The Simultaneous Occurrence of Logarithmic and S-Shaped Velocity Profiles in Gravel-Bed River Flows

Based on Acoustic Doppler Velocity Profiler (ADVP) field measurements, we discuss velocity profiles observed in two shallow gravel-bed rivers with low relative submergence. In these flows, log-shaped profiles and s-shaped profiles simultaneously exist, indicating the possibility of 3D flow inside the roughness layer. A quasi-2D layer is generally found in an intermediate region of the flow above the roughness layer. Therefore a best-fit log-law approach may lead to estimates of a roughness parameter which are reasonably correlated with the local flow resistance. However, above a certain limit of the ratio roughness/water depth (∼0.6 from our measurements), the velocity distribution in the lower regions predominantly corresponds to an s-shaped profile.