Our changing rivers

As part of the project, research fellow Dr Edwin Baynes is running a suite of experiments to help understand sediment transport.

Edwin says the small-scale experiments will replicate the physical processes of sediment transport in natural rivers.

“This is a critical component of a healthy river system and one that is often impacted by human activity or extreme natural events such as storms, landslides or earthquakes.”

The experiments will use high-speed cameras to track the speed and direction of sediment, as well as creating 3D images of the topography through time, which will enhance the understanding of the controls on river behaviour.

Ultimately the work of Heide and her team aims to highlight the complex processes that shape our natural environment. It will feed into management practices that work with, rather than against, the natural dynamics of river systems.