Subsurface flow and channel erosion

An attempt is made in this study to see the effect of lateral flow due to rainfall on sediment movement along the bed of a channel, as a first step to see the effect of subsurface flow on channel erosion. This study is carried out considering a hypothetical system consisting of a rectangular channel and a subsurface contributory area. The effects Of channel precipitation and the subsurface flow entering into the channel on the bed shear stresses are calculated. It is found that in each case the initiation of the motion of the bed particles starts at a certain point in between the upstream and downstream. The erosion fronts then migrate upstream and downstream for a certain time after which they retreat.