stroomrug

English translation: abondoned river bed ridge/alluvial ridge

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:stroomrug
English translation:abondoned river bed ridge/alluvial ridge
Entered by: Kate Hudson (X)

14:02 May 4, 2009
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Science - Geography
Dutch term or phrase: stroomrug
"De achtergebleven bedding, nu als verhoging in het landschap zichtbaar, doordat het omliggende veen door onttrekking van water inklonk, wordt stroomrug genoemd."

Kind of like the opposite of a river terrace...
Oliver Pekelharing
Netherlands
Local time: 11:53
alluvial ridge
Explanation:
http://www.paleocurrents.com/castle_rock/docs/meandering_riv...
http://www.searchanddiscovery.net/documents/Shell/images/p2....
Natural levees Natural levees are very low, asymmetrical ridges which flank the flood-stage channel of a stream. The crest of the natural levee is near the channel, and the levee slopes gently toward the backswamps. The width of the natural levee is from 60 to over 700 times its height. The height varies with the size of the stream; Mississippi natural levees are approximately 15 feet high and Brazos levees are about 5 feet high Natural levees consist of very fine sands9 silts, and clays which are deposited by channel overflow waters. Coarser materials are deposited on the levee crest, and progressively finer materials on the levee backslopes and in flood basins. Although soil development and vegetation destroy much of the bedding' very small ripple lamination is common in natural levee deposits Natural levees within stream meander belts, together with the higher point bar deposits' form alluvial ridges which are the highest parts of alluvial valleys.


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Note added at 17 hrs (2009-05-05 07:33:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

These are still alluvial ridges formed originally as natural levees (whether or not they occur in swamp (peatlands) or not.

Het bedijken van de grote rivieren is aan het eind van de 11de eeuw begonnen. Door deze bedijking werden de waterstromen meer en meer gefixieerd en kwam er een eind aan de natuurlijke ontwikkeling van stroomruggen. Tot de 10e eeuw lagen de nederzettingen uitsluitend op de hoger gelegen stroomruggen.
http://home.hccnet.nl/jan.arkesteijn/landschap/llinks.html

A natural levee is an narrow ridge of alluvium deposited at the side of the channel. During high discharge periods when the stream floods, coarse sediment settles out near the stream channel and grades to finer material further away. The over bank deposits of alluvium are often rich sources of nutrients for soils developed on the floodplain. Because floodplain soils are usually quite fertile, humans have inhabited them for years. To prevent flooding, artificial levees are built close to the channel, typically higher than natural levees. Confining the flood discharge to a small area increases the velocity of flow. The levees of the Mississippi River increase the flow velocity near the mouth as it enters the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, sediment is shot into the Gulf rather than being deposited near the mouth building the river's famous 'bird's foot' delta.http://www.uwsp.edu/geO/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/fluv...

he Nsonge Wetland : The Nsonge Floodplain is a 67 ha floodplain wetland draining north-east into the Mooi river. Land use in its catchment is agriculture, conservation and recreation, and the wetland is used for grazing livestock. It is characterised by an alluvial ridge that rises up to 1 m above the surrounding hummocky swamp. Meander scars and ox-bow lakes occur mostly in the lower end of the floodplain. http://wetlands.sanbi.org/project_details.php?id=76


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Note added at 18 hrs (2009-05-05 08:06:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi Olly,

I think you are confused by the idea that the stroomrug is actually the bed of the river - this is not actually the case. The stroomrug forms as a result of flooding (natural levee) or can be a series of ridges indicating the movement of the river bend on the convex side (inside of the bend) as the river bed shifts. I rather suspect that the piece you are translating wrongly indicates that this is a stroomrug - the river bed would still be enclosed in either riverbanks or in levees, especially in an area that was probably subject to flooding. Raised river beds occur where the levees increase in height and deposits on the river bed cause it to rise too.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2009-05-05 08:50:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I think you need to use the word 'abandoned river bed ridge' in that order because the river bed is no longer a river bed hence 'abandoned' and to distinguish this from other alluvial ridges you need to indicate that it is a river bed ridge. I'm in two minds as to whether you still need to use the word raised if you use ridge - probably not. The ontology should be obvious from the rest of the sentence.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2009-05-05 10:16:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I would not use raised river bed as that is a different topological feature - the bed of the river rises due to sedimentation on the river bed (usually in a sluggish river where the valley floor is very flat). The layers of sediment raise the level of the river bed and consequently cause the natural levees to rise as well (the Mississipi River in Louisiana is a typical example) The surrounding land is much lower than the level of the river and are constantly in danger of flooding. That was the problem with Hurricane Katrina. The river level rose above the level of the levees and caused much of the flooding in New Orleans.
This is an abandoned river bed ridge (i.e. caused by the subsidence of the surrounding peat bogs) leaving the abandoned river bed standing above the surrounding area - Imagine a river in a peat bog. If the rainfall in the area dries up then the river dries up too and the peat bog begins to shrink. That leaves the abandoned river bed standing proud above the surrounding area.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2009-05-05 10:46:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Olly, a raised river bed is fundamentally different and implies that there is still water flowing through it. As a geography graduate I have to go with the abandoned river bed ridge.
Selected response from:

Kate Hudson (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 11:53
Grading comment
Thanks for your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2alluvial ridge
Kate Hudson (X)
3thrown-up bank of a former river
solejnicz
3raised river bed
Riens Middelhof
3levee or natural levee
Keswick


  

Answers


25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
thrown-up bank of a former river


Explanation:
Just an idea. It certainly concerns some kind of river bank; see the exact definition of "stroomrug" below.

Example sentence(s):
  • Een stroomrug is een oeverwal langs een verdwenen rivierloop, die zich kenmerkt door zijn van nature gevormde verhoogde ligging.
  • Context 2.02 appears to be a thrown up bank of topsoil that has been faced with large stones on its north side and retained by a kerb on its south side. ...

    Reference: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroomrug
    Reference: http://her.highland.gov.uk/hbsmrgatewayhighland/DataFiles/Li...
solejnicz
Netherlands
Local time: 11:53
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in DutchDutch
Notes to answerer
Asker: See the definition with my question: it is peatland on either side of a river which has subsided leaving the old river bed higher than the land.

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28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
raised river bed


Explanation:
http://books.google.com/books?id=cq9uFL07Y6wC&pg=PA96&lpg=PA...

Riens Middelhof
Netherlands
Local time: 11:53
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  solejnicz: "Stroomrug" means in particular "the raised bed of a river which has now disappeared". Can a "raised river bed" only be this? Besides, I do not find "raised river bed" in your reference material.
5 mins
  -> Denk, ik ben het met je eens, hoewel de "raised river bed" niet per definitie een verdwenen bedding is, dekt het de lading volgens mij toch voldoende. De referentie vond ik trouwens op pag 96, bij de afbeelding rechtsboven...
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
levee or natural levee


Explanation:
This is the translation suggested by A van den End in his onroerend goed lexicon, also the translation suggested by T Huitinga in Nl-En woordenboek voor landbouwwetenschappen.
Def of levee (Chambers): natural or artificial riverside embankment.

Keswick
Spain
Local time: 11:53
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: This text also refers to 'oeverwallen' , which are natural levees...

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
alluvial ridge


Explanation:
http://www.paleocurrents.com/castle_rock/docs/meandering_riv...
http://www.searchanddiscovery.net/documents/Shell/images/p2....
Natural levees Natural levees are very low, asymmetrical ridges which flank the flood-stage channel of a stream. The crest of the natural levee is near the channel, and the levee slopes gently toward the backswamps. The width of the natural levee is from 60 to over 700 times its height. The height varies with the size of the stream; Mississippi natural levees are approximately 15 feet high and Brazos levees are about 5 feet high Natural levees consist of very fine sands9 silts, and clays which are deposited by channel overflow waters. Coarser materials are deposited on the levee crest, and progressively finer materials on the levee backslopes and in flood basins. Although soil development and vegetation destroy much of the bedding' very small ripple lamination is common in natural levee deposits Natural levees within stream meander belts, together with the higher point bar deposits' form alluvial ridges which are the highest parts of alluvial valleys.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 hrs (2009-05-05 07:33:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

These are still alluvial ridges formed originally as natural levees (whether or not they occur in swamp (peatlands) or not.

Het bedijken van de grote rivieren is aan het eind van de 11de eeuw begonnen. Door deze bedijking werden de waterstromen meer en meer gefixieerd en kwam er een eind aan de natuurlijke ontwikkeling van stroomruggen. Tot de 10e eeuw lagen de nederzettingen uitsluitend op de hoger gelegen stroomruggen.
http://home.hccnet.nl/jan.arkesteijn/landschap/llinks.html

A natural levee is an narrow ridge of alluvium deposited at the side of the channel. During high discharge periods when the stream floods, coarse sediment settles out near the stream channel and grades to finer material further away. The over bank deposits of alluvium are often rich sources of nutrients for soils developed on the floodplain. Because floodplain soils are usually quite fertile, humans have inhabited them for years. To prevent flooding, artificial levees are built close to the channel, typically higher than natural levees. Confining the flood discharge to a small area increases the velocity of flow. The levees of the Mississippi River increase the flow velocity near the mouth as it enters the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, sediment is shot into the Gulf rather than being deposited near the mouth building the river's famous 'bird's foot' delta.http://www.uwsp.edu/geO/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/fluv...

he Nsonge Wetland : The Nsonge Floodplain is a 67 ha floodplain wetland draining north-east into the Mooi river. Land use in its catchment is agriculture, conservation and recreation, and the wetland is used for grazing livestock. It is characterised by an alluvial ridge that rises up to 1 m above the surrounding hummocky swamp. Meander scars and ox-bow lakes occur mostly in the lower end of the floodplain. http://wetlands.sanbi.org/project_details.php?id=76


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2009-05-05 08:06:41 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hi Olly,

I think you are confused by the idea that the stroomrug is actually the bed of the river - this is not actually the case. The stroomrug forms as a result of flooding (natural levee) or can be a series of ridges indicating the movement of the river bend on the convex side (inside of the bend) as the river bed shifts. I rather suspect that the piece you are translating wrongly indicates that this is a stroomrug - the river bed would still be enclosed in either riverbanks or in levees, especially in an area that was probably subject to flooding. Raised river beds occur where the levees increase in height and deposits on the river bed cause it to rise too.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 18 hrs (2009-05-05 08:50:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I think you need to use the word 'abandoned river bed ridge' in that order because the river bed is no longer a river bed hence 'abandoned' and to distinguish this from other alluvial ridges you need to indicate that it is a river bed ridge. I'm in two minds as to whether you still need to use the word raised if you use ridge - probably not. The ontology should be obvious from the rest of the sentence.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2009-05-05 10:16:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I would not use raised river bed as that is a different topological feature - the bed of the river rises due to sedimentation on the river bed (usually in a sluggish river where the valley floor is very flat). The layers of sediment raise the level of the river bed and consequently cause the natural levees to rise as well (the Mississipi River in Louisiana is a typical example) The surrounding land is much lower than the level of the river and are constantly in danger of flooding. That was the problem with Hurricane Katrina. The river level rose above the level of the levees and caused much of the flooding in New Orleans.
This is an abandoned river bed ridge (i.e. caused by the subsidence of the surrounding peat bogs) leaving the abandoned river bed standing above the surrounding area - Imagine a river in a peat bog. If the rainfall in the area dries up then the river dries up too and the peat bog begins to shrink. That leaves the abandoned river bed standing proud above the surrounding area.



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2009-05-05 10:46:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Olly, a raised river bed is fundamentally different and implies that there is still water flowing through it. As a geography graduate I have to go with the abandoned river bed ridge.

Kate Hudson (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 11:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks for your help.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Kate, however the singularity of a 'stroomrug', in this case, is that the peatland on either side of the former riverbed compacts due to water extraction and this is what causes the difference in elevation (thus formation of the ridge, in this case the riverbed, by sedimentation, is a secondary cause for the elevation difference). I wonder if there is not a specific term for such a feature in English...

Asker: You are probably right Kate, however, one detail still confuses me: as far as I understand it, a former riverbed is not itself a levee. As your example states: "a levee is formed at the side of a channel". The fact that a ridge is formed in this case is not because of a process of accumulation but because of compaction of the surrounding land. I still wonder whether this isn't an important difference...

Asker: Hi Kate, my text clearly states that it is the 'achergebleven bedding', formed by sedimentation in the river channel itself, that forms the ridge in question ("De rivier zelf slibde soms dicht en brak door de oeverwal heen op zoek naar een nieuwe geul. De achtergebleven bedding, nu als verhoging in het landschap zichtbaar, doordat het omliggende veen door onttrekking van water inklonk, wordt stroomrug genoemd.") Whether or not they have incorrectly used the term 'stroomrug' I don't know, but if so, what, I wonder, is the correct term, in Dutch and English...?!

Asker: Thanks Kate, it's wordy, but that may be necessary if there is indeed no term for such a feature! Am wondering whether using the description 'raised' is more accurate than the term 'ridge', in this case, to describe the elevation of the feature. Then Riens' 'Raised river bed' would be the best answer, with the qualification that it is abandoned...

Asker: Your description is as I read it. But the process of 'raising through sedimentation of a sluggish river' is exactly how this riverbed was formed in the first place. The riverbed rose to the same level as the surrounding land and remained there while the surrounding land subsided. The term ridge is more applicable for levees and features thrown up by currents, wind, tectonics, etc., as opposed to a bedding laid down by sedimentation, imo. So (sorry to go on about it) still considering 'raised'...

Asker: OK, if 'raised riverbed' can't apply to an abandoned river then it's not the right term.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: if English is the target language, this sounds good.
1 hr
  -> Thanks

agree  Chris Hopley: 'Abandoned/ancient river bed ridge'. Stroomrug vs stroomgordel: http://www.archis.nl/AB2002/AB-periferie/begrippen.xml.asp
21 hrs
  -> Thank you, Chris, for the Dutch reference.
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