Variation of turbidity during subsurface abstraction of river water: A case study

Rivers are known to carry sediment loads. Many rivers in Asia including Kosi, Brahmaputra, Bagmati rivers in India and Yellow and Yarlung Tsangpo rivers in China are well known for their carriage of excessive sediment loads. In India, many water abstraction units are located along river banks. Their success depends on how the sediment load is trapped as the sediment laden water flows towards the pumping wells located few hundred meters away from river bank. In this work, based on the analysis of a data of one year on suspended load variations in a canal, located at Haridwar, India, trap efficiency variations are studied during the passage of source water to the abstraction well. Considering the subsurface basin, located within the source water and the abstraction well, as a hypothetical settling basin, variation of trap efficiency is related with the influent concentration. It is observed that the trap efficiency depends on the influent concentration. Appropriate functional forms for the variation of trap efficiency with the influent concentrations are also identified.     

A SEM-based method to determine the mineralogical composition and the particle size distribution of suspended sediment

A robust method for characterizing the mineralogy of suspended sediment in continental rivers is introduced. It encompasses 3 steps: the filtration of a few milliliters of water, measurements of X-ray energy dispersive spectra using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and robust machine learning tools of classification. The method is applied to suspended particles collected from various Amazonian rivers. A total of more than 204,000 particles were analyzed by SEM-EDXS (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy), i.e. about 15,700 particles per sampling station, which lead to the identification of 15 distinct groups of mineralogical phases. The size distribution of particles collected on the filters was derived from the SEM micrographs taken in the backscattered electron imaging mode and analyzed with ImageJ freeware. The determination of the main mineralogical groups composing the bulk sediment associated with physical parameters such as particle size distribution or aspect ratio allows a precise characterization of the load of the terrigenous particles in rivers or lakes. In the case of the Amazonian rivers investigated, the results show that the identified mineralogies are consistent with previous studies as well as between the different samples collected. The method enabled the evolution of grain size distribution from fine to coarse material to be described in the water column. Implications about hydrodynamic sorting of mineral particles in the water column are also briefly discussed. The proposed method appears well suited for intensive routine monitoring of suspended sediment in river systems.     

Assessment of sediment transport approaches for sand-bed rivers by means of machine learning

Abstract

The quantification of the sediment carrying capacity of a river is a difficult task that has received much attention. For sand-bed rivers especially, several sediment transport functions have appeared in the literature based on various concepts and approaches; however, since they present a significant discrepancy in their results, none of them has become universally accepted. This paper employs three machine learning techniques, namely artificial neural networks, symbolic regression based on genetic programming and an adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system, for the derivation of sediment transport formulae for sand-bed rivers from field and laboratory flume data. For the determination of the input parameters, some of the most prominent fundamental approaches that govern the phenomenon, such as shear stress, stream power and unit stream power, are utilized and a comparison of their efficacy is provided. The results obtained from the machine learning techniques are superior to those of the commonly-used sediment transport formulae and it is shown that each of the input combinations tested has its own merit, as they produce similarly good results with respect to the data-driven technique employed.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz     

The influence of sediment size,relative grain size and channel slope on initiation of sediment motion in boulder bed rivers. A lichenometric study

Sediment transport of four boulder bed rivers is studied using lichenometry. The presence of lichens on boulders in the river channel is used to date the last mobilization of the blocks. Using size frequency diagrams and regional growth curves calibrated with dated reference points it is possible to determine the flood event responsible for the last mobilization of each boulder with lichens present. The specific stream power of flood events over the last 60 years is then calculated, and thresholds of sediment transport based on the sediment size are calculated. The results from the four studied rivers are compared to similar relationships in the literature. Sediment motion thresholds appear to be very variable within the same type of river (mountainous boulder bed rivers). The critical specific stream power necessary to mobilize a particle of a given diameter may vary by up to 10 times from one river to the next. Bed sediment size and river slope may explain this large range of stream powers. Calculation of the relative size of the transported particles (D_i/D₅₀) also shows that both hiding and protrusion effects, as well as channels slope, are important factors in sediment transport. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Key drivers of changes in the sediment loads of Chinese rivers discharging to the oceans

The magnitude and variation of the sediment loads transported by rivers have important implications for the functioning of river systems and changes in the sediment loads of rivers are driven by numerous factors. In this paper, the key drivers of changes in the sediment loads of the major rivers of China are identified by reviewing recent studies of changes in their sediment loads. Except for the Songhua River, which presents no clear tendency of change in runoff or sediment load, nearly all the major rivers of China are characterized by an apparent decline in annual sediment load. The total annual sediment load of major Chinese rivers transported to the coast decreased from 2.03 billion t/yr during the period 1955–1968 to 0.50 billion t/yr during the period 1997–2010. The primary drivers of changes in the sediment loads of the rivers are dam construction, implementation of soil and water conservation measures, catchment disturbance, agricultural practices, sand mining and climate change. Examples drawn from Chinese rivers are used to demonstrate the importance of these drivers. Construction of a large number of reservoirs in the Yangtze River basin represents the primary driver for the reduced sediment load of the Yangtze River. The implementation of soil and water conservation programmes is one of the key drivers for the sharp decline in the sediment load of the Yellow River. Catchment disturbance explains why the reduction of the sediment load of the Lancang-Mekong River at the Chiang Saen gauging station was much less than that at the Gajiu gauging station upstream. A reduction in sediment load resulting from the expansion of agricultural production may be the main driver for the reduced sediment load of the Huaihe River. The decrease in the sediment load of the Pearl River has been influenced by sand mining activities. Climate change is one of the key drivers responsible for the greatly reduced sediment load of the rivers in the Haihe River Basin.     

Changes in runoff and sediment load from major Chinese rivers to the Pacific Ocean over the period 1955-2010

Changes in runoff and sediment loads to the Pacific Ocean from 10 major Chinese rivers are presented in this paper To quantitatively assess trends in runoff and sediment loads, a parameter called the ＂Trend Ratio T＂ has been defined in this paper. To summarize total runoff and sediment load from these rivers, data from 17 gauging stations for the duration 1955 to 2010 has been standardized, and the missing data have been interpolated by different approaches according to specific conditions. Over the observed 56-year study period, there is a quite stable change in total runoff. Results show that the mean annual runoff flux entering the Pacific Ocean from these rivers is approximately 1,425 billion cubic meters. It is found that all northern rivers within semi-arid and transitional zones including the Songhua, Liaohe, Haihe, Yellow and Huaihe rivers present declining trends in water discharge. Annual runoff in all southern rivers within humid zones including the Yangtze, Qiantang, Minjiang, Pearl and Lancang rivers does not change much, except for the Qiantang River whose annual runoff slightly increases. The annual sediment loads of all rivers show significant declining trends; the exceptions are the Songhua and Lancang rivers whose annual sediment loads have increasing trends. However, the mean annual sediment flux carried into the Pacific Ocean decreased from 2,026 million tonnes to 499 million tonnes over the 56-year period. During this time there were 4 distinct decreasing phases. The decrease in annual sediment flux is due to the integrated effects of human activity and climate change. The reduction in sediment flux makes it easy for reservoir operation; however, the decrease in sediment flux also creates problems, such as channel erosion, river bank collapse and the retreat of the delta area.     

Sediment load reduction in Chinese rivers

In this paper, the changes in the annual runoff and sediment transport have been assessed by using the long term observation data from 10 gauging stations on 10 large rivers across China from far north to far south. It is found that the annual sediment yield has generally had a decreasing trend in the past half century. According to the changes in annual runoff and the sediment yield per area, rivers in China can be classified into the following three groups： 1） rivers with decreasing annual sediment transport and stable runoff; 2） rivers with both decreasing annual sediment transport and runoff and 3） rivers with greatly reduced annual sediment transport and decreasing annual runoff. The results indicate that, in all southern rivers （to the south of the Huaihe River including the Huaihe River）, there has been little change in average annual runoff but a dramatic decrease in annual sediment transport. In the northern rivers, however, both the annual sediment yield and the runoff show significant evidence of reduction. To further investigate the recent changes in annual runoff and sediment transport, the short-term observation data from these 10 gauging stations in the recent 10 years have been assessed. Results show that both the annual sediment transport and the runoff have decreased＂ significantly in the northern rivers in the past 10 years. Using the Yellow River at the Lijin Station as an example, the average annual runoff for the last 10 years is only 1/3 of the long term average value and the average annual sediment yield of the last 10 years is only 1/4 of the long term average value. More unusually, in the Yongding River the annual sediment yield has approached zero and the runoff has decreased significantly. In addition, the impacts of human activities on the changes in both runoff and sediment transport have been discussed.     

Benthic control upon the morphology of transported fine sediments in a low‐gradient stream

The structure of fluvial sediments in streams has environmental implications to contaminant fate, nutrient budgeting and the carbon flux associated with fine particulate organic matter (FPOM). However, the influence of sediment structure is lacking in environmental predictive models. To this end, the present study links field‐based results of sediment aggregate structure to seasonal biological functions in the surface fine‐grained laminae (SFGL) of a low‐gradient stream. Fluvial sediment collection, microscopy and image analysis are used to show that aggregates collected over a 20 month time period support the concept that aggregate structure can vary seasonally in low‐gradient streams where temporarily stored sediment is prominent. Results show that the structure of the transported aggregates is more irregular in the summer with the structure being elongated about the long axes. In the winter, the aggregate structure is compacted and more spherical. Statistical analysis and results suggest that heterotrophic and autotrophic biological activity within the SFGL exhibits seasonal control upon the morphology of transported sediments. Implications of this research are highlighted through calculations of the reactive surface area of the transported suspended sediment load. The surface area of transported sediment is estimated to be 40% greater in the summer as compared to the winter time period, which implies that (i) the affinity of sediments to sorb contaminants is higher in summer months and (ii) the downstream reactivity of FPOM in large rivers, lakes and estuaries is not just a function of microbial drivers but also the seasonally dependent structure of transported FPOM derived from low‐order streams. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment loads response to climate change:A preliminary study of eight large Chinese rivers

Climate change characterized by increasing temperature is able to affect precipitation regime and thus surface hydrology.However,the manner in which river sediment loads respond to climate change is not well understood,and related assessment regarding the effect of climate change on sediment loads is lacking.We present a quantitative estimate of changes in sediment loads(from 1.5 Gt yr^-1 pre-1990 to 0.6 Gt yr^-1 from 1991-2007) in response to climate change in eight large Chinese rivers.Over the past decades,precipitation change coupled with rising temperatures has played a significant role in influencing the sediment delivery dynamics,although human activities, such as reservoir construction,water diversion,sand mining and land cover change,are still the predominant forces. Lower precipitation coupled with rising temperatures has significantly reduced sediment loads delivered into the sea in semi-arid climates（4-61%）.In contrast,increasingly warmer and wetter climates in subtropical zones has yielded more sediment（0.4-11%）,although the increase was offset by human impact.Our results indicate that,compared with mechanical retention by reservoirs,water reduction caused by climate change or human withdrawals has contributed more sediment reduction for the rivers with abundant sediment supply but limited transport capacity（e.g.,the Huanghe）.Furthermore,our results indicate that every 1%change in precipitation has resulted in a 1.3%change in water discharge and a 2%change in sediment loads.In addition,every 1%change in water discharge caused by precipitation has led to a 1.6%change in sediment loads,but the same percentage of water discharge change caused largely by humans would only result in a 0.9%change in sediment loads.These figures can be used as a guideline for evaluating the responses of sediment loads to climate change in similar climate zones because future global warming will cause dramatic changes in water and sediment in river basins worldwide at rates previously unseen.     

Sediment export from French rivers to the sea

Knowledge of sediment exports from continental areas is essential for estimating denudation rates and biogeochemical cycles. However, the estimation of current sediment fluxes to the sea is often limited by the availability and quality of sediment discharge data. This study aims to quantify the relative contributions of French rivers to the sediment discharge to the ocean. Sediment fluxes were assessed using the French river quality database, which is characterized by a low temporal resolution but long‐term measurement periods. An improved rating curve approach (IRCA) using daily discharge data, which allows the estimation of mean annual sediment loads from infrequent sediment concentration data, was used to calculate sediment fluxes. The resulting mean annual sediment loads show that French rivers export c. 16.21 Mt yr^‐1 of sediments to the sea. Among the 88 defined French rivers flowing to the sea, the four largest basins (Loire, Rhone, Garonne and Seine) export 13.2 Mt yr^‐1, which corresponds to 81.3% of total exports. No relationship was found between the mass of exported sediment and the size of the drainage basins. This is due to the variety of river basin typologies among these rivers, including lowland rivers in temperate climates, such as the Seine on the one hand and rivers draining mountainous areas in Alpine/Mediterranean areas on the other hand, such as the Rhone. The latter contributes 60% to the total sediment export for France while its drainage area is only 19% of the total area considered. Differences between the river basins considered are also shown by temporal indicators describing the duration of the exports, which may be linked with sediment production processes over drained areas. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Concentrations and annual fluxes of sediment‐associated chemical constituents from conterminous US coastal rivers using bed sediment data

Coastal rivers represent a significant pathway for the delivery of natural and anthropogenic sediment‐associated chemical constituents to the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the conterminous USA. This study entails an accounting segment using published average annual suspended sediment fluxes with published sediment‐associated chemical constituent concentrations for (1) baseline, (2) land‐use distributions, (3) population density, and (4) worldwide means to estimate concentrations/annual fluxes for trace/major elements and total phosphorus, total organic and inorganic carbon, total nitrogen, and sulphur, for 131 coastal river basins. In addition, it entails a sampling and subsequent chemical analysis segment that provides a level of ‘ground truth’ for the calculated values, as well as generating baselines for sediment‐associated concentrations/fluxes against which future changes can be evaluated. Currently, between 260 and 270 Mt of suspended sediment are discharged annually from the conterminous USA; about 69% is discharged from Gulf rivers (n = 36), about 24% from Pacific rivers (n = 42), and about 7% from Atlantic rivers (n = 54). Elevated sediment‐associated chemical concentrations relative to baseline levels occur in the reverse order of sediment discharges: Atlantic rivers (49%) > Pacific rivers (40%) > Gulf rivers (23%). Elevated trace element concentrations (e.g. Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) frequently occur in association with present/former industrial areas and/or urban centres, particularly along the northeast Atlantic coast. Elevated carbon and nutrient concentrations occur along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts but are dominated by rivers in the urban northeast and by southeastern and Gulf coast (Florida) ‘blackwater’ streams. Elevated Ca, Mg, K, and Na distributions tend to reflect local petrology, whereas elevated Ti, S, Fe, and Al concentrations are ubiquitous, possibly because they have substantial natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Almost all the elevated sediment‐associated chemical concentrations found in conterminous US coastal rivers are lower than worldwide averages. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Well-balanced numerical modelling of non-uniform sediment transport in alluvial rivers

The last two decades have witnessed the development and application of well-balanced numerical models for shallow flows in natural rivers.However,until now there have been no such models for flows with non-uniform sediment transport.This paper presents a 1D well-balanced model to simulate flows and non-capacity transport of non-uniform sediment in alluvial rivers.The active layer formulation is adopted to resolve the change of bed sediment composition.In the framework of the finite volume Slope Llmiter Centred(SLIC) scheme,a surface gradient method is incorporated to attain well-balanced solutions to the governing equations.The proposed model is tested against typical cases with irregular topography,including the refilling of dredged trenches,aggradation due to sediment overloading and flood flow due to landslide dam failure.The agreement between the computed results and measured data is encouraging.Compared to a non-well-balanced model,the well-balanced model features improved performance in reproducing stage,velocity and bed deformation.It should find general applications for non-uniform sediment transport modelling in alluvial rivers,especially in mountain areas where the bed topography is mostly irregular.     

Analysis of bedload transport characteristics of Idaho streams and rivers

Field data are essential in evaluating the adequacy of predictive equations for sediment transport. Each dataset based on the sediment transport rates and other relevant information gives an increased understanding and improved quantification of different factors influencing the sediment transport regime in the specific environment. Data collected for 33 sites on 31 mountain streams and rivers in Central Idaho have enabled the analysis of sediment transport characteristics in streams and rivers with different geological, topographic, morphological, hydrological, hydraulic, and sedimentological characteristics. All of these streams and rivers have armored, poorly sorted bed material with the median particle size of surface layer coarser than the subsurface layer. The fact that the largest particles in the bedload samples did not exceed the median particle size of the bed surface material indicates that the armor layer is stable for the observed flow discharges (generally bankfull or less, and in some cases two times higher than bankfull discharge). The bedload transport is size‐selective. The transport rates are generally low, since sediment supply is less than the ability of flow to move the sediment for one range of flow discharges, or, the hydraulic ability of the stream is insufficient for entrainment of the coarse bed material. Detailed analyses of bedload transport rates, bedload and bed material characteristics were performed for each site. The obtained results and conclusions are used to identify different influences on bedload transport rates in analyzed gravel‐bed rivers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A mathematical model for unsteady supercritical flow on a mobile sandy bed

ABSTRACT

Supercritical flow with sediment transport is a common phenomenon in steep rivers. This kind of flow presents features not present in rivers flowing in subcritical conditions. The development of a mathematical model to simulate supercritical flow with sediment transport in sandy rivers is described. The model is based on a numerical scheme for the integral version of the full governing equations and takes into account bottom configurations.     

Benthic and hyporheic invertebrate assemblages along a gradient of increasing streambed colmation by fine sediment

Streambed colmation by fine sediment, e.g. the deposition, accumulation and storage of fines in the substrate, is a major environmental concern throughout the world. Nevertheless, the ecological effects of streambed colmation on both benthic and hyporheic invertebrate assemblages have rarely been considered simultaneously. We studied a continuum of a naturally increasing percentage of fine sediment in three temperate rivers and hypothesized that the increasing percentage of fine sediment would decrease both benthic and hyporheic invertebrate densities and diversities, and reduce the similarities between them. To test these hypotheses, we first compared heavily, moderately and lightly clogged reaches located in downwelling areas and sampled invertebrates in the benthic zone and at 3 different depths (10, 30 and 50 cm) in the hyporheic zone. Secondly, we modified the sediment grain size distribution experimentally by increasing the percentage of fine sediment and using artificial substrates. The increasing colmation halved the hyporheic taxonomic richness and reduced benthic and hyporheic densities to a third. Some taxa were found in both zones, mainly in high colmation (e.g. Baetidae) or low colmation contexts (e.g. Orthocladiinae, Cyclopoida and Harpacticoida). The dissimilarity between benthic and hyporheic fauna (only at ?50 cm) was significantly higher in heavily clogged reaches than in moderately and lightly clogged ones, suggesting reduced vertical exchange of invertebrates or differential impacts between zones. The total abundance, taxonomic richness, percentage of EPT taxa and densities of most organisms observed using the artificial substrates decreased linearly with the increasing percentage of fine sediment in the experiment. Only the Ephemeroptera Caenis spp. and Heptageniidae disappeared above 30 and 50 % of fine sediment, respectively, suggesting that the response to increasing colmation are strongly taxon-specific. High amount of fine sediments within the substrate significantly decreased habitat quality for benthic and hyporheic invertebrates and thus limit the production of streams and their capacity to recover after disturbance. Moreover, the use of hyporheic invertebrates seems more relevant than benthic invertebrates to assess the effect of colmation and thus could be tested in future research as indicators.     

Fine sediment deposition affects biodiversity and density of benthic macroinvertebrates: A case study in the freshwater pearl mussel river Waldaist (Upper Austria)

Fine sediment deposition in stream beds frequently generated by certain land use practices has become an increasing stressor for rivers throughout the world. In this study, the role of fine sediment deposition and its impact on the benthic macro-invertebrate assemblages was investigated in a low mountain freshwater pearl mussel stream, the Waldaist. Communities of unaffected sites and sites under high fine sediment deposition were compared. Distinct reactions of benthic assemblages in fine gravelly habitats were ascertained demonstrating a severe but still underestimated threat for invertebrate biodiversity.     

Particle size characteristics of suspended sediment in Southern Ontario rivers tributary to the great lakes

In spite of the important relationship between sediment particle size and the transport/deposition of adsorbed pollutants in fluvial systems, little information regarding the size characteristics of suspended sediment transported by southern Ontario Great Lakes tributaries is currently available. This paper examines long-term sediment and hydrometric data collected by the Water Resources Branch of Environment Canada in order to provide information on (1) typical particle size distributions of suspended sediment, (2) relationships between source material and particle size characteristics of suspended sediment, and (3) temporal variation in the particle size characteristics of suspended sediment from six southern Ontario rivers. Results illustrate the complex behaviour and variability of sediment particle size transport in these rivers and demonstrate the need for a better understanding of seasonal effects on sediment availability and conveyance processes in fluvial systems.     

The movement of sediment in rivers

Sediment movement in rivers is a complex phenomenon. The rate of sediment transport is related to many variables such as water discharge, average flow velocity, stream power, energy slope, shear stress, water depth, particle size, water temperature, and strength of turbulence. Different theories of sediment transport were developed by assuming different independent variables as the dominant variables. This survey provides a comprehensive review of the important theories of incipient motion and sediment transport. It discusses basic concepts and findings upon which knowledge of sediment transport is based and presents mathematical derivations and equations only in sufficient detail to illustrate some basic concepts. Data collected from natural rivers and laboratory flumes are used to compare the accuracy and applicability of different sediment transport equations. Finally, procedures are suggested for selecting sediment transport equations under different flow and sediment conditions.     

Application of newly developed ensemble machine learning models for daily suspended sediment load prediction and related uncertainty analysis

ABSTRACT

Ensemble machine learning models have been widely used in hydro-systems modeling as robust prediction tools that combine multiple decision trees. In this study, three newly developed ensemble machine learning models, namely gradient boost regression (GBR), AdaBoost regression (ABR) and random forest regression (RFR) are proposed for prediction of suspended sediment load (SSL), and their prediction performance and related uncertainty are assessed. The SSL of the Mississippi River, which is one of the major world rivers and is significantly affected by sedimentation, is predicted based on daily values of river discharge (Q) and suspended sediment concentration (SSC). Based on performance metrics and visualization, the RFR model shows a slight lead in prediction performance. The uncertainty analysis also indicates that the input variable combination has more impact on the obtained predictions than the model structure selection.     

Comparative study on magnetic minerals of tidal flat deposits from different sediment sources in Jiangsu coast,Eastern China

Understanding the sources of sediments deposited in tidal flats is critical for reconstructing the evolution of coastal regions impacted by large rivers. Environmental magnetism can be an effective tool to track sediment sources and analyze the sediment properties. We evaluate several magnetic parameters from the tidal flat sediments along the Jiangsu coast. The results show that the sediments of Liandao Island have the lowest values of magnetic susceptibility (χ), anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) and saturation isothermal remanence magnetization (SIRM). In addition to these, the values of χ, ARM and SIRM display a generally increasing trend from the north to the south along the Jiangsu coast. The strong relations between χ, ARM and SIRM show that the changes of magnetization of the tidal flat sediments mainly reflect the changes of concentration rather than those in grain sizes of magnetic particles. The main magnetic phase is magnetite, with a small amount of hematite. The strong relationship between χ and the 2-16 μm grain-size fraction suggests that magnetite is enriched in the finer silt fraction. The sediment sources is the main factor that influences the magnetic properties of the tidal flat sediments from the Jiangsu coast. Combined with the previous studies, the results indicate that the tidal flat sediments of Liandao Island were mainly derived from the nearshore rock weathering. The Yellow River is the dominant supplier for the north of Dafeng, while the Yangtze River is the dominant supplier for the south of Rudong. The coast between Dafeng and Rudong is a transition zone influenced by both rivers. This study provides a basis against which possible future variations in sediment composition resulting from catchment changes can be assessed.