GIS analysis of fluvial knickzone distribution in Japanese mountain watersheds

Although a knickzone, a location at which stream gradient is locally large and intense erosion occurs, has been regarded as an important geomorphic feature in bedrock river morphology, the distribution of knickzones has not been well investigated especially for broad area. This study examines the distribution of fluvial knickzones along mountain rivers for the entire Japanese Archipelago. Whereas conventional manual methods of identifying knickzones based on map readings or field observations tend to be subjective and are impractical for a broad-scale analysis, this study employs a semi-automated method of knickzone extraction using DEMs and GIS. In a recent study by the authors, this method has been shown to enable efficient examination of knickzone distribution over a broad area. Investigations on major mountain rivers revealed that knickzones are generally abundant in upstream steep river reaches, suggesting hydraulic origins for the knickzones. The broad presence of such knickzones in the steep Japanese mountain rivers indicates that rivers subjected to active erosion show complex morphology induced by natural irregularities of water flow hydraulics as well as various environmental perturbations such as climatic changes. There also seems to be a characteristic frequency of knickzone distribution common to moderately steep to very steep bedrock reaches in Japan. Although volcanic products such as lavas and welded pyroclastic-flow deposits in valleys can cause distinct knickzones, substrate geology plays only a limited role in determining the distribution and form of knickzones.