A Computer Aided Approach for River Styles-Inspired Characterization of Large Basins: The Magdalena River (Colombia) = Una metodología asistida por computador para la caracterización inspirada al enfoque River Styles de cuencas grandes: el rio Magdalena

Abstract

This paper addresses the geomorphic characterization and classification of large riversin a framework of scarce information. This is inspired by the River Styles Framework with somemodifications that make the process more straightforward and accessible to practitioners and moreapplicable to large basins, while reducing the subjective, expert-based inputs, as the process is nowmore systematic. To this aim, it utilizes innovative criteria and some computer-aided procedures andtools based on GIS, Excel and Python. This approach sheds light on the character and the behaviorof rivers, which is key to informing planning, management and restoration. The application to theMagdalena River (Colombia) illustrates the characterization and classification process and the typeof results, which ultimately highlight the great geomorphic diversity of that river. The process isapplicable to many other rivers worldwide.