CHANGES IN THE MAGNITUDE AND TRANSFORMATION OF FLOOD WAVES SUBSEQUENT TO THE CHANNELIZATION OF THE RABA RIVER,POLISH CARPATHIANS

Alterations in flood flows of the Raba River are examined to determine the influence exerted on flood waves by changing morphological conditions. With stable vertical channel position, the river increased its sinuosity during the 1920s to 1940s, and the change was accompanied by a growing tendency to flood-wave attenuation. The temporal change in flood-wave transformation is typical of a developing low-flow system. Subsequently, streambed degradation has been induced due to channnelization works which straightened and narrowed the river. Flood waves became progressively more flashy as channel incision progressed. The increase in magnitude of flood waves passing the deepened reach was greatest for bankfull flows and diminished for lower in-bank flows and higher overbank flows. The tendency to magnification of peak discharges has been also found in other Carpathian rivers which were considerably degraded in the 20th century in response to channelization. Introducing an empirically found correcting factor into the analysis of the ratio of outflow to inflow peak discharges shows how the conditions of peak-flow transformation in a reach have changed since the beginning of the study period. A marked coincidence between changes in vertical channel location and variations in the ‘corrected’ peak-discharge ratio proves channel changes to be a very important reason for the growing flood hazard in southern Poland. Gradient oversteepening and channel narrowing, caused by channelization, lead to formation of a river system having a steep, straight, narrow and deep channel. Such a morphology distinguishes the system from natural low-flow and high-flow systems. Reduced floodplain water storage and self-acceleration of flow concentrated in a channel zone make flood waves progressively more flashy on their way down the channelization-formed system.     

Numerical simulation of catastrophic flood: the case study of hypothetical failure of the Bielkowo hydro-power plant reservoir

The numerical modeling of flood wave propagation following the hypothetical breaks of the embankments of the Bielkowo hydro-power plant storage reservoir (Kolbudy II Reservoir) on the Radunia River in Poland has been presented. The results of computations were used to estimate the parameters of the flood waves, which are indispensable for the flood zone determination and mapping and then for the flood risk analysis. When estimating the reach and area of the inundation, related to the embankments failures, digital terrain model, and mathematical model of flood wave propagation are necessary. For the numerical simulations of flood, the mathematical model of free surface, two-dimensional unsteady water flow was applied. Four locations of potential breaks of the reservoir embankments were considered. The computed flood zones were presented on the flood hazard maps. The maps have been used by the local authorities and the dam owner to manage the flood risk related to hydro-power plants operations on the Radunia River. This type of research has been done for the first time for the water plant managed by the ENERGA Elektrownie Straszyn.     

The effects of river restoration on catchment scale flood risk and flood hydrology

A rising exposure to flood risk is a predicted consequence of increased development in vulnerable areas and an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change. In the face of this challenge, a continued reliance on engineered at‐a‐point flood defences is seen as both unrealistic and undesirable. The contribution of ‘soft engineering’ solutions (e.g. riparian forests, wood in rivers) to integrated, catchment scale flood risk management has been demonstrated at small scales but not larger ones. In this study we use reduced complexity hydrological modelling to analyse the effects of land use and channel changes resulting from river restoration upon flood flows at the catchment scale. Results show short sections of river‐floodplain restoration using engineered logjams, typical of many current restoration schemes, have highly variable impacts on catchment‐scale flood peak magnitude and so need to be used with caution as a flood management solution. Forested floodplains have a more general impact upon flood hydrology, with areas in the middle and upper catchment tending to show reductions in peak magnitude at the catchment outflow. The most promising restoration scenarios for flood risk management are for riparian forest restoration at the sub‐catchment scale, representing 20–40% of the total catchment area, where reductions in peak magnitude of up to 19% are observed through de‐synchronization of the timings of sub‐catchment flood waves. Sub‐catchment floodplain forest restoration over 10–15% of total catchment area can lead to reductions in peak magnitude of 6% at 25 years post‐restoration. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Probabilistic evaluation of flood hazard in urban areas using Monte Carlo simulation

The goal of the presented research was the derivation of flood hazard maps, using Monte Carlo simulation of flood propagation at an urban site in the UK, specifically an urban area of the city of Glasgow. A hydrodynamic model describing the propagation of flood waves, based on the De Saint Venant equations in two‐dimensional form capable of accounting for the topographic complexity of the area (preferential outflow paths, buildings, manholes, etc.) and for the characteristics of prevailing imperviousness typical of the urban areas, has been used to derive the hydrodynamic characteristics of flood events (i.e. water depths and flow velocities). The knowledge of the water depth distribution and of the current velocities derived from the propagation model along with the knowledge of the topographic characteristics of the urban area from digital map data allowed for the production of hazard maps based on properly defined hazard indexes. These indexes are evaluated in a probabilistic framework to overcome the classical problem of single deterministic prediction of flood extent for the design event and to introduce the concept of the likelihood of flooding at a given point as the sum of data uncertainty, model structural error and parameterization uncertainty. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

三峡工程影响的初步评价

全世界都在评论三峡工程的修建,这些评论经常是不太客观的.本文从正负两方面对三峡工程进行了讨论,重点在防洪工程和区域经济方面.作者认为修建三峡工程作为发电的功能远大于防洪的功能.尽管上游来的洪峰经过三峡水库调蓄后能够被削弱.但中游的洪水风险仍然很大.一般而言,中游地区的洪水是大降水事件的产物.三峡工程不可能完全控制中游的洪水.三峡水库发电对中国中部及周边地区经济的可持续发展将产生积极作用,也将能确保东部沿海地区尤其是上海市电能的供给.     

Fluvial hydraulics of hyperconcentrated floods in Chinese rivers

Hyperconcentrated floods, with sediment concentrations higher than 200 kg/m³, occur frequently in the Yellow River and its tributaries on the Loess Plateau. This paper studies the fluvial hydraulics of hyperconcentrated floods by statistical analysis and comparison with low sediment concentration floods. The fluvial process induced by hyperconcentrated floods is extremely rapid. The river morphology may be altered more at a faster rate by one hyperconcentrated flood than by low sediment concentration floods over a decade. The vertical sediment concentration distribution in hyperconcentrated floods is homogeneous. The Darcy–Weisbach coefficient of hyperconcentrated floods varies with the Reynolds number in the same way as normal open channel flows but a representative viscosity is used to replace the viscosity, η. If the concentration is not extremely high and the Reynolds number is larger than 2000, the flow is turbulent and the Darcy–Weisbach coefficient for the hyperconcentrated floods is almost the same as low sediment concentration floods. Serious channel erosion, which is referred to as ‘ripping up the bottom’ in Chinese, occurs in narrow‐deep channels during hyperconcentrated floods. However, in wide‐shallow channels, hyperconcentrated floods may result in serious sedimentation. Moreover, a hyperconcentrated flood may cause the channel to become narrower and deeper, thus, reducing the flood stage by more than 1 m if the flood event lasts longer than one day. The fluvial process during hyperconcentrated floods also changes the propagation of flood waves. Successive waves may catch up with and overlap the first wave, thus, increasing the peak discharge of the flood wave during flood propagation along the river course. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Net sediment transport in tidal basins: quantifying the tidal barotropic mechanisms in a unified framework

Net sediment transport in tidal basins is a subtle imbalance between large fluxes produced by the flood/ebb alternation. The imbalance arises from several mechanisms of suspended transport. Lag effects and tidal asymmetries are regarded as dominant, but defined in different frames of reference (Lagrangian and Eulerian, respectively). A quantitative ranking of their effectiveness is therefore missing. Furthermore, although wind waves are recognized as crucial for tidal flats’ morphodynamics, a systematic analysis of the interaction with tidal mechanisms has not been carried out so far. We review the tide-induced barotropic mechanisms and discuss the shortcomings of their current classification for numerical process-based models. Hence, we conceive a unified Eulerian framework accounting for wave-induced resuspension. A new methodology is proposed to decompose the sediment fluxes accordingly, which is applicable without needing (semi-) analytical approximations. The approach is tested with a one-dimensional model of the Vlie basin, Wadden Sea (The Netherlands). Results show that lag-driven transport is dominant for the finer fractions (silt and mud). In absence of waves, net sediment fluxes are landward and spatial (advective) lag effects are dominant. In presence of waves, sediment can be exported from the tidal flats and temporal (local) lag effects are dominant. Conversely, sand transport is dominated by the asymmetry of peak ebb/flood velocities. We show that the direction of lag-driven transport can be estimated by the gradient of hydrodynamic energy. In agreement with previous studies, our results support the conceptualization of tidal flats’ equilibrium as a simplified balance between tidal mechanisms and wave resuspension.     

Sediments and water fluxes in a muddy coastline: interplay between waves and tidal channel hydrodynamics

Tidal channels are ubiquitous in muddy coastlines and play a critical role in the redistribution of sediments, thus dictating the general evolution of intertidal landforms. In muddy coastlines, the morphology of tidal channels and adjacent marshes strongly depends on the supply of fine sediments from the shelf and on the resuspension of sediments by wind waves. To investigate the processes that regulate sediment fluxes in muddy coastlines, we measured tidal velocity and sediment concentration in Little Constance Bayou, a tidal channel in the Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana, USA. The tidal measurements were integrated with measurements of wave activity in the bay at the mouth of the channel, thus allowing the quantification of feedbacks between waves and sediment fluxes. Results indicate that the sediment concentration in the channel is directly related to the wave height in the adjacent bay during flood and high slack water, whereas the concentration during ebb depends on local channel velocity. Moreover, the sediment flux during ebb is of the same order of magnitude as the sediment flux during the previous flood, indicating that only a small fraction of transported sediments are stored in the marsh during a tidal cycle. Finally, very low tides, characterized by high ebb velocities, export large volumes of sediment to the ocean. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Extreme hydrological events in the Danube River basin over the last decades

The article discusses the considerable changes in hydrometeorological conditions that occurred in the Danube River basin over the period from the late XX century to the early XXI century. Mention is made of the air and water temperature rise, softening of ice conditions, and, above all, the noticeable increase in the river water runoff. Particular attention is given to the recent extreme hydrological events in the Danube River basin: the disastrous rainfall flood that occurred in August 2002, the extremely high spring-summer floods in 2006 and 2010, and the extraordinary low-flow period in summer 2003. The meteorological reasons for these events have been analyzed. Specific features in the development and transformation of flood waves along the Danube River are discussed in detail, including the impact of the Iron Gate-1 Reservoir on these processes.     

STUDY OF TRAVELTIME AND AMPLITUDE TIME-LAPSE TOMOGRAPHY USING PHYSICAL MODEL DATA1

In seismic tomography the observed traveltimes or amplitudes of direct waves are inverted to obtain an estimate of seismic velocity or absorption of the section surveyed. There has been much recent interest in using cross-well traveltime tomography to observe the progress of fluids injected into the reservoir rocks during enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. If repeated surveys are carried out, then EOR processes may be monitored over a period of time. This paper describes the results of a simulated time-lapse tomography experiment to image the flood zone in an EOR process. Two physical models were made out of epoxy resins to simulate an essentially plane-layered sedimentary sequence containing a reservoir layer and simple geological structure. The models differed only in the reservoir layer, which was uniform in the ‘pre-flood’ model and contained a flood zone of known geometry in the ‘post-flood’ model. Data sets were acquired from each model using a cross-well survey geometry. Traveltime and amplitude tomographic imaging techniques have been applied to these data in an attempt to locate the extent of the flood zone. Traveltime tomography locates the flood zone quite accurately. Amplitude tomography shows the flood zone as a region of higher absorption, but does not image its boundaries as precisely. This is primarily because of multipathing and diffraction effects, which are not accounted for by the ray-based techniques for inverting seismic amplitudes. Nevertheless, absorption tomograms could complement velocity tomograms in real, heterogeneous reservoirs because absorption and velocity respond differently to changes in liquid/gas saturations for reservoir rocks.     

Systematic monthly morphologic variation of assawoman inlet: Nature and causes

Assawoman Inlet, Virginia, U.S.A., representative of small mesotidal barrier island tidal inlets exhibits systematic variations of sediment volume among certain of its morphologic elements. Sediment volume variations were calculated from topographic-bathymetric maps of the inlet system, as surveyed on 11 occasions at approximately monthly intervals by a fathometer, and plane table and alidade. Of 36 pairings among nine morphologic elements, seven show statistically significant Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficients. The southern ramp margin shoals are negatively correlated with the southern beach face and the northern ramp margin shoals are negatively correlated with the northern beach face on the northern spit. The southern and northern ramp margin shoals themselves are negatively correlated. The southern ramp margin shoals are negatively correlated with the fore flood tidal delta which is negatively correlated with a tidal channel on its landward side. The back flood tidal delta is positively correlated with the northern ramp margin shoals and negatively correlated with the back side of Wallops spit. These associations may be qualitatively explained using wave and tidal climate data during the sampling year plus megaripple and bedding orientations. Constructive waves tend to transfer sediment from the ramp margin shoals landward, building up the adjacent beach faces. Destructive waves tend to move sediment back to the ramp margin shoals. Waves striking the coast obliquely promote asymmetric growth of the shoals, causing the ebb jet to erode into whichever is the smaller shoal.     

Contemporary hydrodynamics and morphological change of a microtidal estuary: a numerical modelling study

Contemporary hydrodynamics and morphological change are examined in a shallow microtidal estuary, located on a wave-dominated coast (Port Stephens, NSW, Australia). Process-based numerical modelling is undertaken by combining modules for hydrodynamics, waves, sediment transport and bathymetry updates. Model results suggest that the complex estuarine bathymetry and geometry give rise to spatial variations in the tidal currents and a marked asymmetry between ebb and flood flows. Sediment transport paths correspond with tidal asymmetry patterns. The SE storms significantly enhance the quantities of sediment transport, while locally generated waves by the westerly strong winds also are capable of causing sediment entrainment and contribute to the delta morphological change. The wave/wind-induced currents are not uniform with flow over shoals driven in the same direction as waves/winds while a reverse flow occurring in the adjacent channel. The conceptual sediment transport model developed in this study shows flood-directed transport occurs on the flood ramp while ebb-directed net transport occurs in the tidal channels and at the estuary entrance. Accretion of the intertidal sand shoals and deepening of tidal channels, as revealed by the model, suggest that sediment-infilling becomes advanced, which may lead to an ebb-dominated estuary. It is likely that a switch from flood- to ebb-dominance occurs during the estuary evolution, and the present-day estuary acts as a sediment source rather than sediment sink to the coastal system. This is conflictive to the expectation drawn from the estuarine morphology; however, it is consistent with previous research suggesting that, in an infilling estuary, an increase in build-up of intertidal flats/shoals can eventually shift an estuary towards ebb dominance. Thus, field data are needed to validate the result presented here, and further study is required to investigate a variety of estuaries in the Australian area.     

Trapped internal waves over undular topography in a partially mixed estuary

The flow of a stratified fluid over small-scale topographic features in an estuary may generate significant internal wave activity. Lee waves and upstream influence generated at isolated topographic features have received considerable attention during the past few decades. Field surveys of a partially mixed estuary, the Rotterdam Waterway, in 1987, also showed a plethora of internal wave activity generated by isolated topography, banks and groynes. Additionally it revealed a spectacular series of resonant internal waves trapped above low-amplitude bed waves. The internal waves reached amplitudes of 3–4 m in an estuary with a mean depth of 16 m. The waves were observed during the decreasing flood tide and are thought to make a significant contribution to turbulence production and mixing. However, while stationary linear and finite amplitude theories can be used to explain the presence of these waves, it is important to further investigate their time-dependent and non-linear behaviour. With the development of advanced non-hydrostatic models it now becomes possible to further investigate these waves through numerical experimentation. This is the focus of the work presented here. The non-hydrostatic finite element numerical model FINEL3D developed by Labeur was used in the experiments presented here. The model has been shown to work well in a number of stratified flow investigations. Here, we first show that the model reproduces the field data and for idealised stationary flow scenarios that the results are in agreement with the resonant response predicted by linear theory. Then we explore the effects of non-linearity and time dependence and consider the importance of resonant internal waves for turbulence production in stratified coastal environments.Responsible Editior: Hans Burchard     

How much physical complexity is needed to model flood inundation?

Two‐dimensional flood inundation models are widely used tools for flood hazard mapping and an essential component of statutory flood risk management guidelines in many countries. Yet, we still do not know how much physical complexity a flood inundation model needs for a given problem. Here, three two‐dimensional explicit hydraulic models, which can be broadly defined as simulating diffusive, inertial or shallow water waves, have been benchmarked using test cases from a recent Environment Agency for England and Wales study, where results from industry models are also available. To ensure consistency, the three models were written in the same code and share subroutines for all but the momentum (flow) and time‐stepping calculations. The diffusive type model required much longer simulation times than the other models, whilst the inertia model was the quickest. For flows that vary gradually in time, differences in simulated velocities and depths due to physical complexity were within 10% of the simulations from a range of industry models. Therefore, for flows that vary gradually in time, it appears unnecessary to solve the full two‐dimensional shallow water equations. As expected, however, the simpler models were unable to simulate supercritical flows accurately. Finally, implications of the results for future model benchmarking studies are discussed in light of a number of subtle factors that were found to cause significant differences in simulations relative to the choice of model. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Validation of a full hydrodynamic model for large‐scale hydrologic modelling in the Amazon

A key aspect of large river basins partially neglected in large‐scale hydrological models is river hydrodynamics. Large‐scale hydrologic models normally simulate river hydrodynamics using simplified models that do not represent aspects such as backwater effects and flood inundation, key factors for some of the largest rivers of the world, such as the Amazon. In a previous paper, we have described a large‐scale hydrodynamic approach resultant from an improvement of the MGB‐IPH hydrological model. It uses full Saint Venant equations, a simple storage model for flood inundation and GIS‐based algorithms to extract model parameters from digital elevation models. In the present paper, we evaluate this model in the Solimões River basin. Discharge results were validated using 18 stream gauges showing that the model is accurate. It represents the large delay and attenuation of flood waves in the Solimões basin, while simplified models, represented here by Muskingum Cunge, provide hydrographs are wrongly noisy and in advance. Validation against 35 stream gauges shows that the model is able to simulate observed water levels with accuracy, representing their amplitude of variation and timing. The model performs better in large rivers, and errors concentrate in small rivers possibly due to uncertainty in river geometry. The validation of flood extent results using remote sensing estimates also shows that the model accuracy is comparable to other flood inundation modelling studies. Results show that (i) river‐floodplain water exchange and storage, and (ii) backwater effects play an important role for the Amazon River basin hydrodynamics. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An inter‐basin backwater overflow (the Buhai Brook and the Ezer reservoir on the Jijia River,Romania)

During the last few years, the north‐western part of Romania has been affected by catastrophic floods with most of the watercourses reaching their highest recorded discharges. This study reports the generation of a numerical terrain model and the simulation of a backwater phenomenon at elevation steps according to the volume of water accumulated at the confluence of the Buhai Brook with the Jijia River. The hydrological data are complemented by rainfall data and the careful recording of the flood behaviour during the entire period of its development. The main aim of the study is to identify the causes of the backwater phenomenon and to highlight the material damage inflicted on the town of Dorohoi. At the same time, the study uses cartographic model that was developed to establish which areas are at risk of flooding at various levels of probability. The catastrophic flood began on the Buhai Brook, a slow‐flowing stream that drains the areas to the west of the town of Dorohoi and discharged into the upstream sector of the Jijia confluence. The flood caused two types of backwater waves: one behind the bridges and the houses built on the floodplain and a second that followed the course of the main stem (Jijia) upstream from the confluence, flooding the Ezer Lake, which was created specifically to attenuate such floods. The spillway backwater phenomenon was inter‐basin as it did not occur in a single hydrographic basin. The causes of the catastrophic flash flood and of the inter‐basin backwater overflow are natural but also reflect anthropogenic influence. After the lake filled, the discharge into the Jijia was controlled and the flooding downstream was thus greatly diminished. Though fortuitous, the backwater flooding was important in mitigating the impact of the flood wave from the Jijia River. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical study on the effects of wave–current–surge interactions on the height and propagation of sea surface waves in Charleston Harbor during Hurricane Hugo 1989

The effects of wave–current interactions on ocean surface waves induced by Hurricane Hugo in and around the Charleston Harbor and its adjacent coastal waters are examined by using a three-dimensional (3D) wave–current coupled modeling system. The 3D storm surge modeling component of the coupled system is based on the Princeton Ocean Model (POM), the wave modeling component is based on the third generation wave model, Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN), and the inundation model is adopted from [Xie, L., Pietrafesa, L. J., Peng, M., 2004. Incorporation of a mass-conserving inundation scheme into a three-dimensional storm surge model. J. Coastal Res., 20, 1209–1223]. The results indicate that the change of water level associated with the storm surge is the primary cause for wave height changes due to wave–surge interaction. Meanwhile, waves propagating on top of surge cause a feedback effect on the surge height by modulating the surface wind stress and bottom stress. This effect is significant in shallow coastal waters, but relatively small in offshore deep waters. The influence of wave–current interaction on wave propagation is relatively insignificant, since waves generally propagate in the direction of the surface currents driven by winds. Wave–current interactions also affect the surface waves as a result of inundation and drying induced by the storm. Waves break as waters retreat in regions of drying, whereas waves are generated in flooded regions where no waves would have occurred without the flood water.     

Abflußereignisse,eine skalenabhängige multiple Antwort von Einzugsgebieten auf Niederschläge

Flood Events, a Multiple Basin Response to Precipitation Events at Different Scales Results in the small catchment of the Kartelbornsbach have shown that summer events lead to typical types of flood waves that can be classified according to their response patterns. Differences to this pattern are due to the precipitation amount and duration and in some times to the pre-event moisture of the soil. The results show further that the Kartelbornsbach catchment can be considered as a block system where spatial differences are responsible for the basic pattern of the reaction but not for differences between flood events. Small catchments are excellent tools for relatively inexpensive hydrological and hydrochemical research on streamflow generation mechanisms. With increasing size of the basin the response becomes less clear, because the spatial distribution of rainfall and the distance of delivering areas from the sampling station mask or modify the type of response. Although the main flow components may not change, there is a considerable shift in the composition of water quality, because the increase of travel time does not affect all flow components at the same rate.     

Investigating the transport dynamics and the properties of bedload material with a hydro‐acoustic measuring system

This article deals with the following two questions. Are acoustic measurements in running waters appropriate for a highly resolved investigation of the bedload transport? Which characterizations of the bedload regarding mass and shape are possible via the acoustic signals? The signals were recorded by means of data recorders (Tascam Inc. DAP1 Portable Data Recorder) and hydrophones (International Transducer Corp. ITC‐4001 A). The ITC‐4001 is a shallow water omnidirectional transducer containing a flexural disc transducer utilizing Channelite‐5400 ceramics mounted in a rugged corrosion‐resistant housing. These hydrophones were screwed onto the bottom side of stainless steel plates, serving as a contact surface for the bedload in motion above them. After more than 100 series of tests in the laboratory, which indicated the basic relations between the dimension, shape and weight of the bedload and the resulting signal, field tests of the measuring system were conducted. By artificially produced flood waves in the small brooks Riverisbach, Olewiger Bach and by a winter flood wave in the River Moselle, it is possible to elaborate similar structures of the signal course of the bedload movement. The highest transport rates can be observed at the beginning of the increasing limbs and behind the peaks of the waves. At the beginning of the waves, the increasing transport power of the water and the loose material can be considered as the cause for this result. The high stream velocity behind the wave peaks explains the increase in the bedload transport so that material from the channel beds is unfastened and will be mobilized. The characterization of the bedload regarding the shape and mass is still limited regarding the field measurements and could be solved only for homogeneous grain sizes and single stones under laboratory conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.