Gully geometry: what are we measuring?

Much of the research on (ephemeral) gully erosion comprises the determination of the geometry of these eroded channels, especially their width and depth. This is not a simple task due to uncertainty generated by the wide range of variability in gully cross section shapes found in the field. However,...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Casalí Sarasíbar, Javier, Giménez Díaz, Rafael, Campo-Bescós, Miguel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:España
Institución:Universidad Pública de Navarra
Repositorio:Academica-e. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Pública de Navarra
OAI Identifier:oai:academica-e.unavarra.es:2454/32308
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2454/32308
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ephemeral gully erosion
Gully geometry
Descripción
Sumario:Much of the research on (ephemeral) gully erosion comprises the determination of the geometry of these eroded channels, especially their width and depth. This is not a simple task due to uncertainty generated by the wide range of variability in gully cross section shapes found in the field. However, in the literature, this uncertainty is not recognized so that no criteria for their measurement are indicated. The aim of this work is to make researchers aware of the ambiguity that arises when characterizing the geometry of an ephemeral gully and similar eroded channels. In addition, a measurement protocol is proposed with the ultimate goal of pooling criteria in future works. It is suggested that the geometry of a gully could be characterized through its mean equivalent width and mean equivalent depth, which, together with its length, define an “equivalent prismatic gully” (EPG). The latter would facilitate the comparison between different gullies.