Application of Structure from Motion (SFM) Method to Determine the Bed Surface Particles Sizes in Gravel Bed Rivers

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Graduated M.Sc., Water Eng. Dept., Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Imam Khomeini International University (IKIU), Qazvin, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Civil Eng. Dept., Faculty of Eng. and Tech., Kharazmi University, Karaj, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Water Eng. Dept., Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Imam Khomeini International University (IKIU), Qazvin, Iran.

Abstract

Accurate and precise characterization of the natural rough bed has great importance. Without any doubt, there is not any example of natural flow or flow near hydraulic structures with no roughness on their surrounding walls Although the traditional bed roughness characterization approach is based on the grain size distribution curve, in the recent approach, roughness determination is based on the point-to-point height measurement of the bed, which cannot be easily determined. Therefore, despite of many studies and various methods and tools which have been developed for determining the digital model elevation and statistical properties of such substrates, there is a lack of simple and low-cost method with high accuracy. In the present study, the capabilities of a close-range photogrammetric method called the Structure from Motion (SFM) have been investigated for determining the bed surface particles sizes. For verification, the digital elevation of various objects with  regular geometric shapes, such as spheres and cubes, was determined using SFM method and compared with the theoretical values ​​derived from their mathematical equation. The results of the model derived by the structure from motion method for irregular geometric shapes was performed using a laser scanner and a caliper which indicated  the high precision of the simple and low-cost SFM method. The results showed that the SFM method could accurately developed a digital model of an artificial gravel and sand bed (absolute error of 0.19 to 1 mm). Furthermore, this method was applied in the real environment;  Kordan River bed and the size distribution of the point to point  bed particles  were calculated based on the cloud points of the developed digital model, indicating the capability of the method for determining the natural roughness of the river bed based on the concepts of statistical methods.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Aberle, J., and Nikora, V. (2006). Statistical properties of armored gravel bed surfaces. Water Resources Research. 42, W11414.
Afshin, Y. (2004). Iran Rivers, Vols. 1-2, Ministry of Energy, Jamab Consulting Engineers Company, Tehran.
AgiSoft.  (2012). AgiSoft PhotoScan User Manual: Professional Edition. Version0.9.0. Retrieved June 15, 2012 from: http://www.agisoft.ru/products/photoscan/professional/.
Bathurst, J.C. (1985). Theoretical aspects of flow resistance, in Gravel-Bed Rivers, edited by R.D. Hey, J.C. Bathurst, and C.R. Thorne, pp. 83-108, John Wiley, New York, 1985.
Bomminayun, S. and Stoesser, T. (2011). Turbulence Statistics in an Open-Channel Flow over a Rough Bed, J. Hydraul. Eng., 137(11), 1347-1358.
Bray, D.I. (1985). Flow resistance in gravel-bed rivers, in Gravel-Bed Rivers, edited by R.D. Hey, J.C. Bathurst, and C.R. Thorne, pp. 109-132, John Wiley, New York.
Carbonneau, P., Fonstad, M.A., Marcus, W.A. and Dugdale, S.J. (2012). Making riverscapes real. Geomorphology, 137, 74–86. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2010.09.03033.
Dietrich, J.T., 2014. Applications of structure-from-motion photogrammetry to fluvial geomorphology, PhD Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Oregon, USA.
Dugdale, S.J., Carbonneau, P.E., Campbell, D. (2010). Aerial photosieving of exposed gravel bars for the rapid calibration of airborne grain size maps. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 35, 627–639.
Esmaeelpour, M. (2009). Evaluation of a method for justifying video-based video frames for 3D image reconstruction, M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Surveying Engineering, University of Tehran. (In Farsi)
Fausch, K.D., Torgersen, C.E., Baxter, C.V., Li, H.W. (2002). Landscapes to Riverscapes: Bridging the Gap between Research and Conservation of Stream Fishes. BioScience, 52, 483–498.
Fonstad, M.A. and Marcus, W.A. (2010). High resolution, basin extent observations and implications for understanding river form and process. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 35, 680–698.
Fonstad, M.A., Dietrich, J.T., Courville, B.C., Jensen, J.L., Carbonneau, P.E. (2013). Topographic structure from motion: a new development in photogrammetric measurement, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 38(4), 421-430.
Furbish, D.J. (1987). Conditions for geometric similarity of coarse streambed roughness, Math. Geol., 19(4), 291-307.
Griffiths, G.A. (1981). Flow resistance in coarse gravel-bed rivers, J. Hydraul. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 107(HY7), 899-918.
Hey, R.D. (1979). Flow resistancein gravel-bed rivers, J. Hydraul. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 105, 365-379.
James, M.R., and Robson, S. (2012). Straightforward reconstruction of 3D surfaces and topography with a camera: Accuracy and geoscience application, Journal of Geophysical Research, Earth Surface, 117, F03017.
Javernick, L., Brasington, J., Caruso, B.S. (2014). Modeling the topography of shallow braided rivers using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry, Geomorphology, 213, 166–182.
Kirchner, J.W., Dietrich, W.E., Iseya, F. and Ikeda, H. (1990). The variability of criticals hear stress friction angle and grain protrusion in water worked sediments, Sedimentology, 37, 647- 672.
Micheletti, N., Chandler, J.H., Lane, S.N. (2014). Structure from Motion (SFM) Photogrammetry, BSG, ISSN 2047-0371.
Mohajeri S.H. (2014a). Hydrodynamics of gravel bed flows (Implications in colmation). PhD Thesis, Department of Civil, Mechanics and Environmental Engineering, University of Trento and School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London.
Mohajeri, S.H. (2014b). An Investigation on Gravel-Bed Roughness Characterization, Journal of Hydraulics, 9(4), 73-86. (In Farsi)
Mohajeri, S.H., Grizzi, S., Righetti, M., Romano, G.P., and Nikora, V. (2015). The structure of gravel-bed flow with intermediate submergence: A laboratory study. Water Resources Research, 51(11), 9232-9255.
Nikora, V.I., Goring, D.G. and Biggs, B.F. (1998). On gravel-bed roughness characterization. Water Resources Research, 34, 517-527.
Robert, A. (1988). Statistical properties of sediment bed profiles in alluvial channels, Math. Geol., 20(3), 205-225.
Robert, A. (1990). Boundary roughness in coarse-grained channels, Prog. Phys. Geogr., 14(1), 42-70.
Shapiro, L. and Stockman, G. (2001). Computer Vision. Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-030796-3.
Ullman, S. (1979). The Interpretation of Structure from Motion. The royal society. Available from: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/203/1153/405
Westoby, M.J., Brasington, J., Glasser N.F., Hambrey, M.J., and Reynolds, J.M. (2012). ‘Structure-from-Motion’ photogrammetry: A low-cost, effective tool for geoscience applications, Geomorphology, 179, 300-314.
Whiting, P.J. and Dietrich, W.E. (1990). Boundary shear stress and roughness over mobile alluvial beds, J. Hydraul. Eng., 116, 1495-1511.
Yamazaki, D., O’Loughlin, F., Trigg, M.A., Miller, Z.F., Pavelsky, T.M., Bates, P.D. (2014). Development of the Global Width Database for Large Rivers. Water Resources Research, 50, 3467–3480. DOI: 10.1002/2013WR014664.
 
 
Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 50, Issue 1
March and April 2019
Pages 215-230

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics