Alluvial landscape evolution in response to deglaciation. A case study from the Thompson River, south-central British Columbia.

The amount of water and sediment entering a river control the nature of its flow. In
landscapes vulnerable to climate change, e.g., changes in precipitation, hydrology, or the
disappearance of glaciers, this could result in significant changes in water and sediment
inputs to rivers. The consequence of this may be down-stream flooding with negative
impacts to industry and society. Models mathematically relate amounts of sediment and
water input to expected changes in the properties of rivers, such as the steepness of
channels. However, there are few studies of how rivers adjust to changing conditions in
reality to test these models and determine their utility. This project seeks to study the
sediments preserved in the Thompson River valley, south-central British Columbia, to
understand how the river evolved in response to pronounced climate changes following the
melting of Ice Age glaciers in the region. Expected outcomes are a new dataset of river
deposits with quantitative ages for which past water and sediment inputs into the river have
been calculated, as well as past aspects of the river’s geometry, such as gradient.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mitch D'Arcy

Student:

Partner:

University of Oxford

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Environmental Science and Technology; Water

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: