27 to 31 May 2003 by the
Department of Geography, University of Victoria,
British Columbia, Canada, and was cosponsored by
the Canadian Geomorphology Research Group
(CGRG). The purpose of these special sessions and
an associated instrumentation workshop also held
during the conference was to present new developments in instrumentation for the study of geomorphic
processes and to highlight some results obtained from
these innovative techniques and approaches. The
sessions also emphasized the role of flow turbulence
in the dynamics of aeolian and fluvial systems, an area
that has benefited enormously from recent technological advances. This was a particularly timely endeavour on the 20th anniversary of Leeders (1983)
influential work, bOn the interactions between turbulent flow, sediment transport and bedform mechanics
in channelized flowsQ. Because much recent progress
in aeolian bedform research has drawn upon
approaches derived in the fluvial environment, it
was our intent to bring together researchers from all
geomorphic environments, techniques, and scales of
study to stimulate discussion and exchange that might
further our understanding of fluid flow, sediment
transport, and bedform dynamics. Emphasis was
placed on a critical appraisal of key innovations,

Preface

insights, and advances in measuring and modelling

the dynamics of flow and sedimentary processes in
geomorphic systems.
To this end, the first two papers present new,
innovative technologies for measurement of fluid flow
and sedimentary processes developed by geomorphologists such as Orwin and Smarts turbidimeter and
Lamoureuxs lacustrine sedimentation sensor. The
next five papers provide critical insight on the use
of existing instrumentation and/or models to characterize geomorphic processes. Kostaschuk et al. discuss the measurement of flow velocity using an
acoustic Doppler profiler and examine the application
of this instrument to the measurement of sediment
transport. Pearce and Walker analyze frequency and
magnitude biases in the widely used dFrybergerT
aeolian sediment drift potential model. Walker provides an in-depth discussion of the physical and
logistical considerations for using ultrasonic anemometry in aeolian research. Critical insights on temporal
and spatial considerations in measuring and characterizing flow behaviour in fluvial channels are offered by
Buffin-Belanger and Roy and by Lamarre and Roy,
respectively. The final two papers present new
findings from very different scales of investigation
resulting from recent advances in measurement
technologies used to characterize aeolian systems.
This includes Davidson-Arnott et al.s event-based
examination of the effects of wind turbulence,
moisture content, and fetch on sand transport over
beaches and Hugenholtz and Wolfes regional assessment of recent stabilization of Canadian Prairie dunes
in response to climate variation using GIS and digital
image processing. Not only does each of these
contributions document recent advances in characterizing the dynamics of geomorphic systems and
identify important research gaps and opportunities,

but they also highlight some of the cutting-edge

research in process geomorphology that is ongoing in
Canada today.
The guest editors managed the review process and
we wish to acknowledge the final editing by Richard
Marston. We also extend our gratitude for their constructive reviews on the manuscripts to: Alan Arbogast,
Peter Ashmore, Pascale Biron, Joanna Bullard, Mike
Church, Robin Davidson-Arnott, Dirk deBoer, Joe
Desloges, Patrick Hesp, Ray Kostaschuck, Michel
Lapointe, David Muhs, Steven Namikas, Ellen Petticrew, Colin Rennie, Andre Robert, John van Boxel,
Paul Villard, Giles Wiggs, and Steven Wolfe.
References
Leeder, M.R., 1983. On the interactions between turbulent flow,
sediment transport and bedform mechanics in channelized
flows. In: Collinson, J.D., Lewin, J. (Eds.), Modern and Ancient
Fluvial Systems, Special Publication of the International
Association of Sedimentologists, vol. 6, pp. 5 18.

Ian J. Walker
Boundary Layer Airflow and Sediment Transport
(BLAST) Research Unit, Department of Geography,
University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3050, Station CSC,
Victoria, BC Canada, V8W 3P5
E-mail address: ijwalker@uvic.ca.
Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 250 721 7347;
fax: +1 250 721 6216.
Andre G. Roy
Departement de Geographie,
Universite de Montreal, C.P. 6128,
Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec,
Canada, H3C 3J7
1 September 2004