Influence of diversion angle on water and sediment flow into diversion channel

Accumulation of the sediment in the stream of the diversion channels adversely affects its operational systems. Diversion channels are often constructed perpendicular to the main river. In this study, the water flow and sediment transport in the diversion channel with different angles were investigated in an attempt to maximize water discharge and minimize sediment discharge. A physical model with movable bed was used to simulate water and sediment flow with five diversion angles (θ) between (30°–90°). Moreover, three bed width ratios (B_r) (the relation between diversion to main channel bed width) between 30% and 50% and five total discharges between (7.25 L/s to 12.25 L/s) were considered for each case of (θ). The results showed, up to 10%, increasing in proportion discharge ratios for 30 and 45 diversion angles compared with 90° diversion angle. The results also showed that the lowest diversion sediment concentration was provided by the (θ) of 30°. Across all scenarios, the average proportion concentration reduction was 64%, compared with 90° diversion angle. Closer observation of the diversion system mechanism confirmed that decreased (θ) result in decreased sediment concentrations in the diversion channels. In conclusion, the diversion channel water and sediment discharge could be effectively managed by changing the (θ) to 30° or 45° instead of 90°.     

Earthquake event deposits in Mesoproterozoic Kunyang Group in central Yunnan Province and its geological implications

Earthquake and its resultant tsunami, as a kind of disaster events in geological history, may be recorded as event deposits of seismite and tsunamite. Typical characteristics of seismite and tsunamite, including seismo-fracture bed, synsedimentary microfracture, micro-corrugated lamination, molar tooth structure, hummocky bedding, occurs in Mesoproterozoic Dalongkou Formation of Kunyang Group in central Yunnan Province. Three types of sedimentary units have been recognized: seismite (unit-A, including limestone with molar tooth structure, seismic shattering rock, seismic corrugated rock, autoclastic breccia and intraclastic parabreccia), tsunamite (unit-B, intraclastic limestone with hummocky or parallel beddings) and background deposits (unit-C). Various stackings of these units construct three distinct sedimentary sequences: A-B-C, A-C and B-C. A-B-C represents an event sedimentary sequence of earthquake-tsunami-background deposits, A-C represents the sequence of earthquake and background deposits (no tsunami occurring), and B-C represents the sequence of tsunami and background deposits (far from the center of earthquake). As the central Yunnan Province was located in a tectonic setting of rift basin in Mesoproterozoic Era, the earthquake event deposits of the Dalongkou Formation are sedimentary response to tectonic activity of the rift basin.     

太和殿基座对上部结构抗震性能影响分析

故宫太和殿是中国古建筑的典型代表,其基座由台基和高台组成。为有效保护古建筑,采用数值模拟方法,以故宫太和殿为例,研究古建基座对上部结构抗震性能影响。基于太和殿基座、浮搁柱底、榫卯连接、斗拱等构造特征,建立两种有限元模型:不考虑基座/考虑基座。通过模态分析,研究基座对太和殿上部结构自振特性的影响;通过Ⅷ度常遇地震作用下的谱分析,研究基座对太和殿上部结构内力、变形分布及峰值的影响;通过Ⅷ度罕遇地震作用下的时程响应分析,研究基座对太和殿上部结构加速度和位移响应的影响。结果表明:考虑基座后,太和殿结构基频减小,主振型参与系数增大;Ⅷ度常遇地震作用下,太和殿结构木构架的变形及主应力峰值略有放大,墙体所受内力减小;Ⅷ度罕遇地震作用下,太和殿典型部位的木构架加速度、位移响应有不同程度放大。因此基座对太和殿上部结构动力放大作用不可忽略。     

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF REHABILITATION MEASURES ON BED LOAD TRANSPORT AT THE SALZACH RIVER

1 BASIC PROBLEMFlood protecton, sPreaing of settlements and occuPatin Of river valleys were maor reasons to damand lindt rivers throughout Europe in the ndd 19th century. Engineers of those days often knew very wellabout the effects of their plannings: shortening the river length would accelerat the now and thusencourage the erosion into the river's sedAnents. Two vital advanages could be obtalned from that kindof constrUction, landuse of the fOrmer flood plains on the one and increasin…     

Bed shear stress in the southern North Sea as an important driver for suspended sediment dynamics

This paper addresses the spatial and temporal patterns of drivers for sediment dynamics in coastal areas. The basic assumption is that local processes are dominating. The focus is put on the bed shear stress in the southern part of North Sea giving the basic control for deposition–sedimentation and resuspension–erosion. The wave-induced bed shear stress is formulated using a model based on the concept that the turbulent kinetic energy associated with surface waves is a function of orbital velocity, the latter depending on the wave height and period, as well as on the water depth. Parameters of surface waves are taken from simulations with the wave spectrum model WAM (wave model). Bed shear stress associated with currents is simulated with a 3D primitive equation model, Hamburg Shelf Ocean Model. Significant wave height, bed shear stress due to waves and currents, is subjected to empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) analysis. It has been found that the EOF-1 of significant wave height represents the decrease of significant wave height over the shallows and, due to fetch limitation, along the coastlines. Higher order modes are seesaw-like and, in combination, display a basin-scale rotational pattern centred approximately in the middle of the basin. Similar types of variability is also observed in the second and third EOF of bed shear stress. Surface concentrations of suspended matter derived from MERIS satellite data are analysed and compared against statistical characteristics of bed shear stress. The results show convincingly that the horizontal distribution of sediment can, to a larger extent, be explained by the local shear stress. However, availability of resuspendable sediments on the bottom is quite important in some areas like the Dogger Bank.     

The particle size characteristics of fine‐grained channel deposits in the River Exe Basin,Devon, UK

Deposition and storage of fine‐grained (<62·5 μm) sediment in the hyporheic zone of gravel bed rivers frequently represents an important cause of aquatic habitat degradation. The particle size characteristics of such fine‐grained bed sediment (FGBS) exert an important control on its hydrodynamic properties and environmental impact. Traditionally, particle size analysis of FGBS in gravel bed rivers has focused on the absolute size distribution of the chemically dispersed mineral fraction. However, recent work has indicated that in common with fluvial suspended sediment, significant differences may exist between the absolute and the in situ, or effective, particle size composition of FGBS, as a result of the existence of aggregates, or composite particles. In the investigation reported in this paper, sealable bed traps that could be remotely opened to sample sediment deposited during specific storm runoff events and a laser back‐scatter probe were used to quantify the temporal and spatial variability of both the absolute and effective particle size composition of FGBS, and the associated suspended sediment from four gravel bed rivers in the Exe Basin, Devon, UK. The absolute particle size distributions of both the FGBS and suspended sediment evidenced c. >95%<62·5 μm sized primary particles and displayed a seasonal winter–summer fining, while the opposite trend was displayed by the effective particle size distribution of the FGBS and suspended sediment. The effective particle size distributions of both were typically highly aggregated, comprising up to 68%>62·5 μm sized particles. Spatial variation in the effective particle size and aggregation parameters was of secondary importance relative to temporal variation. The effective particle size distribution of the FGBS was consistently coarser and more aggregated than the associated suspended sediment and there was evidence of aggregate break‐up in samples of resuspended bed sediment. The implications of these findings for sediment transport modelling are considered. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Timing of the terrestrial Permian-Triassic boundary biotic crisis: Implications from U-Pb dating of authigenic zircons

The Late Permian to Early Triassic transition represents one of the most important Phanerozoic mass extinction episodes. The cause of this event is still in debate between catastrophic and gradual mechanisms. This study uses the U-Pb method on zircons from the uppermost Permian/lowermost Triassic clay deposits at Chahe (Guizhou Province, SW China) to examine time constraints for this event. The results of both this and previous studies show that the ages of Bed 68a and 68c (the upper clay bed of the terrestrial Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB)) respectively are 252.6±2.8 and 247.5±2.8 Ma. This age (within the margin of error) almost accords with the upper clay bed (Bed 28) age of Meishan and the eruption age of Tunguss Basalt, and is so far the most accurate age obtained from terrestrial PTB. The claystone of Bed 68 was formed in the earliest Triassic. The biotic crisis occurred at nearly the same time in terrestrial and marine environments during Permian-Triassic interval; however the extinction patterns and processes are different. The extinction pattern of the terrestrial plants shows a major decline at the PTB after long-term evolution, followed by a retarded extinction of the relicts in the earliest Triassic.     

Numerical modeling of bedload and suspended load contributions to morphological evolution of the Seine Estuary (France)

This numerical modeling study (i) assesses the influence of the sediment erosion process on the sediment dynamics and subsequent morphological changes of a mixed-sediment environment, the macrotidal Seine estuary, when non-cohesive particles are dominant within bed mixtures (non-cohesive regime), and (ii) investigates respective contributions of bedload and suspended load in these dynamics. A three dimensional (3D) process-based morphodynamic model was set up and run under realistic forcings (including tide, waves, wind, and river discharge) during a 1-year period. Applying erosion homogeneously to bed sediment in the non-cohesive regime, i.e., average erosion parameters in the erosion law (especially the erodibility parameter, E₀), leads to higher resuspension of fine sediment due to the presence of coarser fractions within mixtures, compared to the case of an independent treatment of erosion for each sediment class. This results in more pronounced horizontal sediment flux (two-fold increase for sand, +30% for mud) and erosion/deposition patterns (up to a two-fold increase in erosion over shoals, generally associated with some coarsening of bed sediment). Compared to observed bathymetric changes, more relevant erosion/deposition patterns are derived from the model when independent resuspension fluxes are considered in the non-cohesive regime. These results suggest that this kind of approach may be more relevant when local grain-size distributions become heterogeneous and multimodal for non-cohesive particles. Bedload transport appears to be a non-dominant but significant contributor to the sediment dynamics of the Seine Estuary mouth. The residual bedload flux represents, on average, between 17 and 38% of the suspended sand flux, its contribution generally increasing when bed sediment becomes coarser (can become dominant at specific locations). The average orientation of residual fluxes and erosion/deposition patterns caused by bedload generally follow those resulting from suspended sediment dynamics. Sediment mass budgets cumulated over the simulated year reveal a relative contribution of bedload to total mass budgets around 25% over large erosion areas of shoals, which can even become higher in sedimentation zones. However, bedload-induced dynamics can locally differ from the dynamics related to suspended load, resulting in specific residual transport, erosion/deposition patterns, and changes in seabed nature.     

Effect of non-migrating bars on dune dynamics in a lowland river

As dunes and larger-scale bed forms such as bars coexist in rivers, the question arises whether dune dynamics are influenced by interaction with the underlying bed topography. The present study aims to establish the degree to which dune characteristics in two and three dimensions are influenced by an underlying topography dominated by non-migrating bars. As a case study, a 20 km stretch in the Waal River in the Netherlands is selected, which represents a sand-bed lowland river. At this location, longitudinal training dams (LTDs) have recently been constructed to ensure sufficient navigation depth during periods with low water levels, and to reduce flood risk. By using data covering 2-year-long periods before and after LTD construction, the robustness of the results is investigated. Before LTD construction, dune characteristics show large variability both spatially and temporally, with dunes being longer, lower, less steep and having a lower lee side angle when they are located on bar tops. The correlation between dune characteristics and the underlying bed topography is disrupted by unsteady conditions for which the dunes are in a state of transition. The bar pattern causes tilting of dune crest lines, which may result from a transverse gradient in bedload sediment transport. As a result of LTD construction, the hydraulic and morphological conditions have changed significantly. Despite this, the main conclusions still hold, which strengthens the validity of the results. ©2020 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Effect of bed load supply on sediment transport in mountain streams

Mountain streams with their tributary torrents build the upper part of the fluvial network. They are important regarding the transfer of sediment from headwaters to lower basins. Channels are typically steep with wide grain size distributions, ranging from fine sand up to large boulders, and a stabilized bed surface. Mountain streams often are supply-limited with respect to mobile bed load, which needs to be addressed when bed load transport equations are applied to such streams. To better understand supply limitation, laboratory experiments highlighting the effect of bed load supply on incipient motion and bed load transport rate are discussed. Experimental tests were done in which fine bed load was supplied to a previously armored channel bed, with flow conditions ranging from one-third to twice the critical dis-charge for the bed surface. At flows not exceeding the critical discharge, the time series of the bed load transport rate at the downstream model boundary featured consistent patterns which are attributed to distinct phases: (i) a temporal lag, (ii) an equilibrium state, and (iii) a post-supply phase. Bed load transport occurred even at flows distinctly below that for incipient motion of the bed surface. But, with the mass of total bed load outflow approaching the supply amount, the mass did not exclusively consist of supplied grains. The coarser the supplied bed load, the more sediment was mobilized from the bed surface. At higher flows, processes differed. Total bed load outflow exceeded the supply amount and the break-up of the armor layer caused a refining of the bed surface.     

长江中游沙质河段床沙级配调整过程计算

三峡工程运用后,长江中游荆江河段持续冲刷,床沙与推移质、悬移质泥沙不断交换,从而造成该河段床沙发生不同程度的调整,对长江中下游河床演变及非平衡输沙机理的研究具有重要影响.在新水沙条件下,总结分析了沙波运动特性及床沙交换方式,引入Markov三态转移概率及非均匀沙隐暴系数,得到基于状态转移概率的沙质河段床沙级配调整的计算模型.研究结果表明:(1)20092014年,沙市站年内床沙中值粒径有先增大后减小的趋势,而监利站年内床沙中值粒径则先减小后增大,且荆江河段年际床沙中值粒径总体呈上升趋势,粗化程度约为6.9%~9.3%;(2)20092014年,沙市站床沙组成中粒径d<0.062 mm的泥沙所占比重不变,0.062 mm≤d<0.25 mm的泥沙所占比重逐年减少(累计减少11.4%),d≥0.25 mm的泥沙所占比重逐年增加(累计增加11.4%),而监利站床沙组成均存在波动性变化;(3)荆江河段床沙转换为推移质的概率随着泥沙粒径的增大而增大,床沙转换为悬移质的概率随着泥沙粒径的增大而减小,而推移质和悬移质转换为床沙的概率均随着泥沙粒径的增大而增大,河床发生冲刷粗化时泥沙输移的主要形式为悬移质(概率为81%~87%),而淤积细化时床沙补给主要来源于推移质(概率为8%~12%).通过验证,本文概率模型的计算结果与实测资料符合较好,能够应用于长江中游沙质河段年际床沙粗化及年内床沙级配调整过程预报,为进一步开展三峡工程下游非均匀悬移质泥沙沿程恢复机理的研究提供理论基础.     

Critical movement of large rocks in currents and waves

Cobbles, boulders, and rocks often are used in a bed protection layer near a structure to protect the underlying sand bed against erosion by combined current and waves. The design of a bed protection layer consisting of loose rocks (rubble mound) requires knowledge of the stability and movement (as bed load) of very coarse materials. If some movement (or damage) is acceptable, the rock diameter can be designed to be smaller. This paper addresses the stability and movement of very coarse materials (cobbles, boulders, and rocks) based on the concept of the critical Shields mobility number. It is shown that the bed load transport of large cobbles, boulders, and rocks can be described by the equations of Meyer-Peter and Mueller (MPM) and Cheng. Both are valid for relatively small Shields mobility numbers. New and general equations for the design of a bed protection layer (including some permissible damage) in conditions with a current with or without waves are proposed based on the Shields mobility parameter and the bed load transport equation of Cheng. Laboratory and field data of critical velocities for pebbles, cobbles, boulders, and rocks have been analyzed and compared to the computed results of the proposed equations. Practical applications are given to demonstrate the general applicability of the proposed equations.     

Bed load transport under different streambed conditions-a field experimental study in a mountain stream

Bed load transport in mountain streams is closely linked to streambed structures.Strambed structures are arrangements of boulders and cobbles deposited during extreme floods,in a stable configuration exhibiting high dissipation of flow.Field experiments were carried out in a mountain stream in Yunnan,southwestern China,studying bed load movement on three typical streambeds,i.e.,with well developed,partially developed,and no structures.An underwater observation and video-capturing system was designed to observe and measure the movement of bed load particles.The initiation mode, trajectory,velocity,and acceleration of bed load particles under the three conditions were observed and analyzed.Results showed that the bed load movement was highly associated with streambed condition.With well-developed structures,bed load particles moved intermittently through saltation and the bed load transport rate was very low.For partially-developed structures most bed load particles moved through saltation but a portion of sediment moved in sliding and rolling.In the case with no streambed structure(plane bed) contact load motion(sliding and rolling) gradually became dominant.Moreover,laminated load motion occurred and became the main component of bed load transport when the flow discharge and incoming sediment load were very high.Laminated load motion was a special form of bed load motion with an extremely high intensity.Bed load transport and streambed structure both acted to dissipate flow energy and were mutually constraining.High rates of bed load transport occurred in the streams with no or poor bed structures,and low bed load transport was associated with well developed structures.The bed load transport rate was inversely correlated to the degree of streambed development.     

Transport of moderately sorted gravel at low bed shear stresses: The role of fine sediment infiltration

A reliable estimation of sediment transport in gravel‐bed streams is important for various practical engineering and biological studies (e.g., channel stability design, bed degradation/aggradation, restoration of spawning habitat). In the present work, we report original laboratory experiments investigating the transport of gravel particles at low bed shear stresses. The laboratory tests were conducted under unsteady flow conditions inducing low bed shear stresses, with detailed monitoring of the bed topography using a laser scanner. Effects of bed surface arrangements were documented by testing loose and packed bed configurations. Effects of fine sediments were examined by testing beds with sand, artificial fine sand or cohesive silt infiltrated in the gravel matrix. Analysis of the experimental data revealed that the transport of gravel particles depends upon the bed arrangement, the bed material properties (e.g., size and shape, consolidation index, permeability) and the concentration of fine sediments within the surface layer of moving grains. This concentration is directly related to the distribution of fine particles within the gravel matrix (i.e., bottom‐up infiltration or bridging) and their transport mode (i.e., bedload or suspended load). Compared to loose beds, the mobility of gravel is reduced for packed beds and for beds clogged from the bottom up with cohesive fine sediments; in both cases, the bed shear stress for gravel entrainment increases by about 12%. On the other hand, the mobility of gravel increases significantly (bed shear stress for particle motion decreasing up to 40%) for beds clogged at the surface by non‐cohesive sand particles. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conformal mapping of groundwater flow fields with internal boundaries

An analytical approach is presented for solving problems of steady, two-dimensional groundwater flow with inhomogeneity boundaries. A common approach for such problems is to separate the problem domain into two homogeneous domains, search for solutions in each domain, and then attempt to match conditions, either exactly or approximately, along the inhomogeneity boundary. Here, we use classical solutions to problems with inhomogeneity boundaries with simple geometries, and map conformally the entire domain onto a new one. In this way, existing solutions are used to solve problems with more complex, and more practical, boundary geometries. The approach is general, but subject to some restrictions on the mapping functions that may be used.Using this approach, we develop explicit analytical solutions for two problems of practical interest. The first problem addresses aquifer interaction across a gap in an impermeable separating layer; flow regimes are defined and the interaction is quantified. The second solution represents flow in the vertical plane to a partially clogged stream bed that is partially penetrating the aquifer; the stream bed is modeled as a thin layer of low-permeability silt. Flow regimes for groundwater surface–water interaction are quantified analytically.     

Radio‐tracking gravel particles in a large braided river in New Zealand: a field test of the stochastic theory of bed load transport proposed by Einstein

Hans A. Einstein initiated a probabilistic approach to modelling sediment transport in rivers. His formulae were based on theory and were stimulated by laboratory investigations. The theory assumes that bed load movement occurs in individual steps of rolling, sliding or saltation and rest periods. So far very few attempts have been made to measure stochastic elements in nature. For the first time this paper presents results of radio‐tracing the travel path of individual particles in a large braided gravel bed river: the Waimakariri River of New Zealand. As proposed by Einstein, it was found that rest periods can be modelled by an exponential distribution, but particle step lengths are better represented by a gamma distribution. Einstein assumed an average travel distance of 100 grain‐diameters for any bed load particle between consecutive points of deposition, but larger values of 6·7 m or 150 grain‐diameters and 6·1 m or 120 grain‐diameters were measured for two test particle sizes. Together with other available large scale field data, a dependence of the mean step length on particle diameter relative to the D₅₀ of the bed surface was found. During small floods the time used for movement represents only 2·7% of the total time from erosion to deposition. The increase in percentage of time being used for transport means that it then has to be regarded in stochastic transport models. Tracing the flow path of bed load particles between erosion and deposition sites is a step towards explaining the interactions between sediment transport and river morphology. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Remotely sensed estimation of water discharge into the rapidly dwindling Dead Sea

Abstract

The Dead Sea is shrinking as its water level drops at the alarming rate of about 1 m year^-1. The Dead Sea is important to the economies of Israel and Jordan due to the extracted minerals (primarily potassium, also magnesium and bromide). It is also central to regional tourism. It is the lowest place on Earth and its endorheic, saline basin attracts international research in various disciplines. Additional to the Lower Jordan River, the discharge of which has been decreased to a small fraction of its original value, fresh to brackish springs are the main source of water to the rapidly dwindling Dead Sea. Although the existence of these springs has been known for decades, until recently estimates of spring water discharge into the Dead Sea were scarce. In this study, we developed a methodology of water discharge estimation for channels incising into a lacustrine bed using remotely sensed data and a single hydraulic geometry variable, water-surface width. Based on calibration of over 400 in situ measurements and simultaneous hydrometric data from aerial images, width–discharge rating curves were established, tested, and found suitable (r² = 0.92, p = 0.001) for the estimation of water discharge, with ±5% uncertainty. Furthermore, we used these relationships to estimate retrospectively the temporal changes in water discharge of seven main channels traceable in historical aerial images. The reconstructed trend reveals a major (63%) reduction in average freshwater inflow between 1990 and 2006. Our results maximize the use of water-surface width information from aerial imagery, and suggest applicability to areas experiencing rapid exposure of sea/lake bed and consequent access difficulties in in situ discharge monitoring.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz