The effect of buoyancy and bottom slope on the runout and entrainment capacity of experimentally reproduced saline gravity currents is studied. The shape of the current is modified due to the entrainment of ambient water, particularly within the body region. For steep slopes, two opposite mechanisms of mass exchange are identified: the current entrainment of water from the upper surface due to the enhanced friction at the interface and the head feeding by a rear-fed current.

Mountain rivers can mobilize important amounts of sediment that endanger downstream dwellers and infrastructure during floods. Sediment traps are built immediately upstream of urban areas to retain hazardous sediment. However, many sediment traps retain too much sediment, which is then missing in downstream river sections, leading to a poor eco-morphological state. This study proposes an experimental research-based solution to improve sediment traps using a guiding channel.

In China, droughts represent a severe threat to socioeconomic development and ecosystems. It is thus necessary to characterize these events in order to reduce and anticipate their impacts. This study proposes an innovative approach for a catchment-wide drought detection and characterization. Two overall drought indicators have been defined and calibrated with real historical events, which have been collected and cataloged.