Amazon

anabranching structures
Jorge D. Abad2 , H. Montoro3, J. Paredes3 , C. Holguin3 , J. Vizcarra3 , Kirstin Dauer1

e Research Assistant (cef26@pitt.edu), 2Assistant Professor (jabad@pitt.edu) a)

3Hydrographic Service, Peruvian Navy, Iquitos, Peru
http://www.crearamazonia.org/
s & Environmental Flows Group, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Web: http://www.pitt.edu/~jabad Patrones Hidrodinámicos y
a)Morfodinámicos de Ríos Amazónicos,
b)
b)

Combinando Mediciones de Laboratorio Figure 7. Change of the sinuosi

sinuosity of the main anabranch
y de Campo con Modelamiento Numérico

~30-31km about 1.5 (high sinuosity). MS-A
sinuosity as it migrates downstr
showed low sinuosity again afte
Jorge D. Abad
A0 remains in the range of low

a)
jabad@pitt.edu

Assistant Professor

Secondary Anabranch Width Ratio

c)
http://www.pitt.edu/~jabad/

Academic Director, CREAR
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Dept. of Geology and Planetary Science (GPS)
University of Pittsburgh, USA


Figure 8. “Secondary Anabranch
The “Secondary Anabranch Wid
Co-autores y colaboradores: anabranch over the main anabran
Hugo Montoro, Jorge Vizcarra, Jorge Paredes, Karen Quispe, (SHNA)
ned from USGS DEM data for site MS. The 4) Apparently , at the me
Figure 5. a) Floodplain width obtained from USGS DEM data for site LS. The
m. b)Change of the planform in site MS from Ronald Gutierrez,
floodplain width is aboutJiaoli
30 to 31Ren,
km. b) Catalina
Change of theEscobar, Alejandro
planform in site of a secondary
LS from Mendoza, Christiananabran
ear 2013. MS-A0 is the main anabranch 1984 to 2012. The red color is for year 2012.Ortals,
LS-A0 is the main anabranch to the secondary anabr
3 are the secondary anabranches. Notice the Frias, Collin Adrian Garcia (PIT)
whereas LS-A1, LS-A2 and LS-A6 are the secondary anabranches. Notice the migrates more compar
A2 while MS-A3 and MS-A1 remain in the high migration in LS-A0 while LS-A1 Zara Torres,
and LS-A2 Karen
remain Garcia
in the same place for a Figure 3b).
c) Location of MS in the Amazon River period of 28 years. LS-A6 is a new anabranch developed starting on 2000. LS-A2 5) From the numerical mo
 Water Resources in the World
•  The total volume of water on Earth is about 1.4 billion km3. The
volume of freshwater resources is around 35 million km3, or about
2.5 percent of the total volume.
•  Of these freshwater resources, about 24 million km3 or 70 percent is
in the form of ice and permanent snow cover in mountainous
regions, the Antarctic and Arctic regions
•  The total usable freshwater supply for ecosystems and humans is
about 200 000 km3 of water - less than 1 percent of all freshwater
resources

•  Water resource management impacts almost all aspects of the

economy, in particular, health, food production and security,
domestic water supply and sanitation, energy, industry and
environmental sustainability

http://www.unwater.org/statistics_res.html
 Water Resources in the World

152 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND POLICY RETROSPECTIVE: 1972–2002

Water availability by sub-region in 2000 (1 000 m3 per capita/year)

<1.0
catastrophically low

1.0 to 2.0
very low

>2.0 to 5.0
low

>5.0 to 10.0
medium

>10.0 to 20.0
high

>20.0
very high
Global Patterns of Pressure belts
Variability in rainfall
Variability in rainfall
NASA New missions

Watch Wet Wide World movie

evapotranspiration from satellite data

http://www.ntsg.umt.edu/project/mod16
evapotranspiration from satellite data

http://www.ntsg.umt.edu/project/mod16
Amazon

anabranching structures
Jorge D. Abad2 , H. Montoro3, J. Paredes3 , C. Holguin3 , J. Vizcarra3 , Kirstin Dauer1

e Research Assistant (cef26@pitt.edu), 2Assistant Professor (jabad@pitt.edu) a)

3Hydrographic Service, Peruvian Navy, Iquitos, Peru
http://www.crearamazonia.org/
s & Environmental Flows Group, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Web: http://www.pitt.edu/~jabad Patrones Hidrodinámicos y
a)Morfodinámicos de Ríos Amazónicos,
b)
b)

Combinando Mediciones de Laboratorio Figure 7. Change of the sinuosi

sinuosity of the main anabranch
y de Campo con Modelamiento Numérico

~30-31km about 1.5 (high sinuosity). MS-A
sinuosity as it migrates downstr
showed low sinuosity again afte

Jorge D. Abad
A0 remains in the range of low

a)
Assistant Professor

Secondary Anabranch Width Ratio

http://www.pitt.edu/~jabad/

c) Academic Director, CREAR
Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Dept. of Geology and Planetary Science (GPS)
University of Pittsburgh, USA

Figure 8. “Secondary Anabranch

The “Secondary Anabranch Wid
Co-autores y colaboradores: anabranch over the main anabran
Hugo Montoro, Jorge Vizcarra, Jorge Paredes, Karen Quispe, (SHNA)
ned from USGS DEM data for site MS. The 4) Apparently , at the me
Figure 5. a) Floodplain width obtained from USGS DEM data for site LS. The
m. b)Change of the planform in site MS from Ronald Gutierrez,
floodplain width is aboutJiaoli
30 to 31Ren,
km. b) Catalina
Change of theEscobar, Alejandro
planform in site of a secondary
LS from Mendoza, Christiananabran
ear 2013. MS-A0 is the main anabranch 1984 to 2012. The red color is for year 2012.Ortals,
LS-A0 is the main anabranch to the secondary anabr
3 are the secondary anabranches. Notice the Frias, Collin Adrian Garcia (PIT)
whereas LS-A1, LS-A2 and LS-A6 are the secondary anabranches. Notice the migrates more compar
A2 while MS-A3 and MS-A1 remain in the high migration in LS-A0 while LS-A1 Zara Torres,
and LS-A2 Karen
remain Garcia
in the same place for a Figure 3b).
c) Location of MS in the Amazon River period of 28 years. LS-A6 is a new anabranch developed starting on 2000. LS-A2 5) From the numerical mo
 A D

Onset of
Approx. Amazon Fan
Equator Retreat limit of c. 10 Ma
of marine pan-
conditions Amazonia
Extent Alpine
of Pozo
embayment
Shift of
continental divide Acre
system
Mountains/hills

65 to 33 Ma 10 to 7 Ma

B E Lowland
Emergence
of Panama Increase in
Andean-derived
sediments
6.8 Ma
Lake/wetland

Andean
nutrient
supply
Sub-Andean
river system
Coastal seas

33 to 23 Ma 7 to 2.5 Ma
Oceanic
C F
Caribbean Sea 12°N

Atlantic Ocean
Northern os
Andes Llan
Guiana Shield
Rivers
n
Amazon
ne ea Fan Equator (conjectural)
ZoAnd
b-
Su

Pebas Western Central Eastern Amazonia

system Amazonia Amazonia

Brazilian Shield Apatite

Su
b-
12°A fission-track
An
de evidence
an
Pacific Zo for uplift
Ocean Central ne
23 to 10 Ma Andes < 2.5 Ma

Hoorn et al. (2010)

Fig. 1. Paleogeographic maps of the transition from “cratonic” (A and B) to Andes (~12 Ma) and wetland progradation into Western Amazonia. (D) Uplift of
“Andean”-dominated landscapes (C to F). (A) Amazonia once extended over most the Northern Andes restricted “pan-Amazonia” and facilitated allopatric speciation
of northern South America. Breakup of the Pacific plates changed the geography and extirpation [e.g., (21)]. (E) The megawetland disappeared and terra firme
and the Andes started uplifting. (B) The Andes continued to rise with the main rainforests expanded; closing of Panama Isthmus and start of GABI. (F) Quaternary.
 vironments, lived and diversified in the wetlands (Annonaceae, ~250 species) and Inga (Fabaceae, fans in the
(Fig. 2B and table S1). ~300 species) show a similar trend of rapid di- with neotec
q  [+] Highest biodiversity
Taxa of marine ancestry in the
Miocene (42) or earlier (43), such
as potamotrygonid stingrays, thrived A Terrestrial mammal richness
in the Amazonian freshwater wet-
lands. Periods with somewhat el-
evated salinities are also indicated
by benthic foraminifera, barnacles,
(marginal) marine mollusks, and the
geochemical signature in the mol-
lusk shells (44). These marine in-
vertebrates, however, were Neogene
arrivals and disappeared with the
withdrawal of marginal marine con-
ditions. Other indicators of marine
influence in the wetlands were dino-
flagellates, pollen from mangrove
trees, and marine ichnofossils. Bio-
geographic reconstructions based B
on phylogenies also fit this scenario Tree !-diversity
(8, 20, 42). Despite such evidence,
the extent of marine influence in
Amazonia is still debated (45).
By the end of the middle Mio-
cene (~12 Ma), faster and more wide-
spread Andean mountain building
prompted peak topographic growth.
This created deep canyon incision
and erosion in the Central and North-
ern Andes, especially in the Eastern
Cordilleras and in the Venezuelan
Andes (figs. S1 to S4) (16, 46), where
alluvial megafans developed (47, 48).
It also coincided with raised sedi- Fig. 3. Present Amazonian diversity patterns. See figs. S6 and S7 for depictions
Hoorn et al. (2010)
mentation rates in the Andean fore- of the close relationship among Amazonian geology, soils, climate, and diversity.
land basins that eventually became (A) Terrestrial mammal richness (range: lightest color, 2 to 10 species; darkest, 89
overfilled. At ~10 Ma, coinciding to 109 species) (69); white polygon denotes relatively rich soils (fig. S6C). (B) Tree
q  [+-] Changing Trends

Gloor  et  al  2013  

 Main Peruvian Rivers
q Amazonas (A)
q Marañón (A)
q Ucayali (MàA)
q Putumayo (A)
q Napo-Curaray (A-M)
q Yavari (M)
q Huallaga (A)
q Tigre-Corrientes (M)
q Pastaza (M)
q Morona (M)
q Madre de Dios (M)

Low Q
High Q

High Q

| INTRO | Confluences | Ucayali River | Anabranching | Conclusions | CREAR

 I) Dynamic CONFLUENCE 5
T
Confluences M
Gutierrez, Abad,
Choi, Montoro (2014).
Geomorphology

(a) MT

RC RMT*
x0,y0 R M* RT*

(b.1) (b.2) (b.3)

M channel MT channel
(a) NormalizedCurvJDAcon5−1long−curvature5600p
(c) 2 (a) NormalizedCurvJDAcon5−1long−curvature5600p
02
C* C*

−20
−4
−2
−40 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
0 500
λM* 1000
(b) MORLET 1500
6 wavelet 2000
power spectrum 2500
λMT*
Period*

4.0 (b) MORLET 6 wavelet power spectrum

4.0 0
8.0 0
8.0
Period*

16.0
Period*

16.0 −5
32.0 −5
32.0
Fourier

64.0
64.0 −10
128.0 −10
Fourier

128.0
Fourier

256.0
256.0 −15
−15
512.0
512.0
1024.0
1024.0
95%
−20
−20
2048.0
2048.0
00 500
500 1000
1000 1500
1500 2000
2000 2500
2500
e 9: Confluence 5 (d)
at which ⇠ 1.0 (c) and
(c) Global =spectrum
Global WT
WT 51R.α=−0.032
spectrum *(a) R
α=−0.032Plan * view in the yea
S*
S*
1.233
4.0 M MT 1.233

lan view detail in 1985,

8.0 and (c) plan view detail in 2011. Note that even thou
4.0
eriod*

8.0
riod*

16.0 15.483
16.0 | INTRO | Confluences | Ucayali River | Anabranching | Conclusions | CREAR

32.0 15.483
 T

MT
M

R*MT

~ 450BM

~ 45BM
I) Modeling Dynamic Confluences (Mendoza, Abad, Ortals, 2014).
Modeling  dynamic  confluences
Do we have freely meandering channels?
 Schmeeckle
Sediment  transport  (and  geology?)  

                 Side  view  
Planform  view  
II) Dynamics of the Meandering Ucayali River (near Jenaro-Herrera)

Dauer, Abad, Torres, Frias, Paredes, Vizcarra (2014). In submission to Journal of Hydraulic Engineering

| INTRO | Confluences | Ucayali River | Anabranching | Conclusions | CREAR

Dynamics of the Meandering Ucayali River
Identifying dynamic patterns: collision of bends à
Dynamics of the Meandering Ucayali River
Secondary channels can become main channels à
Dynamics of the Meandering Ucayali River
Cutoff estimation in 15 years à
Dynamics of the Meandering Ucayali River
Field work 2013
III) The Peruvian Amazon River (Modulation of the geology)
Collision to the valley edges

Frias, Mendoza, Abad, Paredes, Dauer, Montoro. (2014). Water Resources Research

| INTRO | Confluences | Ucayali River | Anabranching | Conclusions | CREAR

 Abad et al. (2014). In submission
The Peruvian Amazon River

C. FRIAS ET. AL: ANABRANCHING STRUCTURES IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON RIV

The Peruvian Amazon River
The Peruvian Amazon River
Anabranching structures along the Peruvian Amazon River
 3Hydrographic Service, Peruvian Navy, Iquitos, Peru
Who does the
q Environmental
s& reworking
Flows Group, of the floodplain
Department of Civil & Environme
Why? University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Web: http://www.pitt.edu/~jabad
MS - Muyuy LS – Leticia-Santa Rosa
b)
a) b)

~30-31km

c)
Water Surface Elevations – MS and LS sites

MS site

LS site
h-l trans MS l-h trans LS
Single beam measurements (Aug 2010) – low flow

Abad and Montoro (in preparation)

Abad and Montoro (2013)
SC are non-developed meandering channels
MS site

Low-flow (p) Medium-flow (m) High-flow (p)

LS site

Low-flow (p) Medium-flow (m) High-flow (p)

Recirculation of water and sediment
tank
eam Parameters:
Upstr
1.  Sediment size
2.  Bifurcation angle
3.  Confluence angle
4.  Main channel sinuosity
5.  Secondary channel sinuosity
6.  Secondary channel origin and
ending
7.  Sediment flux
8.  Water flux (hydrograph)
9.  …

tank
eam
Do wnstr

Ren, Abad, Frias, (2014). In preparation, Water Resources Research

Experiments
Numerical modeling at natural scale

Mendoza et al. (2014)

Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River
J. Abad1, C. Frias1,
K. Konsoer2, J. Best2, B. Rhoads2,
E. Langendoen3, M.H. Garcia2

1University  of  Pi/sburgh,  USA  

2University  of  Illinois,  USA  
3US  Department  of  Agriculture,  ARS,  USA  
Motivation: Abad & Garcia (2009b) WRR Steady component

Fluctuating component (bedforms)

Motivation: Abad et al. (2013) ESPL (3D FEM simulations)

Disruption of the secondary flow!!!!

Near-bank shear stresses with and without bedforms

 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Study  Area  –  Wabash  River  

200m-­‐300m  

2535  m3/s  
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Numerical   TOP  
Mesh  Layout  
FLO
W  

OUTLET  
INLET  

BANK  

BED  
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Numerical   TOP  
Mesh  Layout  
FLO
W  

OUTLET  
INLET  

BANK  

BED  
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Surveying  Procedure  
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Mesh  ConstrucJon  –  Bank  Points  

SCARP DETAIL
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Numerical   TOP  
Mesh  Layout  
FLO
W  

OUTLET  
INLET  

BANK  

BED   50  
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Mesh  
ConstrucJon   1  
Bed  Points  

2  
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Numerical   TOP  
Mesh  Layout  
FLO
W  

OUTLET  
INLET  

BANK  

BED  
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Mesh  ConstrucJon  –  Water  Surface  (S=1.1x10-­‐4)  

1  
 Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  Mesh  ConstrucJon  –  SnappyHexMesh  (OpenFOAM  Tool)  

1  
3  

2  

3D RANS k-ω SST in OpenFOAM

Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River
Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River
Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River
Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River
Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River
Bed  Morphology  with  and  
without  bedforms  

Bed forms were discriminated

using Gutierrez et. al 2013, JGR-ES
Modulation of the flow structure by progressive bed
forms in the Meandering Wabash River

•  With bed forms •  Without bed forms

Modelo  computacional  basado  en  SIG  para  la  evolución  de  márgenes  y  migración  de  
meandros  
RVR  Meander  
h/p://www.rvrmeander.org/  
RVR Meander User Interface
Basic Input Floodplain Heterogeneity

4
River Centerline
Valley Centerline
1D Output

Migrated
Centerlines (yrs)
0 20
5 25
10 30
15 35

2D Output
Velocity Magnitude (m/s)

After 5 years After 35 years

1.1 - 1.5
0.8 - 1.1 1.1 - 1.3

0.5 - 0.8 0.8 - 1.1

0.5 - 0.8
EDUCATION: CREAR-ED-SPA – 2012-2013 Appendix B: Gallery of images - CREAR short course, June 2012
http://crearamazonia.org/education/crear-ed-spa/galeriafotos.php

Lectures in SHNA, Peruvian Navy

Field exercises along the Amazon Rivers and the forest

A glance on biodiversity

One-day survival in the jungle

Miscellaneous
CREAR-ED-SPA: Explore and Comprehend Amazonia through Science and
Technology
http://www.crearamazonia.org/education/crear-ed-spa/
http://www.crearamazonia.org/education/crear-ed-eng/
Spanish version: August 3-16, 2014, Iquitos, PERU

English version: Starting 2015, Iquitos, PERU

| Motivation | Meandering | Confluences | Anabranching MS | Anabranching LS | Conclusions | CREAR

CREAR-ED-SPA – Lecturers/Institutions
 Ice breaking party

Ice breaking party

Ice breaking party

Banquet

Banquet

Banquet

CREAR-ED-SPA:
Explore and Comprehend
Amazonia through Science 11111
and Technology Aquatic and terrestrial field trip 11111
Aquatic and terrestrial field trip 11111

Year 2012 Aquatic and terrestrial field trip

11 11111111 11111
11 11111111 11111
11 11111111 11111

| Motivation | Meandering | Confluences | Anabranching MS | Anabranching LS | Conclusions | CREAR

Center for Research and Education
of the Amazonian Rainforest
www.crearamazonia.org

Thank you
q Seeding funding from the Center for Latin American Studies, Dept. of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Univ. of Pittsburgh
q The Peruvian Navy, Hugo Montoro, Jorge Vizcarra, Jorge Paredes
q My research group:
Students & Postdocs: Christian Frias, Ronald Gutierrez, Kristin Dauer, Alejandro Mendoza, Adrian
Garcia, Julissa Garcia, Collin Ortals, Emily Zapinski, Marianne Choi, Catalina Escobar
MS (Medium sinuosity main channel) – Muyuy
somebody has to rework the floodplain
LS (low sinuosity) – Leticia-Santa Rosa-Tabatinga