简介：Theriversystemsobservedtodayisthecumulativeresultofsurface,rill,andgullyerosion,andsedimenttransport,scour,anddeposition.Thedivisionsofapproachbetweenthesetworelatedareasareman-made,andarenotbasedonsoundscience.Mostoftheerosionstudiesaredonebygeologistsandagriculturalengineerswhoareconcernedofthesurface,rill,andgullyerosionandthelossofagriculturallandproductivity.Hydraulicengineersaremoreinterestedinthestudyofsedimenttransport,scour,anddeposition,andtheirimpactsonriverengineeringandhydraulicstructuresinriversandreservoirs.Erosionstudiesareoftenbasedonempiricalrelationshipsorfielddatatodeterminatetheannualsedimentyieldfromawatershed.Ontheotherhand,hydraulicengineersfocustheirattentiononsolvingequationsbasedonassumedinitialandboundaryconditionswithatimescaleofdays,hours,orseconds.Bothapproacheshavetheircomplementarystrengthsandweaknesses.Itisimportanttoprovideaforumforspecialistsinbothareastocommunicate,exchangeideas,andlearnfromeachother.