Meandering rivers are vital agents of landscape change and valuable aquatic ecosystems. Despite extensive research, knowledge of the factors that produce spatial and temporal variation in meander migration rates at the planform scale remains incomplete. Numerous previous geomorphological studies have focused on small scales, like individual bends or bar elements, leaving gaps in identifying the influence of large-scale controlling factors.
This research proposes to address three fundamental issues related to meander migration in glaciated Illinois. First, it will examine how spatial variation in migration rates is related to key controls including stream power, vegetation characteristics, channel curvature, bank materials, and valley confinement, using multivariate statistical analysis across the Galesburg Plain and Bloomington Ridged Plain physiographic regions. Second, the research will assess temporal variability in migration rates and correlate this variation with changes in hydrologic conditions (e.g., mean flow and flood conditions) and morphological variables over time. Third, it will develop an innovative methodology for characterizing the uncertainty of meander migration rates based on changes in digitized channel centerlines. This approach will adapt the Spatially Distributed Probabilistic (SDP) method to quantify the joint uncertainty resulting from co-registration, interpretation, and digitization errors. Addressing these knowledge gaps is critical for improving predictions of channel evolution and informing river management and restoration efforts in the Midwest region.
