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8032390 
Journal Article 
Ribbon Plots - A Spatial Flow Analysis Tool for Stable Multiple-Channel Drainage Networks 
Kucharska, DJ; Stewardson, MJ; Ryu, DR; Costelloe, JF; Sims, N 
2013 
1707-1713 
WOS:000357105901107 
Quantitative, landscape-scale hydrological and geomorphic analysis of remote, multiple-channel river reaches is hampered by a lack of representational tools, and measurement difficulty during significant flow events. A "black box" input/output modelling approach obscures spatial distribution of flow. At the other extreme, small-scale localised studies may be insufficient to identify landscape-scale emergent patterns. Fieldwork is infrequent, and often impossible during flows, and existing remote sensing tools are difficult to interpret and adjust using a monthly (or finer) resolution over a decadal timeframe. The "Ribbon Plot" has been developed to concisely represent the spatial distribution of characteristics such as vegetation, moisture, and sediment size along pathways within a complex anastomosing system, as derived from remote-sensed data. This paper presents the concept using a limited dataset. A Ribbon Plot is a linearised simplification of a complicated floodplain channel network. A set of plots is generated from spectral data, and arranged to reflect the study area configuration. The ribbons are read in the normal direction of flow - down the page for downstream - and in time sequence - left to right. Each image results in one set of ribbon plot columns with the same horizontal time coordinate. Colours are used to represent spectral index numerical values at each observation time. The Ribbon Plot format can be tailored and updated for a desired study objective, using the latest available data for areal extent, spatial resolution, timespan, temporal resolution, and input source, as well as uncertainty estimation. A large amount of heterogeneous information can be compressed into a compact format, to reveal spatial or temporal patterns for interpretation by environmental scientists. A small Ribbon Plot example has been developed using a 20 km x 20 km portion of the large and complicated Cooper Creek/Wilson River floodplain (Lake Eyre Basin, Australia), with spectral data extracted from standardised Landsat images for the period December 2003 to September 2004. The example demonstrates the distribution of NDVI responses (as a proxy for the presence of water) over time during a significant flow event, revealing patterns of differing flow durations and areas of increased persistence. 
Multiple-channel rivers; drainage networks; flow spatial distribution; remote sensing