Numerical modelling of the suspended sediment transport in Torres Strait

One-dimensional vertical and three-dimensional fine-resolution numerical models of sediment transport have been developed and applied to the Torres Strait region of northern Australia. The one-dimensional model, driven by measured waves and currents, was calibrated against measured suspended sediment concentrations using a sequential data assimilation algorithm. The algorithm produced a good match between model and data, but this was achieved only by allowing some temporal variability in parameter values, suggesting that there were underlying uncertainties in the model structure and forcing data. Implications of the assimilation results to the accuracy of the numerical modelling are discussed and the need for observational programmes having an extensive spatial and temporal coverage is highlighted. The three-dimensional sediment model, driven by modelled waves and currents, simulates sediment transport over the shelf during the monsoon and trade-wind seasons covering 1997–2000. The model predicts strong seasonal variability of the sediment transport on the shelf attributed to seasonally varying hydrodynamics, and illustrates significant inter-annual variability of the sediment fluxes driven by extreme events. The developed model provides a platform for testing scientific hypothesis. With additional calibration, including uncertainty analysis, it can also be used in a management context.     

Prediction of sediment transport in the swash-zone by using a nonlinear wave model

In the present work, the sediment transport rate in the swash zone is estimated using a Boussinesq model coupled with a porous flow model in order to incorporate the infiltration–exfiltration effects. The transport rate is estimated from a modified Meyer–Peter and Müller formula using different values the multiplier C for uprush and backwash to incorporate the observed higher transporting efficiency of the uprush due to the presence of pre-suspended sediment from the bore collapse. Alternatively, the depth-integrated transport equation for suspended sediment is solved. The comparison between model results and experimental data shows that both approaches are able to give satisfactory results.     

The fetch effect on aeolian sediment transport on a sandy beach: a case study from Magilligan Strand,Northern Ireland

Experiments were conducted on Magilligan Strand, Northern Ireland, to assess the influence of the fetch effect on aeolian sediment transport. During each experiment surface sediments were uniformly dry and unhindered by vegetation or debris. The leading edge of erodible material was well defined, with the limit of wave up‐rush demarcating the wet–dry boundary; the work was conducted during low tides. A number of electronic and integrating traps were utilised, with two ultrasonic anemometers used to measure wind direction and velocity at 1 Hz. The combination of 1^o direction data and trap locations resulted in a range of fetch distances, from 2 to 26 m. Data integrated over 15‐minute intervals (corresponding to the integrating trap data) revealed a distinct trend for all the experiments. An initial rapid increase in the transport rate occurred over a short distance (4–9 m). This maximum transport rate was maintained for a further 5–6 m before a steady decay in the flux followed, as fetch distance increased. A measured reduction in wind speed (6–8%) across the beach suggests a negative feedback mechanism may be responsible for the diminishing transport rate: the saltating grains induce energy dissipation, thus reducing the capability of the wind to maintain transport. For one experiment, the presence of compact sediment patches may also have contributed to the reduction of the transport rate. The decay trend calls into question the utility of the fetch effect as an important parameter in aeolian studies that seek to understand sediment budgets of the foredune‐beach zone. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

River suspended sediment modelling using a fuzzy logic approach

Correct estimation of sediment volume carried by a river is very important for many water resources projects. Conventional sediment rating curves, however, are not able to provide sufficiently accurate results. In this paper, a fuzzy logic approach is proposed to estimate suspended sediment concentration from streamflow. This study provides forecasting benchmarks for sediment concentration prediction in the form of a numerical and graphical comparison between fuzzy and rating‐curve models. Benchmarking was based on a 5‐year period of continuous streamflow and sediment concentration data of Quebrada Blanca Station operated by the United States Geological Survey. The benchmark results showed that the fuzzy model was able to produce much better results than rating‐curve models. The fuzzy model proposed in the study is site specific and does not simulate the hysteresis effects. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Near shore waves,long-shore currents and sediment transport along micro-tidal beaches,central west coast of India

Coastlines are undergoing constant geomorphologic changes with respect to the incident wave climate.Based on waves measured at 9 m water depth,simulation of near shore wave transformation is done using REFDIF-1numerical model and the near shore breaker parameters are estimated at two micro-tidal beaches along central west coast of India.Model results are validated with measured values.From the breaker parameters,long-shore current and long-shore sediment transport rates（LSTR） are computed by using semi-empirical equations.Estimated long-shore current and LSTR are showing dramatic variations with respect to seasons.Predominant direction of LSTR is observed towards north since the approach waves are from south-west direction during pre-monsoon and post monsoon.During monsoon season,waves are from west south-west and resulted in southerly transport.The estimated annual net and gross LSTR by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants（CERC） at two locations are in the same order whereas LSTR estimated by Walton ＆ Bruno and Kamphuis equations are showing different estimations because of difference in surf-zone width and foreshore slope between the two locations.For micro-tidal beaches with length less than 6 km,Kamphuis equation is giving agreeable estimation of LSTR.Sensitivity analysis of LSTR estimate shows that coastal inclination is the prominent factor in determining LSTR than incident wave angle.     

Effects of oil on water filtration by exposed sandy beaches

The most important natural function of exposed sandy beaches is the filtration of large volumes of sea water which are flushed through the interstitial pore system by the actions of tides and waves. In this process organic material is mineralized by the interstitial fauna and nutrients returned to the sea. This paper examines the physical effects of oil in blocking or reducing this filtration. Reduced filtration of sea water may be caused by prevention or retardation of interstitial water flow and/or decrease in pore space. The magnitude of the effects depends on the volume of oil, its state of weathering, its location on the beach and its degree of admixture with sand. It appears that under all but the heaviest conditions of pollution these effects are relatively small and only become significant in situ when discrete layers of weathered oil occur near the surface in the upper intertidal zone where maximum water input normally occurs.     

Physically based modelling of sediment generation and transport under a large rainfall simulator

A series of large rainfall simulator experiments was conducted in 2002 and 2003 on a small plot located in an experimental catchment in the North Island of New Zealand. These experiments measured both runoff and sediment transport under carefully controlled conditions. A physically based hydrological modelling system (SHETRAN) was then applied to reproduce the observed hydrographs and sedigraphs. SHETRAN uses physically based equations to represent flow and sediment transport, and two erodibility coefficients to model detachment of soil particles by raindrop erosion and overland flow erosion. The rate of raindrop erosion also depended on the amount of bare ground under the simulator; this was estimated before each experiment. These erodibility coefficients were calibrated systematically for summer and winter experiments separately, and lower values were obtained for the summer experiments. Earlier studies using small rainfall simulators in the vicinity of the plot also found the soil to be less erodible in summer and autumn. Limited validation of model parameters was carried out using results from a series of autumn experiments. The modelled suspended sediment load was also sensitive to parameters controlling the generation of runoff from the rainfall simulator plot; therefore, we found that accurate runoff predictions were important for the sediment predictions, especially from the experiments where the pasture cover was good and overland flow erosion was the dominant mechanism. The rainfall simulator experiments showed that the mass of suspended sediment increased post‐grazing, and according to the model this was due to raindrop detachment. The results indicated that grazing cattle or sheep on steeply sloping hill‐country paddocks should be carefully managed, especially in winter, to limit the transport of suspended sediment into watercourses. Copyright © 2006 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.     

Numerical modelling of floodplain hydraulics and suspended sediment transport and deposition at the event scale in the middle river Elbe,Germany

The objective of this case study was to calibrate and verify detailed transport model of sediment in a 4‐kilometre stretch of the middle Elbe floodplains in Germany. The hydraulic RMA‐2 model and the SED2d‐WES sediment transport model were used. These models were calibrated and validated by detailed measurement of the surface water elevations, the velocities at six profiles, and the suspended sediment concentration and deposition (by means of 10 sediment traps). The flow was modelled for three steady‐state discharges. The surface water elevations were calculated to an accuracy of less than 5 cm compared to measurements. The differences between the calculated and measured velocities were with one exception smaller than 0.2 m/s (measured range 0.1…?1.0 m/s). An average sediment input of 35 g/(m² d) was calculated for the flood event studied. The highest calculated sedimentation rates of 700 g/(m² d) (dry density 90 kg/m³) occurred in quiescent zones and abandoned channels. Twenty‐five percent of the deposited sediment settled in the quiescent zones (which only account for 13% of the area). The most sensitive parameters of the sediment transport model were the settling velocity and critical shear stress. The modelling techniques used allowed sediment deposition on the floodplains of the Elbe to be realistically depicted.     

Test of scale modelling of sediment transport in steady unidirectional flow

In two steady uniform flows at different physical scales in a small open channel, with variables characterizing flow, sediment, and fluid adjusted for dynamic similitude by means of four dimensionless modelling parameters (a Reynolds number, a Froude number, a density ratio, and a length ratio), measured frequency distributions of height, spacing, and migration rate of current ripples were almost identical when scaled, thus verifying that exact Reynolds-Froude modelling of loose-sediment transport is valid and workable. Modelling should be valid as well for a wide range of other transport conditions in the same kind of flow, because no additional kinds of forces or effects would be present in transport of loose grains in modes other than as ripples. In scaled-down modelling, a scale ratio of 2.5 is attainable without recourse to exotic fluids by use of water at 85°C to model natural flows at 10°C.     

Developing a Lagrangian sediment transport model for open channel flows

A three-dimensional stochastic Lagrangian particle tracking sediment transport model is developed to solve the discrete advection-dispersion equation using a combination of empirical dispersion equations.The performance of three widely-used longitudinal dispersion coefficient equations was examined to select one of them as the primary dispersion equation term in the developed model. Also, a conditional empirical equation was used to consider the effect of vertical dispersion term in top layers n...     

Numerical modelling of alternate bar formation,development and sediment sorting in straight channels

A two‐dimensional shallow water hydro‐sediment‐morphodynamic model is applied to investigate alternate bar formation, development and sediment sorting in straight channels. The model is coupled, explicitly incorporating the flow–sediment–bed interactions by using the full mass and momentum conservation equations, which are numerically solved by a well‐balanced version of the finite volume Slope Limiter Centred (SLIC) scheme. The model is first tested against a flume experiment on alternate bars formed over a uniform sediment bed, which clearly exhibits processes of bar formation, migrating and finally approaching an equilibrium state. Then it is applied to another flume experiment on alternate bars due to non‐uniform sediment transport. The computational results are evaluated, with a focus on the longitudinal and vertical sediment sorting. It is argued for the first time that the inconsistent sediment sorting patterns observed in previous studies are determined by different sediment transport conditions, i.e. full versus partial transport. When a condition of full transport is achieved, under which all size fractions are fully mobilized and transported, the longitudinal surface sediment shows a sorting pattern of coarse‐on‐head and fine‐in‐pool, and the vertical substrate sediment exhibits an immobile‐fine‐coarse structure upwards. In contrast, for a partial transport condition, under which only finer fraction participates in the transport process, an opposite longitudinal pattern (i.e. fine‐on‐head and coarse‐in‐pool) and a different vertical structure (i.e. immobile‐coarse‐fine) are observed. Concurrently, numerical experiments with specified conditions show that the critical aspect ratio for the formation of migrating alternate bars is approximately equal to 12. With the increase of the aspect ratio, the bar length grows gradually, while the bar height increases rapidly for moderate values of the aspect ratio and then keeps nearly stable. The bar celerity, however, is weakly sensitive to the variation of this ratio. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shallow sediment transport flow computation using time-varying sediment adaptation length

Based on the common approach,the adaptation length in sediment transport is normally estimated astemporally independent.However,this approach might not be theoretically justified as the process of reaching the sediment transport equilibrium stage is affected by the flow conditions in time,especially for fast moving flows,such as scour-hole developing flows.In this study,the two-dimensional（2D） shallow water formulation together with a sediment continuity-concentration（SCC） model were applied to flow with mobile sediment boundary.A timevarying approach was proposed to determine the sediment transport adaptation length to simulate the sediment erosion-deposition rate.The proposed computational model was based on the Finite Volume（FV） method.The Monotone Upwind Scheme of Conservative Laws（MUSCL）-Hancock scheme was used with the Harten Lax van Leer-contact（HLLC） approximate Riemann solver to discretize the FV model.In the flow applications of this paper,a highly discontinuous dam-break,fast sediment transport flow was used to calibrate the proposed timevarying sediment adaptation length model.Then the calibrated model was further applied to two separate experimental sediment transport flow applications documented in the literature,i.e.a highly concentrated sediment transport flow in a wide alluvial channel and a sediment aggradation flow.Good agreement with the experimental data were obtained with the proposed model simulations.The tests prove that the proposed model,which was calibrated by the discontinuous dam-break bed scouring flow,also performed well to represent rapid bed change and steady sediment mobility conditions.     

Morphological controls in sandy estuaries: the influence of tidal flats and bathymetry on sediment transport

The morphodynamics of shallow, vertically well-mixed estuaries, characterised by tidal flats and deeper channels, have been investigated. This paper examines what contributes to flood/ebb-dominant sediment transport in localised regions through a 2D model study (using the TELEMAC modelling system). The Dyfi Estuary in Wales, UK has been used as a case study and, together with idealised estuary shapes, shows that shallow water depths lead to flood dominance in the inner estuary whilst tidal flats and deep channels cause ebb dominance in the outer estuary. For medium sands and with an artificially ‘flattened’ bathymetry (i.e. no tidal flats), the net sediment transport switches from ebb-dominant to flood-dominant where the parameter a/h (local tidal amplitude ÷ local tidally averaged water depth) exceeds 1.2. Sea level rise will reduce this critical value of a/h and also reduce the ebb-directed sediment transport significantly, leading to a flood-dominated estuarine system. A similar pattern, albeit with greater transport, was simulated with tidal flats included and also with a reduced grain size. This suggests that analogous classifications for flood/ebb asymmetry of the tide in estuaries as a whole may not represent the local sediment transport in sufficient detail. Through the Dyfi simulations, the above criterion involving a/h is shown to be complicated further by augmented flow past a spit at the estuary mouth which gives rise to a self-maintaining scour hole. Simulations of one year of bed evolution in an idealised flat-bottomed estuary, including tidal flow past a spit, recreate the flood/ebb dominance on either side of the spit and the formation of a scour hole in between. The erosion rate at the centre of the hole is reduced as the hole deepens, suggesting the establishment of a self-maintaining equilibrium state.     

Aeolian sediment fingerprinting using a Bayesian mixing model

Identifying sand provenance in depositional aeolian environments (e.g. dunefields) can elucidate sediment pathways and fluxes, and inform potential land management strategies where windblown sand and dust is a hazard to health and infrastructure. However, the complexity of these pathways typically makes this a challenging proposition, and uncertainties on the composition of mixed‐source sediments are often not reported. This study demonstrates that a quantitative fingerprinting method within the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) framework offers great potential for exploring the provenance and uncertainties associated with aeolian sands. Eight samples were taken from dunes of the small (~58 km²) Ashkzar erg, central Iran, and 49 from three distinct potential sediment sources in the surrounding area. These were analyzed for 61 tracers including 53 geochemical elements (trace, major and rare earth elements (REE)) and eight REE ratios. Kruskal–Wallis H‐tests and stepwise discriminant function analysis (DFA) allowed the identification of an optimum composite fingerprint based on six tracers (Rb, Sr, ⁸⁷Sr, (La/Yb)_n, Ga and δCe), and a Bayesian mixing model was applied to derive the source apportionment estimates within an uncertainty framework. There is substantial variation in the uncertainties in the fingerprinting results, with some samples yielding clear discrimination of components, and some with less clear fingerprints. Quaternary terraces and fans contribute the largest component to the dunes, but they are also the most extensive surrounding unit; clay flats and marls, however, contribute out of proportion to their small outcrop extent. The successful application of these methods to aeolian sediment deposits demonstrates their potential for providing quantitative estimates of aeolian sediment provenances in other mixed‐source arid settings, and may prove especially beneficial where sediment is derived from multiple sources, or where other methods of provenance (e.g. detrital zircon U–Pb dating) are not possible due to mineralogical constraints. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metal speciation and environmental impact on sandy beaches due to El Salvador copper mine, Chile

Several coastal rocky shores in northern Chile have been affected by the discharges of copper mine tailings. The present study aims to analyze the chemical speciation of heavy metals in relation to the diversity of sessile species in the rocky intertidal benthic community on the northern Chilean coast, which is influenced by the presence of copper mine tailings. In particular, the chemical forms of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in beach sediment samples collected in the area influenced by El Salvador mine tailings were studied using a sequential chemical extraction method. In general, all the elements present a maximum concentration in the area near the actual discharge point (Caleta Palito). With regard to Cu and Mn, the concentrations range between 7.2-985 and 746-22,739 microg/g respectively, being lower than background levels only in the control site of Caleta Zenteno. Moreover, the correlation coefficients highlight that Fe, Mn and Ni correlate significantly and positively in the studied area, showing a possible common, natural origin, whilst Cu shows a negative correlation with Fe, Mn and Ni. It could be possible that Cu has an anthropogenic origin, coming from mining activity in the area. Cd, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn are mostly associated with the residual phase, whilst Cu presents a different speciation pattern, as resulted from selective extractions. In fact, Cu is highly associated with organic and exchangeable phases in contaminated localities, whilst it is mainly bound to the residual phase in control sites. Moreover, our results, compared to local biological diversity, showed that those sites characterized by the highest metal concentrations in bioavailable phase had the lowest biodiversity.