ANN BASED SPATIO-TEMPORAL MORPHOLOGICAL MODEL OF THE RIVER BRAHMAPUTRA

Abstract

The channel geometry of a large braided river like the Brahmaputra in India with energy environment and complex adaptive process response system, displays variable and intricate fluvio-geomorphologic characteristics with rapid significant ages in planform. The limited width of the Brahmaputra valley coupled with the uptly flattened gradient, leads to tremendous drainage congestion and resultant ooding, bank erosion and channel instability. The channel geometry attributes at many discrete spatial points emerging out of the post-flood phase represent the footprints left behind by the river hydrodynamic action, and a careful analysis of these for a longer period provide the clue for understanding the future river behaviour with the help of a spatio-temporal morphological model. The conventional mathematical means for idealization of the intricate morphological attributes of the river Brahmaputra fail to accrue desired results for developing a spatio-temporal model. From a review of the literature, hardly any significant studies on spatio-temporal morphology of the highly braided river Brahmaputra could be found. Thus, for idealisation of intricate braided geometry to evolve desired spatio-temporal morphological models, powerful tools of artificial intelligence (Al) have been employed in making optimum use of the available hydrographic, hydraulic and topographic . data so as to extract information on the prognosis of complex river behaviour..