Sediment transport in the Luanhe River delta: grain size trend analysis

Sediment grain size in the deltaic environment of the Luanhe River(LR), Liaoning, China,contains sediment transport pathway information useful in elucidating the shoreline change and fluvialmarine interaction. In this study, we utilized numerical partitioning of the sedimentary components and geostatistical grain size trend analysis(GSTA) to define the sediment transport pattern in the Luanhe River delta(LRD) and interpolated the sediment transport pattern using content changes of end numbers(EM).EM1(the mean grain size 7.12 Φ, fine silt), EM2(2.37 Φ, fine sand), and EM3(1.27 Φ, medium sand)components were identified by the numerical partitioning by GSTA. Kriging interpolation method was used to interpolate the parameters of the grain size for the regular grid, and the interpolation radius was 0.015 decimal degree. We chose 0.09 decimal degree as the characteristic distance for GSTA in the semivariogram model using the geostatistical method. The FB(-) case(finer, better sorted and more negatively skewed) was adopted in GSTA for its satisfaction in the Global Moran's I test. The result of the GSTA shows that the sediments in the south barriers(SBs) were transported to the southwest of the study area. The sediments in the north, in the SE direction of sediment transport trend from the river mouth, indicated that the sediments in the north of the study area were transported from the LR to the northern beaches, and to the south and east of the study area. The sediment transport trend that simplified by GSTA as the FB(-) case was approved by the content changes of sedimentary components(i.e. EM1, EM2, and EM3). In addition, the turbulent jet diffusion pattern indicated that the coarse sediments(EM3) were delivered by LR during the flood season, and the EM2 and EM1 were from wave and tide, respectively.     

Assessment of seasonal sedimentation in rain-fed irrigation reservoirs by a hillslope erosion modeling approach

A distributed hillslope model is presented for the computation of seasonal sediment loads flowing into the rain-fed irrigation reservoirs （tanks） from the mountainous catchments in Sri Lanka. The model is based on the subdivision of the catchment into hillslopes and application of a sediment transport capacity equation at hillslope scale and computation of sediment loads transported to the tanks. Coarse and fine sediment loads due to hourly excess rainfall during a season are separately estimated. The model depends on fewer parameters and can be easily calibrated for a tank. The model calibration only requires measurements of coarse and fine sediment loads transported into the tank due to several rainfalls of different intensities from a representative subcatchment of the tank. Coarse sediment loads are measured by using a sediment trap installed across an ephemeral stream draining the subcatchment. Fine sediment loads are obtained by measuring the discharge and accompanied sediment concentrations over the sediment trap. The model is calibrated, verified and applied for an irrigation tank in Sri Lanka to estimate the seasonal sedimentation loads.     

Influence of tributaries on downstream bed sediment grain sizes under flysch conditions

Tributaries are one of the most important factors contributing to variability in the downstream evolution of bed sediment grain size. The primary aim of this work is to evaluate the response of the bed sediment texture in the recipient channel induced by ten tributaries of the ?erná Ostravice stream and find reach-scale and catchment-scale parameters that would be able to predict this response. The research was based on collecting information on the grain size distributions at sites adjacent to confluence zones. A significant change in sediment texture occurred in the vicinity of five confluences. Considering the other factors contributing to grain size variability(e.g., local channel geometry, lithology, and lateral sediment sources), it was assumed that only four of them were associated with a sufficient bedload influx to alter the sediment calibre below the junction. Moreover, a significant morphological effect in the form of a large confluence bar was observed in one case. These tributaries had several common features:(i) they had a larger relative catchment area than that of nonsignificant tributaries;(ii) they were characterized by different bed grain sizes, with some exceptions; and(iii) they had a higher unit stream power close to the confluence in relation to that of the mainstream. These characteristics were represented by the proposed relative parameters, including the relative unit stream power and bed material texture, which allowed the best classification of significant and nonsignificant tributaries. In their simplified form, the parameters described the transport capacity and grain size distribution, which were generally considered to be primary factors responsible for a redefinition of the sediment texture in the recipient channel. However, it should be noted that these results are subject to some degree of uncertainty due to the relatively small sample size of only 10 tributaries.     

Natural and human-induced effects on grain size of surface sediments along the Lianyungang muddy coast, China

To examine spatial variations of grain-size characteristics caused by both natural and human-induced processes along the Lianyungang muddy coast,China,129 samples were collected and measured using standard sieving and sedimentation techniques.Results show that sediment diameter tends to increase with increasing water depth from nearshore to offshore.Size-frequency distributions indicate a gradual mixing process of coarse and fine diameter material.Grain size trend analysis indicates that a man-made structure,the West Breakwater,along with Liandao Island itself,has resulted in severe siltation in Haizhou Bay and the Lianyungang port area,where sediment quality is also poor.Results demonstrate that grain size can be used as a natural tracer to infer how sediments respond to the effects caused by both natural and human-induced processes.     

Clay mineral distribution in surface sediments of the South China Sea and its significance for in sediment sources and transport

Clay minerals of surface sediments in the South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed with X-ray diffraction, and their transport is explored with a grain size trend analysis (GSTA) model. Results show that clay mineral types in various sedimentary environments have different sediment sources and transport routes. Sediments in the northern SCS (north of 20°N) between the southwest of Taiwan Island and the outer mouth of the Pearl River have high contents of illite and chlorite, which are derived mainly from sediments on Taiwan Island and/or the Yangtze River. Sediments from the Pearl River are characterized by high kaolinite and low smectite content, and most are distributed in the area between the mouth of the Pearl River and northeast of Hainan Island and transported vertically from the continental shelf to the slope. Characterized by high illite content, sediments from Kalimantan Island are transported toward the Nansha Trough. Sediments from Luzon Island are related with volcanic materials, and are transported westwards according to smectite distribution. On the Sunda Shelf, sediments from the Mekong River are transported southeast in the north while sediments from the Indonesian islands are transported northward in the south. Ascertaining surface sediment sources and their transport routes will not only improve understanding of modern transportation and depositional processes, but also aid paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic analysis of the SCS.     

Transport simulation of sorptive contaminants considering sediment-associated processes

Sediment-associated processes, such as sediment erosion, deposition, and pore water diffusion/advection affect sorptive contaminant transport. By considering these processes, we developed an equation to simulate contaminant transport. Erosion and deposition processes are considered as erosion and deposition fluxes of sediment, and adsorption-desorption processes of contaminants by sediment are simulated using the Langmuir Equation. Pore water diffusion is calculated based on the contaminant concentration gradient across the sediment-water interface. Pore water advection is estimated using pore water contained in the sediments of erosion flux. The equation is validated to simulate total phosphorus concentrations in Guanhe estuary in the northern Jiangsu, China. The simulated total phosphorus concentrations show better agreement with field observations compared to estimations that do consider sediment-associated processes.     

Sediment Characteristics,Sources, and Transport Patterns in Kompong Som Bay,Cambodia: Indications from Grain Size and Heavy Minerals

In this paper, we analyzed the grain size and heavy mineral compositions of 52 surface sediment samples collected from the Kompong Som Bay of Cambodia and the adjacent rivers to depict the marine sedimentary environments and transport processes. Heavy minerals in sediments are dominated by authigenic pyrite, siderite, and tourmaline, with average percentages of 36.52%, 29.02%, and 10.94%, respectively. Two provinces can be divided according to the spatial similarity of minerals. The sediments from Province I, covered by silt grains in the northern bay, are characterized by autogenic pyrite, indicating a weakly reducing environment;whereas in Province II, covered by sand grains in the southern bay, the siderite-tourmaline-authigenic pyrite-zircon-hornblende assemblage occurs, indicating a mild reducing environment and locally oxidizing environment. Most of the sediments in the Kompong Som Bay are introduced from the Preak Piphot River and Srae Ambel River, except that some of them in the south areas come from coastal erosion. Generally, the sediments are difficult to be transported because of the low sediment loads entering the sea and weak hydrodynamic conditions. However, they are transported from the north to the south during the tide ebbing when the hydrodynamic force is much stronger. The sediment distribution and transport patterns are controlled by many factors, including submarine topography, hydrodynamic conditions, the southwest monsoon, land contours, and sediment supply.     

Channel response to gravel mining activities in mountain rivers

The removal of bed material from active river channels usually affects the bed profile of the streambed, causing progressive degradation upstream and downstream of the extraction site. These effects can extend for kilometers affecting hydraulic structures located in the vicinity of the river reach. In this paper, the geomorphic effects of gravel mining are reviewed and summarized. Some cases in Venezuelan streams are presented to illustrate the problem. To describe the processes of erosion and sedimentation in a gravel extraction pit, a recent developed mathematical model for the simulation of flow and sediment transport in gravel-cobble bed streams is applied to a hypothetical case of gravel mining in a river channel. A simple rectangular dredge pit is imposed as initial condition in the channel bed, and changes in bed elevations and grain size distribution of bed material are calculated by using the numerical model. The process of deposition within the pit, and the downstream and upstream migration of the erosion wave are well simulated by the model and closely resemble the phenomena observed in laboratory experiments. The response of the friction coefficient to the changes in flow and bed elevations shows the importance in modeling adequately flow resistance and sediment transport in gravel-cobble bed streams.     

Numerical Analysis of Adaptation-to-capacity Length for Fluvial Sediment Transport

Over the last several decades,various sediment transport capacity formulations have been used by geomorphologists and engineers to calculate fluvial morphological changes.However,it remains poorly understood if the adaptation to capacity could be fulfilled instantly in response to differing inflow discharges and sediment supplies,and thus if the calculation of morphological changes in rivers based on the assumed capacity status is fully justified.Here we present a numerical investigation on this issue.The distance required for sediment transport to adapt to capacity（i.e.,adaptation-to-capacity length） of both bed load and suspended sediment transport is computationally studied using a coupled shallow water hydrodynamic model,in line with varied inlet sediment concentrations.It is found that the adaptation-to-capacity length generally decreases as the Rouse number increases,irrespective of whether the inlet sediment concentration increases or reduces.For cases with vanishing inlet sediment concentration a unified relationship is found between the adaptation-to-capacity length and the Rouse number.Quantitatively,the adaptation-to-capacity length of bed load sediment is limited to tens of times of the flow depth,whilst that of suspended sediment increases substantially with decreasing Rouse number and can be up to hundreds of times of the flow depth.The present finding concurs that bed load sediment transport can adapt to capacity much more rapidly than suspended sediment transport,and it facilitates a quantitative criterion on which the applicability of bed load or suspended sediment transport capacity for natural rivers can be readily assessed.     

Developing a 2D vertical flow and sediment transport model for open channels using the Youngs-VOF method

A 2D vertical(2DV) numerical model,without σ-coordinate transformation in the vertical direction,is developed for the simulation of flow and sediment transport in open channels.In the model,time-averaged Reynolds equations are closed by the k-ε nonlinear turbulence model.The modified YoungsVOF method is introduced to capture free surface dynamics,and the free surface slope is simulated using the ELVIRA method.Based on the power-law scheme,the k-ε model and the suspended-load transport model are solved numerically with an implicit scheme applied in the vertical plane and an explicit scheme applied in the horizontal plane.Bedload transport is modeled using the Euler-WENO scheme,and the grid-closing skill is adopted to deal with the moving channel bed boundary.Verification of the model using laboratory data shows that the model is able to adequately simulate flow and sediment transport in open channels,and is a good starting point for the study of sediment transport dynamics in strong nonlinear flow scenarios.     

Sediment transport in the nearshore area of Phoenix Island

Based on the measured data, suspended sediment concentration, surface sediment grain size, current and waves, the sediment transport mechanisms and pathways in the Phoenix Island area were analyzed using methods of flux decomposition and Grain Size Trend Analysis (GSTA). The results show that net suspended sediment is mainly transported by average current, Stokes drift, and gravitational circulation. The transport direction of suspended sediment is varying and basically following the direction of residual tidal currents. Surface sediment transport pathways are primarily parallel to the coastline along with two convergent centers. Waves and longshore currents have a significant influence on sediment transport, but the influence is limited due to a steep and deep underwater bank. Tidal current is the main controlling factor for sediment transport, especially in the deep water area. Neither suspended nor surface sediment is transported towards the southwest. The South Shandong Coastal Current (SSCC) has little effect on sediment transport processes in the nearshore area of Phoenix Island.     

Clay mineral distribution in surface sediments of the South China Sea and its significance for in sediment sources and transport

Clay minerals of surface sediments in the South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed with X-ray diffraction, and their transport is explored with a grain size trend analysis (GSTA) model. Results show that clay mineral types in various sedimentary environments have different sediment sources and transport routes. Sediments in the northern SCS (north of 20°N) between the southwest of Taiwan Island and the outer mouth of the Pearl River have high contents of illite and chlorite, which are derived mainly from sediments on Taiwan Island and/or the Yangtze River. Sediments from the Pearl River are characterized by high kaolinite and low smectite content, and most are distributed in the area between the mouth of the Pearl River and northeast of Hainan Island and transported vertically from the continental shelf to the slope. Characterized by high illite content, sediments from Kalimantan Island are transported toward the Nansha Trough. Sediments from Luzon Island are related with volcanic materials, and are transported westwards according to smectite distribution. On the Sunda Shelf, sediments from the Mekong River are transported southeast in the north while sediments from the Indonesian islands are transported northward in the south. Ascertaining surface sediment sources and their transport routes will not only improve understanding of modern transportation and depositional processes, but also aid paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic analysis of the SCS.     

Beach Morphology and Coastline Evolution in the Southern Bohai Strait

The beach studied in this paper spans a length of 51 km and is one of several long sandy beaches in the southern Bohai Strait. Due to the obstruction of islands in the northeast and the influence of the underwater topography, the wave environment in the offshore area is complex; beach types and sediment transport characteristics vary along different coasts. The coastlines extracted from six aerial photographs in different years were compared to demonstrate the evolving features. Seven typical beach profiles were selected to study the lateral beach variation characteristics. Continuous wind and wave observation data from Beihuangcheng ocean station during 2009 were employed for the hindcast of the local wave environment using a regional spectral wave model. Then the results of the wave hindcast were incorporated into the LITDRIFT model to compute the sediment transport rates and directions along the coasts and analyze the longshore sand movement. The results show that the coastline evolution of sand beaches in the southern Bohai Strait has spatial and temporal variations and the coast can be divided into four typical regions. Region(I), the north coast of Qimudao, is a slightly eroded and dissipative beach with a large sediment transport rate; Region(II), the southwest coast of Gangluan Port, is a slightly deposited and dissipative beach with moderate sediment transport rate; Region(III), in the central area, is a beach that is gradually transformed from a slightly eroded dissipative beach to a moderately or slightly strong eroded bar-trough beach from west to east with a relatively moderate sediment transport rate. Region(IV), on the east coast, is a strongly eroded and reflective beach with a weak sediment transport rate. The wave conditions exhibit an increasing trend from west to east in the offshore area. The distribution of the wave-induced current inside the wave breaking region and the littoral sediment transport in the nearshore region exhibit a gradual weakening tendency from west to east, which is opposite to the trend of the wave conditions outside the breaking region. The presence of submerged shoal(Dengzhou Shoal), deep trough(Dengzhou Channel), islands and irregular topography influnces the wave climate, beach types, wave-induced current features, littoral sediment transport trends and coastline evolution patterns in the southern Bohai Strait. Human activities, such as the sand exploitation of Dengzhou Shoal and other coastal engineering projects, also influence the beach morphology and coastline evolution.     

Suspended sediment transport analysis in two Italian instrumented catchments

Suspended sediment transport in streams is an effective indicator of soil erosion at the watershed scale. This process was studied using the data obtained from two continuous monitoring stations installed in Italian watersheds, the Rio Cordon and Torrente Carapelle. The catchments have substantially different climatic, morphological and land use characteristics. The Rio Cordon, a small Alpine watershed, has been monitored since 1986, while in the Torrente Carapelle, a medium-size Mediterranean watershed, the monitoring station has provided data since 2007. Several flood events with suspended sediment transport were isolated in the two catchments, excluding those determined by snowmelt in the Rio Cordon as this process does not affect the Carapelle watershed. Analysis of the events showed different behavior in terms of hysteresis loop trends between water discharge (m³ s^-1) and suspended sediment concentration (g l^-1) values, as the Rio Cordon confirms clockwise relationships most frequently, while counter-clockwise trends represent the majority of cases for the Carapelle Torrent. The different behavior of the two watersheds was further analyzed by evaluating relationships between the main hydrological parameters related to suspended sediment transport. Runoff controls the total sediment budget in both catchments. In contrast, it was noted that the runoff process does not interfere in the magnitude of the suspended sediment transport in the Rio Cordon catchment, while variations due to the larger size of the catchment area characterize the events in the Carapelle watershed. Lastly, a flow peak threshold that determines the advance or delay of the hydrograph peak with respect to the sedigraph peak was established for the Carapelle Torrent, while it was not reported in the Rio Cordon.     

Impact of Human Activities on Depositional Process of Tidal Flat in Quanzhou Bay of China

As a very important component of a coastal system,tidal flats come to be a focus of the studies on land-ocean interaction in the coastal zone because those areas are subjected to intense human activities and are highly sensitive to the global change.The Quanzhou Bay,located along the middle part of Fujian coast of China,covers about 136.4km2,and the area of coastal wetland in the entire bay from intertidal to subtidal with 6m of water depth accounts for 96% of the total area.Seven short cores were collected and divided in situ with the interval of 5cm on the coastal wetlands of Quanzhou Bay on April 19,2006.The sediment samples were scattered and the grain sizes were measured by using Mastersizer 2000.Human beings' activities on tidal flat have disturbed the vertical distribution of sediments in stratigraphic sequence and accelerated the sedimentation rates.Grain size analysis results show that the grain size diameters increase and sediment becomes worse sorted towards the sea under the strong human disturbance;Spartina alterniflora can play a role of trapping the fine sediment;but near the bank,the sediment becomes coarse and there are two peak values on frequency curve influenced by the sandpile.The trough formed by human activities along the coastline changes the transport path of water and suspended sediment.The sediments are transported through the trough and deposit in it during the flood;the ebb flow is retarded by the flow output through the adjacent trough,and the deposited sediment can not be re-suspended;then,the sedimentation rate increases.In situ observation show that the sedimentation rate is about 8-10cm/yr.     

Three Gorges Dam controls sediment coarsening of the mud patch on the inner East China Sea shelf

The well-known Three Gorges Dam(TGD) within the Yangtze catchment launched its operation in 2003. The effect of the TGD operation on the sediment size on the East China Sea shelf is rarely known. High resolution(0.5 cm sampling) grain size analysis and 137 Cs and 210 Pb dating of the DH8-1 core were conducted with core collected from the distal part of a main sink for the modern Yangtze sediment entering the sea, the Min-Zhe Coastal Mud Deposits(MZCMD) on the inner East China Sea shelf. The 137 Cs dating results show that the core DH8-1 formed during 1946–2012 with a mean deposition rate of 0.65 cm yr~(-1), indicating that the 0.5 cm sampling for grain size analysis in this local area could reflect environmental changes generally on a one-year time scale. The mean grain size of DH8-1 core sediment that deposited after 2003 is significantly larger than that deposited during 1988–2002. After ruling out other possible factors, we infer that the sediment coarsening of DH8-1 core after 2003 is attributed to the TGD operation which causes the erosion of the Yangtze subaqueous delta. Specifically, the TGD operation significantly intensifies the declining trend of the Yangtze sediment loads to the sea despite no decreased water discharge, which results in extensive erosion of the Yangtze subaqueous delta. The relatively coarse sediment of the subaqueous delta is eroded and resuspended by ocean dynamics and then transported by coastal current, finally depositing on the MZCMD area. In addition, the general sediment fining of core DH8-1 that deposited during 1988–2002, comparing with 1946–1987, is mainly caused by dam construction and soil and water conservation within the Yangtze catchment. Our findings are helpful for better understanding the effects of such a huge dam as the TGD on a sediment sink like the MZCMD of such a large river as the Yangtze River.