Award Date

1-1-2001

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geoscience

First Committee Member

Richard L. Orndorff

Number of Pages

223

Abstract

Effective discharge is defined as the streamflow that transports the most sediment over time and is therefore the flow that controls channel shape. Effective discharge was estimated for two sites along Lehman Creek, an alpine fluvial system. Site one (WL-1, 2951 m elevation) has an effective discharge of 0.083 m3/s and site two (WL-2, 2019 m elevation) has an effective discharge of 0.400 m3/s. Calculated bankfull discharges are 2.52 m3/s for WL-1 and 1.48 m3/s for WL-2. Bankfull/effective discharge ratios (b/e ratio) are 30.49 for WL-1 and 3.71 for WL-2. The b/e ratio difference may be due to the steeper gradient (WL-1: 0.14, WL-2: 0.062) at WL-1, which may indicate active downcutting as a response to tectonic uplift in the Basin and Range province. WL-1 also sits on resistant glacial debris (quartzite), which may cause Lehman Creek difficulty in shaping and maintaining its stream channel.

Keywords

Basin; Creek; Discharge; Effective; Estimating; Great; Lehman; National; Nevada; Park

Controlled Subject

Geology; Hydrology

File Format

pdf

File Size

5007.36 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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