Deriving transport pathways in a sediment trend analysis (STA)

Sediment trend analysis (STA) is a technique that enables patterns of net sediment transport to be determined by relative changes in grain-size distributions of all naturally occurring sediments. In addition, STA can determine the dynamic behaviour of bottom sediments with respect to erosion, accretion or dynamic equilibrium. The data requirements for STA are the full grain-size distributions taken from sediment grab samples collected at a regular spacing over a particular area of interest. Two types of methods are presently used in the derivation of the transport pathways: a line-by-line approach, in which transport pathways are determined by searching for sample sequences in which the distributions change, in a statistically acceptable manner; and various vector approaches, in which each sample is compared to neighbouring sites from which a vector sum is calculated.The basic assumption for STA is that the processes that cause sediment transport will affect the statistics of sediment distributions in a predictable way. In reality, this type of analysis is complicated through the inclusion of a number of uncertainties, or noise. The goal of STA is to extract the information (the transport pathways) from the noisy signal (the grain-size distributions), an approach that is made difficult because neither the nature of the information nor the noise is known. Because of this, obtaining results by simply applying its theory in a “black-box” approach may provide poor solutions.The line-by-line approach to STA draws from communications theory to achieve a solution. In some communications systems, the information from many sources is combined into one signal. The resulting signal is, from a statistical viewpoint, nothing but noise. The extraction of specific information assumes that information is indeed present, and determines if that assumption is consistent with the received signal. For STA, the procedure is to assume a transport direction over an area comprising many sample sites. From this assumption, the predicted sediment trends are compared with the pathways determined by the actual samples. The assumed transport direction is repeatedly modified until the best fit is achieved.Vector techniques may be very helpful to provide insights and guidance to the line-by-line approach. However, the approach is ultimately necessary to finalize a credible solution as well as providing important further information on the dynamic behaviour of the sediments, and to delineate specific sediment transport environments.     

沉积物粒径趋势分析:原理与应用条件

长期以来,沉积学家尝试用粒度数据来识别沉积环境的类型或判定物质运动的方式,但只取得了部分成功。粒度参数还有一项可能的用途,即用其平面差异来获取物质输运信息。沉积学家将粒度参数的平面差异定义为“粒径趋势”,并建立了以“粒径趋势分析”为基础的定性物质输运模型。粒径趋势分析的基本科学问题包括:如何提取粒径趋势信息;如何确定含有物质输运信息的粒径趋势类型;粒径趋势分析的应用条件是什么。粒径趋势信息可通过粒径趋势矢量的定义及其各向异性显著性的检验而获得,而经验证据也显示,含有物质输运信息的粒径趋势类型是存在的。初步研究表明,粒径趋势分析应满足以下条件:粒径趋势矢量具有显著性;底质采样深度应代表同一时间尺度;平面采样间距应符合地统计法的规则;避免使用位于采样网格边缘上的采样点的粒径趋势矢量;沉积物样品应属于同一个输运体系或研究区处于堆积状态。但是,由于不同来源的物质混合、源区沉积物特征及变化、不同水动力条件下的物质输运、悬沙沉降、溶解态—颗粒态物质转换、物质输运动力的侧向分布等因素与粒径趋势形成之间的关系还不够明确,因此这些条件还不是完备的,这个问题的解决依赖于粒径趋势形成的过程和机制的进一步研究。     

新疆柴窝堡湖沉积物中环境敏感粒度组分揭示的环境信息

通过对柴窝堡湖沉积物剖面和流域表层沉积物进行粒度分析,结合沉积剖面年代序列,研究了柴窝堡地区的环境演变与沙尘暴事件。首先通过主成分因子分析,对柴窝堡湖沉积物剖面粒度不同粒级组分含量进行了研究,探讨了湖泊沉积物的物质来源,获得了两个主控因子F1和F2,它们控制了湖泊沉积物近97.7%的粒度变化特征。研究表明,F2代表了以57 μm为众数粒径的次总体,主要来源于地表风沙侵蚀;而F1为以7 μm为众数粒径的次总体,主要受流水作用控制。进而通过粒径-标准偏差法,提取了湖泊沉积物中环境敏感粒度组分,风成组分C2（20~209 μm）反映了区域风沙活动的历史,并揭示了1910-1930年和1980-2000年为百年来的两个沙尘暴相对活动强烈的时期。沉积物中记录的1980年和2000年左右的沙尘事件与器测记录及历史文献记载具有很好的一致性。最后利用均值突变诊断分析,发现柴窝堡湖地区1910年前后存在近百年来最强的沙尘事件,揭示了近百年来该地区一次最强的环境突变事件。      

黄河下游不同河段分组悬沙输移对河床冲淤的影响

小浪底水库运行后, 坝下游分组悬沙输移特点发生改变, 不同河段冲淤过程有所差别。基于1999—2018年坝下游实测水沙资料及固定淤积断面地形数据, 分析汛期分组悬沙输移的沿程调整特点, 建立分组悬沙输移及河床边界条件双重影响下不同河段河床累计冲淤量的计算关系。分析结果表明: ①汛期各组沙输沙率远小于蓄水前, 且中沙输沙率降幅最大, 在各水文断面平均降幅为85%;沿程上细沙输沙率基本不恢复, 而中沙和粗沙恢复距离分别到利津及艾山。②坝下游河床持续冲刷, 各河段河床组成均发生不同程度的粗化; 在拦沙后期(2007—2018年), 游荡段和过渡段床沙中细沙和中沙占比不足5%, 对悬沙几乎无补给作用, 而弯曲段床沙对中沙仍有一定的补给能力。③下游各河段以冲刷下切为主, 但调整幅度不同, 故对水流的约束能力有所差异。建立了各河段累计冲淤量与前期河相系数及进口断面分组来沙系数的经验关系, 并采用2019年下游水沙数据对公式进行了初步验证, 公式能合理反映断面形态与分组悬沙输移对河床累计冲淤过程的影响。     

Grain-size information from the statistical properties of digital images of sediment

The autocorrelation technique for estimating grain-size from digital images of sand beds has been extended and validated for use on coarse sand (0·7 mm) and gravel (up to ∼20 mm). A number of aspects of the technique have been explored and some potential improvements suggested. Autocorrelation is just one suitable statistical method sensitive to the grain-size of sediment in digital images; four additional techniques are presented and their relative merits discussed. A collective suite of techniques applicable to the general problem of grain-size estimation from digital images of sediment might broaden the applicability to more sedimentary environments, as well as improve its accuracy. These techniques are compared using a large data set from a gravel barrier beach in southern England. Based on over 180 samples, mean grain-size of sieved and imaged sediments correspond to within between 8% and 16%. Some theoretical aspects of the spatial arrangement of image intensity in digital images of natural sediments are addressed, including the fractal nature of sediments in images, which has potential implications for derivation of grain-size distributions from images of sand-sized material through segmentation and thresholding. The methods outlined in this contribution may also find application in further uncovering the geometric structure of sediment beds, as well as in the simulation of sedimentation processes.     

乌伦古湖沉积物粒度特征及其古气候环境意义

利用乌伦古湖沉积钻孔的粒度资料,分析了粒度频率曲线、粒度参数和粒度组成等粒度特征,并探讨了乌伦古湖粒度代表的古气候意义。结果表明乌伦古湖沉积物频率曲线主要是正态单峰型,反映流水作用为主要沉积作用。岩芯下部（225197cm）沉积物分选较差,偏度和尖度较大,为浅水沉积环境;中部（197103cm）分选由差变好,物源由复杂变单一,为浅水沉积向深水沉积过渡环境;上部（1030cm）分选较好,物源单一,中值粒径减小,反映了湖水位的下降。沉积物粒度特征反映了乌伦古湖地区全新世降水、流水和风力作用以及湖面水位高低的变化。乌伦古湖一万年来的古气候环境演化大致经历了102507720cal.aBP的干旱、77202800cal.aBP的湿润和2800cal.aBP以来的偏干三个阶段。      

Sediment transport patterns determined from grain size parameters: Overview and state of the art

Grain size trends have been applied in many diverse sedimentary environments to determine sediment transport paths, generally coinciding with information from tracer studies, current measurements and the orientation of sedimentary structures. The different methods proposed to date are critically analysed and compared with reference to recent field studies. It is concluded that the two-dimensional methods produce comparable results and may in fact complement each other.In spite of the advances, several problems still exist, which include the sampling method and density, the choice of trend types, the relative weight of grain size parameters and the interpretation of results. These are discussed together with possible solutions.     

黄河内蒙古河段输沙量与淤积量计算方法

基于多沙河流"多来多排"输沙基本公式,建立了考虑上站来沙量、前期累计淤积量、临界输沙水量及干支流泥沙粒径影响的输沙量一般表达式。进而根据黄河内蒙古河段1953—2010年实测水沙资料,得到了内蒙古巴彦高勒—头道拐全河段及巴彦高勒—三湖河口和三湖河口—头道拐分河段的年输沙量公式,并根据输沙率法采用建立的输沙量公式计算了各河段1953—2010年的逐年冲淤量。选取三湖河口—头道拐河段的计算结果分析表明,在输沙基本公式基础上增加前期累计淤积量、临界输沙水量及干支流泥沙粒径参数,所得公式计算的年冲淤量与实测值之间的相关系数R2由基本公式的0.41依次提高到0.50、0.75和0.80,说明在基本公式基础上进一步考虑这些参数的必要性。此外,全河及分河段输沙公式计算所得输沙量及各河段冲淤量和累计淤积量与实测值的符合程度均较好,表明建立的输沙公式能够用于不同水沙条件下的输沙量和冲淤量计算,可为分析内蒙古河段的输沙特性和长期淤积趋势提供参考。     

一种新的粒度指标:沉积物粒度分维值及其环境意义

根据分形理论，对1000个不同类型沉积物样品的粒度分形结构及其分维值作了定量计算。结果表明：各类型沉积物都具有良好的统计自相似性，并且各自有着不同的分维值。粒度分维值的大小与分选好坏密切相关。没有经过外力搬运与分选的风化破碎物质(碎屑物)——断层泥、冻土的粒度分维值接近于碎形体的分维值2．60左右；经过外力搬运但分选作用较弱的冰碛物、水石流、泥石流堆积物的粒度分维值也接近2．60；而经过强烈外力分选作用的河床、湖泊沉积物、潮滩及海底沉积物的分维值明显偏小。鉴于此，本认为分维值可以作为沉积物类型判别的重要参数之一。     

The influence of grain-size analysis methods and sediment mixing on curve shapes and textural parameters: Implications for sediment trend analysis

To this day, deterministic physical models capable of explaining the evolution of grain-size distributions in the course of transport are still lacking. For this reason, various attributes of particle frequency distributions, in particular curve shapes and textural parameters, have for many decades been investigated for potential information about transport behaviour and size-sorting processes of sediments in numerous environments. Such approaches are essentially conceptual and hence rely heavily on the validity of the assumptions on which they are based. A factor which has to date been largely ignored in this context, is the fact that different methods of grain-size analysis (e. g. sieving, laser absorption and diffraction, settling velocity measurements), when applied to the same sample material, produce variable curve shapes, and hence incongruous textural data. This is illustrated by selected examples showing the differences between sieving and settling results, conversion of settling velocities into equivalent settling diameters (psi-phi-transformations), and the influences of particle shape, particle density, and water temperature. It is demonstrated that particle-size distributions are not only method-dependent but also dependent on the adopted post-processing procedure. As a result, only frequency curves generated by the same method and subsequently processed by identical computational procedures can be meaningfully compared. Furthermore, the computation of textural parameters from bi- or multimodal size distributions produces spurious results which are unrelated to the processes leading to the mixing of different size populations frequently observed in nature. In such cases, only the decomposition of such distributions into individual populations and the spatial comparison of such populations makes any sense. Because a physical explanation for the generation of size distributions is lacking, a particular curve shape of a grain-size population has no meaning on its own. Only a systematic comparison of progressively changing curve shapes (and associated textural parameters) of sediments collected on a closely spaced grid can yield data suitable for sediment trend analysis.     

Sediment trend models fail to reproduce small-scale sediment transport patterns on an intertidal beach

A rigorous test is presented of the application of sediment trend models to an intertidal beach environment characterized by bar morphology. Sediment samples were collected during low tide from a regular grid and their sediment fall velocity distributions, obtained using a settling tube, were analysed using moment analysis. The net sediment transport direction determined from beach surveys, hydrodynamic measurements, wave ripple observations and sediment transport modelling was compared with predictions by sediment trend models based on the spatial distribution of sediment parameters. It was found that the sediment transport pathways and patterns of sedimentation predicted using sediment trend models were at odds with field observations, and varied significantly depending on whether surface or sub‐surface sediment samples were used. The sediment trend models are thought to fail because, in energetic and morphologically variable beach environments, spatial patterns in sediment characteristics are mainly attributed to the presence of different hydrodynamic regions and associated morphology, rather than sediment pathways. The use of sediment trend models cannot replace the collection of morphological, hydrodynamic and sediment transport data in the field to define relationships between flows, forms and sedimentation patterns on a dynamic intertidal beach.     

Sediment production and transport in a proglacial stream: Hilda Glacier, Alberta, Canada

Hilda Glacier, a small cirque glacier in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, yields two principal types of sediment: ablation till, deficient in fine material and produced by rockfalls and avalanches falling on to the glacier surface, and basal lodgement till, rich in fines and formed mainly by subglacial erosion. Recent recession from its Neoglacial maximum has exposed large areas of basal till with thin veneers of ablation till which, when combined with present subglacial and supraglacial debris, provide abundant material for erosion and transport by the mcltwatcr stream. Sediment transport measurements over two summers (1977–1978) showed that bed load and suspended load occur in approximately equal proportions and that dissolved loads are minor. Local source variations, especially bank slumps, are a major cause of scatter in sediment rating curves. Suspended-sediment concentrations are greater early in the melt season due to availability of loose sediment produced by freezing and thawing. Other contributors to scatter in suspended-sediment rating curves include rain showers and diurnal hysteretic effects. Although the distinction between bed load and suspended load is never sharp, available data suggest that the sand/ gravel grain-size boundary (-1ø) approximates the suspendcd-load/bed-load division for characteristic Hilda flows transporting gravel. This approximation, combined with till grain-size analyses, suspended-sediment measurements, and spatial distributions of till types, leads to the following computations of fluvial sediment sources: for suspended load - 6% supraglacial, 47% subglacial, 47% channel banks; for bed load - 46% supraglacial, 27% each subglacial and channel banks. Supraglacial debris provides only about one-fourth of all fluvial sediment, but nearly half of the bed load.     

Comparing spatial grain-size trends inferred from textural parameters using percentile statistical parameters and those based on the log-hyperbolic method

The Folk&Ward (F&W) and the log-hyperbolic methods are applied to a small - and easy to overlook - number of typical sand sized grain-size distributions from the Danish Wadden Sea. The sand originates from the same source, and the pattern of change in the grain-size distributions is, therefore, exclusively linked to dynamic sorting. In general, the F&W parameters reflect the observed grain-size trends far better than the corresponding log-hyperbolic parameters. The log-hyperbolic “typical log grain size”, ν, is sensitive to changes in skewness and cannot replace mean grain size, Mz, in grain-size trend analysis. The four log-hyperbolic parameters describing dispersion δ, τ^− 1, κ^− 1 and ζ are not able to give an unambiguous picture of spreading trends. The F&W sorting parameter, Sd, can therefore not be replaced by any of the log-hyperbolic parameters in grain-size trend analysis. In skewed grain-size distributions, there seems to be a general defect in the log-hyperbolic approximation of the best represented tail. This makes χ less sensitive to indicate the correct sign of slightly skewed grain-size distributions than Sk. However, when examining trends, the relative change between χ and Sk by and large seems to be the same. The log-hyperbolic peakedness parameter, ξ, is preferable to the F&W peakedness (kurtosis) parameter, Kg, because the latter is hypersensitive to small, insignificant variations in a grain-size distribution. By contrast, the concept of peakedness as defined by ξ, seems to relate more directly to sedimentary environmental conditions. In conclusion, the log-hyperbolic method has both advantages and disadvantages when compared with the F&W method. It is thus suggested that a sensible combination of the two methods could be advantageous to sediment trend analysis.     

对坡面径流挟沙力研究的几点认识

坡面径流挟沙力是土壤侵蚀过程模型的核心输入参数。在系统界定坡面径流挟沙力概念的基础上,深入分析了坡面径流水动力学特性和泥沙特性对坡面径流挟沙力的影响及其机制,受降雨、地形、土壤、植被、土地利用、结皮形成、细沟发育和砾石出露等多种因素时空变异的综合影响,坡面径流挟沙力具有强烈的时空变化特征,导致坡面径流挟沙力的测定较为困难。将确定挟沙力常用的方法划分为河流挟沙力方程修正法、推理法、模型模拟法和测量法,比较分析了不同方法的优缺点。未来的研究应该重点关注挟沙力测定方法与技术、坡面径流输沙过程的动力机制、典型土壤的挟沙力、挟沙力方程构建与验证及变化条件下坡面径流挟沙力等方面。     

中国沙漠物源研究:回顾与展望

沙漠物源研究不仅在风沙地貌学上有重大的理论和实践意义,而且对联结大气粉尘排放、黄土堆积、气候系统和海洋生物地球化学循环也有重要价值。在简要回顾中国沙漠研究的基础上,梳理了中国沙漠物源研究的理论、方法和主要成果,结合国际上沉积物物源分析的趋向,指出目前世界沙漠物源的研究都是基于沉积物组份属性统计的反演模型,这种研究范式在数据获取、处理与解释方面存在缺陷,如沉积物的取样设计与测试分析、未消除"粒级依赖"对沉积物组份影响、数据未进行对数变换、忽视Dickinson图解应用的前提条件等。提出今后中国沙漠物源研究的方向:①采用正确统一的取样设计和分析方法对各沙漠的沉积物组份属性进行系统研究,建立中国沙漠沉积物组份的属性数据库;②选择若干典型沙漠,利用其周边山地详尽的地质构造、母岩和气候数据,定量构建沉积物生成的正演模型,模拟源区生成沉积物的数量、成分和结构,并用建成的沉积物组份属性数据验证和校正;③定量评估河流冲积物、冲积-湖积物、洪积-冲积物和基岩风化的残积、坡积物对中国各沙漠物源的贡献率与迁移路径,研究中国各沙漠中细颗粒物质的形成机制,对比中国沙漠与低纬度沙漠物源的形成机制;④定量研究历史和地质时间尺度沙漠-黄土-深海沉积物物源的内在联系及其驱动因素,建立陆地-大气-海洋物质循环的机理模型。     

Sediment transport,biotic modifications and selection of grain size in a surface deposit-feeder

Deposit-feeders often select for particles on the basis of grain size. The available pool of particles at the sediment surface may be modified both by deposit-feeder activity and by sediment transport, but the effects of these alterations on deposit-feeder diet composition have received little attention. In laboratory experiments the spionid polychaeteParaprionospio pinnata altered the grain-size composition in its foraging area, and these alterations were reflected in grain-size changes in the diet. After simulated transport of fine-grain sediments,P. pinnata diets also changed in grain-size composition. Field data were collected from 9 m depth in the lower Chesapeake Bay. A video camera, deployed near the bottom, identified times of sediment transport over a 6-h Period;P. pinnata were collected concurrently for gut analysis. Consistent with predictions from the laboratory experiments,P. pinnata ingested primarily small-grain sizes. During periods of no sediment transport this feeding pattern reduced the relative availability of small particles; larger sediments were incorporated into the diet. Sediment transport may resupply the foraging area with fine-grain particles which are then incorporated into the diet. On these small spatial and time scales, deposit-feeder activity may affect the availability of food resources.     

Grain-size parameters of insoluble residues in mixed terrigenous-skeletal carbonate sediments and sedimentary rocks: some New Zealand examples

Grain-size parameters derived from the mechanical analysis of acid-insoluble residues from mixed terrigenous-shell beach sediments from Auckland, New Zealand, are more effective for interpreting the depositional processes, and for characterizing the beach environment on textural scatter plots, than are parameters based on the analysis of the total beach samples. This results mainly from the wide variations in size of hydraulically equivalent skeletal carbonate grains in the sediment, especially in the coarser size grades, but may also be accentuated by the local origin and susceptibility to alteration of the shell material. Compared with the total sediment grain-size distribution, the insoluble residues from the beach deposits are characteristically finer-grained, better sorted, and more consistently coarse-skewed and leptokurtic. The grain-size distribution characteristics of insoluble residues from several stratigraphic units in a sequence of Oligocene mixed terrigenous-skeletal shelf sediments in the South Auckland region distinguish depositional mechanisms and environmental energy levels for each unit that are consistent with interpretations made on the basis of carbonate petrography and palaeontology. With regard to the bulk content of terrigenous mud in the insoluble residues, the grain-size distribution of the fraction coarser than 4φ is alone diagnostic of the energy-time trends in these sediments. The grain-size parameters of the acid-insoluble residues in modern and ancient mixed terrigenous-skeletal carbonate sediments may provide more reliable criteria for distinguishing and characterizing the depositional environment of these deposits than do the parameters obtained from the size distribution of the total grain population.     

Uncertainty analysis in bed load transport prediction of gravel bed rivers by ANN and ANFIS

River flow is a complex dynamic system of hydraulic and sediment transport. Bed load transport have a dynamic nature in gravel bed rivers and because of the complexity of the phenomenon include uncertainties in predictions. In the present paper, two methods based on the Artificial neural networks (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) are developed by using 360 data points. Totally, 21 different combination of input parameters are used for predicting bed load transport in gravel bed rivers. In order to acquire reliable data subsets of training and testing, subset selection of maximum dissimilarity (SSMD) method, rather than classical trial and error method, is used in finding randomly manipulation of these subsets. Furthermore, uncertainty analysis of ANN and ANFIS models are determined using Monte Carlo simulation. Two uncertainty indices of d factor and 95% prediction uncertainty and uncertainty bounds in comparison with observed values show that these models have relatively large uncertainties in bed load predictions and using of them in practical problems requires considerable effort on training and developing processes. Results indicated that ANFIS and ANN are suitable models for predicting bed load transport; but there are many uncertainties in determination of bed load transport by ANFIS and ANN, especially for high sediment loads. Based on the predictions and confidence intervals, the superiority of ANFIS to those of ANN is proved.     

基于栅格叠合的沉积物底质图生成方法

文章提出了一种基于GIS空间插值和栅格图叠合技术,分析生成沉积物底质图的方法,并以曹妃甸海区为例,以170个海底表层沉积物样的粒度分析结果为依据,应用本文设计的方法生成这一海区的底质分布图,并用预留的20个采样点进行了精度分析和检验,在此基础上比较了不同的空间插值方法对生成的底质图结果的影响.结果显示出这一方法成图速度快、自动化程度高,但也存在对原始数据精度要求高、插值方法带来误差等问题.在借鉴传统底质图生成方法的基础上,运用三维TIN模型对成图结果进行改进,最终形成一种结合地貌要素的栅格叠合的沉积物底质图生成方法.     

Composite methodology for interpreting sediment transport pathways from spatial trends in grain size: A case study of the Lithuanian coast

To achieve a more robust interpretation of sediment conditions and transport based on grain size, this study combines the perspectives of two different interpretation techniques that have been developed separately and applied in the literature: (i) ‘grain size trend analysis’ interprets changes between interrelated sampling sites assuming that sediment in the direction of transport should become either coarser, better sorted and more positively skewed, or finer, better sorted and more negatively skewed; and (ii) the ‘population anomalies’ method, which estimates the balance between erosion and accumulation processes at each sampling site based on individual site deviations compared with average values for grain‐size parameters in the area of interest. The simultaneous use of both approaches enables sedimentological conditions and transport alternatives to be distinguished. This improvement is necessary because site‐specific changes and general textural trends provide information that complements the strengths and weaknesses of each perspective. The methods are implemented here using two‐dimensional Geographic Information System tools and illustrated for the Lithuanian coast. Grain‐size characteristics of 712 surface samples of sandy sediments are used to interpret sediment transport pathways and predominant sedimentological conditions in the Lithuanian coastal zone. In general, coast‐parallel sediment transport dominates the entire investigation area, although wave‐induced movement perpendicular to the coastline is inferred in the shallow nearshore zone. The deepest areas offshore are characterized by sea floor erosion in the north, whereas an accumulation zone occurs in the relatively deep central part of the study area.