GEOMORPHIC PARAMETERS INFER THE 65 YEARS OF MEANDER EVOLUTION FROM THE UPPER YOM RIVER, PHRAE, NORTHERN THAILAND
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Abstract
The Yom River, one of the Chao Phraya River tributaries, shows the meandering process in the Phrae Basin within a narrow meander belt. This paper analyzed the geomorphological change of the upper Yom River in Phrae Province by assessing aerial photographs and satellite images taken from 1954 to 2019 (65 years). Identified geomorphological landforms included, neck cut-off, oxbow lakes, and meander scars that help to evaluate the channel migration. The upper and middle sections of the research site were characterized by a flat and wider floodplain area, exhibiting more remnants of cut-offs compared to the lower section. To compare the changes, five geomorphic metrics were used, i.e., channel width (W), channel length (L), sinuosity index (SI), radius of curvature (RC), and channel migrations. The width (W) underwent significant alterations due to increased bank deposition. Changes in land use were found to have various impacts on runoff and sediment supply. The channel's length and sinuosity index (SI) showed a decreasing trend, indicating frequent cut-offs at the neck and chute during floods. Erosion rates were observed to be lower in the upper and middle portions of the Yom River due to previous cut-offs, while the lower portion exhibited active bending as evidenced by migration rates versus Rc/W values. Lower Rc/W values corresponded to slower rates of bend migration.
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Copyright © 2008 Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. Parts of an article can be photocopied or reproduced without prior written permission from the author(s), but due acknowledgments should be stated or cited accordingly.
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