An evaluation of sediment rating curves for estimating suspended sediment concentrations for subsequent flux calculations

In the absence of actual suspended sediment concentration (SSC) measurements, hydrologists have used sediment rating (sediment transport) curves to estimate (predict) SSCs for subsequent flux calculations. Various evaluations of the sediment rating‐curve method were made using data from long‐term, daily sediment‐measuring sites within large (>1 000 000 km²), medium (<1 000 000 to >1000 km²), and small (<1000 km²) river basins in the USA and Europe relative to the estimation of suspended sediment fluxes. The evaluations address such issues as the accuracy of flux estimations for various levels of temporal resolution as well as the impact of sampling frequency on the magnitude of flux estimation errors. The sediment rating‐curve method tends to underpredict high, and overpredict low SSCs. As such, the range of errors associated with concomitant flux estimates for relatively short time‐frames (e.g. daily, weekly) are likely to be substantially larger than those associated with longer time‐frames (e.g. quarterly, annually) because the over‐ and underpredictions do not have sufficient time to balance each other. Hence, when error limits must be kept under ±20%, temporal resolution probably should be limited to quarterly or greater. The evaluations indicate that over periods of 20 or more years, errors of <1% can be achieved using a single sediment rating curve based on data spanning the entire period. However, somewhat better estimates for the entire period, and markedly better annual estimates within the period, can be obtained if individual annual sediment rating curves are used instead. Relatively accurate (errors <±20%) annual suspended sediment fluxes can be obtained from hydrologically based monthly measurements/samples. For 5‐year periods or longer, similar results can be obtained from measurements/samples collected once every 2 months. In either case, hydrologically based sampling, as opposed to calendar‐based sampling is likely to limit the magnitude of flux estimation errors. Published in 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Challenges to the representation of suspended sediment transfer using a depth‐averaged flux

The sediment saturation recovery process (i.e. the adaptation of suspended sediment concentration [SSC] to local forcing) is the main feature of the non‐equilibrium suspended sediment transport (SST) frequently occurring in fluvial, estuarine and coastal waters. In order to quantitatively describe this phenomenon, a series solution is analytically derived, including the evolution of both vertical SSC profile and near‐bed sediment flux (NBSF), and is verified by net erosion and net deposition experiments, respectively. The results suggest that the sediment saturation recovery process involves vertically varying fluxes that are not represented correctly by depth‐averaging. Consequently, a vertical two‐dimensional (2D) combined scheme is established and applied respectively in to a dredged trench and to a sand wave feature to demonstrate this argument. By analyzing the variations of the calculated depth‐averaged SSC and NBSF we reveal that the equilibrium state presented by the sediment carrying capacity (SCC) form of the NBSF, which is usually applied in depth‐integrated SST models, lags behind the actual dynamic bed equilibrium state. Moreover, the key factor α, the so‐called saturation recovery coefficient within this form, is not only a function of local Rouse number but also is influenced by the local SSC profile. Finally, a three‐dimensional (3D) non‐orthogonal curvilinear body‐fitted SST model is developed and validated in the Yangtze estuary, China, combined with the in situ hourly hydrographic data from August 14–15, 2007 during spring tide in the wet season. Model results confirm that the vertically varying sediment saturation recovery process, the discrepancies between the actual and SCC form of NBSF and non‐constant value of α are significant in actual real geomorphic cases. The quantitative morphological change resulting from variations in environmental conditions may not be correctly represented by uncorrected depth‐integrated SST models if they do not treat the effects of vertical motion on the sediment saturation recovery process. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of climate change on suspended sediment transport in Danish rivers

The HIRHAM regional climate model suggests an increase in temperature in Denmark of about 3 °C and an increase in mean annual precipitation of 6–7%, with a larger increase during winter and a decrease during summer between a control period 1961–1990 and scenario period 2071–2100. This change of climate will affect the suspended sediment transport in rivers, directly through erosion processes and increased river discharges and indirectly through changes in land use and land cover. Climate‐change‐induced changes in suspended sediment transport are modelled for five scenarios on the basis of modelled changes in land use/land cover for two Danish river catchments: the alluvial River Ansager and the non‐alluvial River Odense. Mean annual suspended sediment transport is modelled to increase by 17% in the alluvial river and by 27% in the non‐alluvial for steady‐state scenarios. Increases by about 9% in the alluvial river and 24% in the non‐alluvial river were determined for scenarios incorporating a prolonged growing season for catchment vegetation. Shortening of the growing season is found to have little influence on mean annual sediment transport. Mean monthly changes in suspended sediment transport between ? 26% and + 68% are found for comparable suspended sediment transport scenarios between the control and the scenario periods. The suspended sediment transport increases during winter months as a result of the increase in river discharge caused by the increase in precipitation, and decreases during summer and early autumn months. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temporal variation of suspended sediment transport in the Koga catchment,North Western Ethiopia and environmental implications

Event sediment transport and yield were studied for 45 events in the upstream part of the 260 km² agricultural Koga catchment that drains to an irrigation reservoir. Discharge and turbidity data were collected over a period of more than a year, accompanied by grab sampling. Turbidity was very well correlated with the sediment concentrations from the samples (r = 0.99), which allowed us to estimate the temporal patterns of sediment concentrations within events. The hysteresis patterns between discharge and sediment concentrations were analysed to provide insight into the different sediment sources. Anticlockwise patterns are the dominant hysteresis patterns in the area, suggesting smaller contributions of suspended sediment from the river channels than from the hillslopes and agricultural areas. Complicated types of hysteresis patterns were mostly observed for long events with multiple peaks. For a given discharge, sediment yields in August and September, when the catchment was almost completely covered with vegetation, were much smaller than during the rest of the rainy season. The hysteresis patterns and timing suggest that the sediment availability from the agricultural areas and hillslopes affects sediment yields more strongly than does peak discharge. Two distinct types of sediment rating curves were observed for the season when the agricultural land was covered with vegetation and when it was not, indicating the dominating contribution of land use/cover to sediment yields in the catchment. The rate of suspended sediment transport in the area was estimated as 25.6 t year^?1 ha^?1. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of suspended sediment transport at field‐scale drain channels of irrigation‐dominated watersheds in the Sonoran Desert,southeastern California

Suspended sediment is a major source of pollution in irrigation‐dominated watersheds. However, little is known about the process and mechanisms of suspended sediment transport in drain channels directly connected to agricultural fields. This paper explains sediment dynamics using averaged 5 min flow discharge Q (m³ s^?1) and suspended sediment concentration C (mg l^?1) collected during one crop season in a small catchment containing a first‐order drain channel and its connected six agricultural fields within the Salton Sea watershed. The statistical properties and average trends of Q and C were investigated for both early (i.e. November) and late (i.e. January) stages of a crop season. Further in‐depth analysis on sediment dynamics was performed by selecting two typical single‐field irrigation events and two multiple‐field irrigation events. For each set of irrigation events, the process of suspended sediment transport was revealed by examining hydrograph and sediment graph responses. The mechanisms underlying suspended sediment transport were investigated by analysing the types of corresponding hysteresis loop. Finally, sediment rating curves for both hourly and daily data at early and late stages and for the entire crop season were established to seek possible sediment‐transport predictive model(s). The study suggests that the complicated processes of suspended sediment transport in irrigation‐dominated watersheds require stochastic rather than deterministic forecasting. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling suspended sediment concentration and load in a transport‐limited alluvial gully in northern Queensland,Australia

Alluvial gullies are often formed in dispersible sodic soils along steep banks of incised river channels. Field data collected by Shellberg et al. (Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 38: 1765–1778, 2013) from a gully outlet in northern Australia showed little hysteresis between water discharge and fine (<63 µm) and coarse (>63 µm) suspended sediment, indicating transport‐limited rather than source‐limited conditions. The major source of the fine (silt/clay) component was the sodic soils of upstream gully scarps, and the coarser (sand) component was sourced locally from channel bed material. In this companion paper at the same study site, a new method was developed for combining the settling velocity characteristics of these two sediment source components to estimate the average settling velocity of the total suspended sediment. This was compared to the analysis of limited sediment samples collected during flood conditions. These settling velocity data were used in the steady‐state transport limit theory of Hairsine and Rose (Water Resources Research 28: 237–243, 245–250, 1992) that successfully predicted field data of concentrations and loads at a cross‐section, regardless of the complexity of transport‐limited upstream sources (sheet erosion, scalds, rills, gullies, mass failure, bank and bed erosion, other disturbed areas). The analysis required calibration of a key model parameter, the fraction of total stream power (F ≈ 0.025) that is effective in re‐entraining sediment. Practical recommendations are provided for the prediction of sediment loads from other alluvial gullies in the region with similar hydrogeomorphic conditions, using average stream power efficiency factors for suspended silt/clay (F_w ≈ 0.016) and sand (F_s ≈ 0.038) respectively, but with no requirement for field data on sediment concentrations. Only basic field data on settling velocity characteristics from soil samples, channel geometry measurements, estimates of water velocity and discharge, and associated error margins are needed for transport limit theory predictions of concentration and load. This theory is simpler than that required in source‐limited situations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of a simple,inexpensive, in situ sampler for measuring time‐weighted average concentrations of suspended sediment in rivers and streams

The accurate measurement of suspended sediment (<200 μm) in aquatic environments is essential to understand and effectively manage changes to sediment, nutrient, and contaminant concentrations on both temporal and spatial scales. Commonly used sampling techniques for suspended sediment either lack the ability to accurately measure sediment concentration (e.g., passive sediment samplers) or are too expensive to deploy in sufficient number to provide landscape‐scale information (e.g., automated discrete samplers). Here, we evaluate a time‐integrated suspended sediment sampling technique, the pumped active suspended sediment (PASS) sampler, which collects a sample that can be used for the accurate measurement of time‐weighted average (TWA) suspended sediment concentration and sediment particle size distribution. The sampler was evaluated against an established passive time‐integrated suspended sediment sampling technique (i.e., Phillips sampler) and the standard discrete sampling method (i.e., manual discrete sampling). The PASS sampler collected a sample representative of TWA suspended sediment concentration and particle size distribution of a control sediment under laboratory conditions. Field application of the PASS sampler showed that it collected a representative TWA suspended sediment concentration and particle size distribution during high flow events in an urban stream. The particle size distribution of sediment collected by the PASS and Phillips samplers were comparable and the TWA suspended sediment concentration of the samples collected using the PASS and discrete sampling techniques agreed well, differing by only 4% and 6% for two different high flow events. We should note that the current configuration of the PASS sampler does not provide a flow‐weighted measurement and, therefore, is not suitable for the determination of sediment loads. The PASS sampler is a simple, inexpensive, and robust in situ sampling technique for the accurate measurement of TWA suspended sediment concentration and particle size distribution.     

A new approach for linking event‐based upland sediment sources to downstream suspended sediment transport

In this study, we proposed a new approach for linking event sediment sources to downstream sediment transport in a watershed in central New York. This approach is based on a new concept of spatial scale, sub‐watershed area (SWA), defined as a sub‐watershed within which all eroded soils are transported out without deposition during a hydrological event. Using (rainfall) event data collected between July and November, 2007 from several SWAs of the studied watershed, we developed an empirical equation that has one independent variable, mean SWA slope. This equation was then used to determine event‐averaged unit soil erosion rate, Q_S/A, (in kg/km²/hr) for all SWAs in the studied watershed and calculate event‐averaged gross erosion E_ea (in kg/hr). The event gross erosion E_t (in kilograms) was subsequently computed as the product of E_ea and the mean event duration, T (in hours) determined using event hydrographs at the outlet of the studied watershed. Next, we developed two linear sediment rating curves (SRCs) for small and big events based on the event data obtained at the watershed outlet. These SRCs, together with T, allowed us to determine event sediment yield SY_e (in kilograms) for all events during the study period. By comparing E_t with SY_e, developing empirical equations (i) between E_t and SY_e and (ii) for event sediment delivery ratio, respectively, we revealed the event dynamic processes connecting sediment sources and downstream sediment transport. During small events, sediment transport in streams was at capacity and dominated by the deposition process, whereas during big events, it was below capacity and controlled by the erosion process. The key of applying this approach to other watersheds is establishing their empirical equations for Q_S/A and appropriately determining their numbers of SWAs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring suspended sediment delivery dynamics of two Mediterranean nested catchments

This paper investigates suspended sediment transport and dynamics of two nested agricultural lowland Mediterranean catchments with a difference of two orders of magnitude in the surface area (i.e., 1 and 264 km²). The effects of the drainage catchment area over the specific suspended sediment yield are assessed by using the nested approach over various timeframes. A detailed analysis of the rainfall–runoff–sediment transport relationships during the 2‐year study period shows that the hydrological and sedimentological responses were extremely variable for both catchments. Very low or no correlations were observed between the rainfall intensity and the selected hydrological variables and sediment loads. However, remarkable or high correlations were obtained between the rainfall intensity and the maximum and average suspended sediment concentrations, indicating that rainfall per unit time has little control on the hydrological response, but that, simultaneously, its high‐erosive power triggers sediment production, increasing the sedimentary response of the catchments. This study also illustrates how sediment is mainly transported during floods, producing predominantly clockwise hysteretic loops. Moreover, the small headwater catchment exerts a reduced (or even negligible) effect over the hydro‐sedimentary response of the larger downstream catchment, caused by the reduced sediment availability in a landscape with an inherent disconnection of the sediment pathways.     

Modelling suspended sediment concentration using artificial neural networks for Gangotri glacier

The dynamics of suspended sediment involves inherent non‐linearity and complexity because of existence of both spatial variability of the basin characteristics and temporal climatic patterns. This complexity, therefore, leads to inaccurate prediction by the conventional sediment rating curve (SRC) and other empirical methods. Over past few decades, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have emerged as one of the advanced modelling techniques capable of addressing inherent non‐linearity in the hydrological processes. In the present study, feed‐forward back propagation (FFBP) algorithm of ANNs is used to model stage–discharge–suspended sediment relationship for ablation season (May–September) for melt runoff released from Gangotri glacier, one of the largest glaciers in Himalaya. The simulations have been carried out on primary data of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) discharge and stage for ablation season of 11‐year period (1999–2009). Combinations of different input vectors (viz. stage, discharge and SSC) for present and previous days are considered for development of the ANN models and examining the effects of input vectors. Further, based on model performance indices for training and testing phase, a suitable modelling approach with appropriate model input structure is suggested. The conventional SRC method is also used for modelling discharge–sediment relationship and performance of developed models is evaluated by statistical indices, namely; root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and coefficient of determination (R²). Statistically, the performance of ANN‐based models is found to be superior as compared to SRC method in terms of the selected performance indices in simulating the daily SSC. The study reveals suitability of ANN approach for simulation and estimation of daily SSC in glacier melt runoff and, therefore, opens new avenues of research for application of hybrid soft computing models in glacier hydrology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal patterns of suspended sediment load and erosion-transport assessment in a Mediterranean basin

ABSTRACT

To assess seasonal patterns of suspended sediment load and its erosion–transport interactions, 17 years of river monitoring data from the Isser River Basin (northwest Algeria) were studied, considering continuous and event-scale approaches. The results show significant differences in sediment yield and transport processes between dry and wet periods. A rate of 8 t ha^?1 year^?1 was estimated from continuous analysis, with values of 4.3 and 13 t ha^?1 year^?1 for wet and dry periods, respectively. Estimates of soil delivery ratio pointed to higher values during dry periods and the dominance of hillslope erosion processes. At the event scale, the hysteresis loops confirmed these seasonal patterns in transport dynamics. The calibration of the MUSLE model highlighted the severity of rainfall during the dry period. These results emphasize the importance of seasonality in erosion and transport processes with special relevance in terms of climate change predictions.     

Critical assessment and validation of a time‐integrating fluvial suspended sediment sampler

Delivery of fine sediment to fluvial systems is of considerable concern given the physical and ecological impacts of elevated levels in drainage networks. Although it is possible to measure the transfer of fine sediment at high frequency by using a range of surrogate and automated technologies, the demands for assessing sediment flux and sediment properties at multiple spatially distributed locations across catchments can often not be met using established sampling techniques. The time‐integrated mass‐flux sampler (TIMS) has the potential to bridge this gap and further our understanding of fine sediment delivery in fluvial systems. However, these devices have undergone limited testing in the field. The aim of this paper was to provide a critical validation of TIMS as a technique for assessing fluvial fine sediment transfer. Fine sediment flux and sediment properties were assessed over 2 years with individual sampling periods of approximately 30 days. Underestimation of sediment flux ranged between 66% and 99% demonstrating that TIMS is unsuitable for assessing absolute sediment loads. However, assessment of relative efficiency showed that six of seven samplers produced statistically strong relationships with the reference sediment load (P < 0.05). Aggregated data from all sites produced a highly significant relationship between reference and TIMS loads (R² = 0.80; P < 0.001) demonstrating TIMS may be suitable for characterizing patterns of suspended sediment transfer. Testing also illustrated a consistency in sediment properties between multiple samplers in the same channel cross section. TIMS offers a useful means of assessing spatial and temporal patterns of fine sediment transfer across catchments where expensive monitoring frameworks cannot be commissioned. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In situ and high frequency monitoring of suspended sediment properties using a spectrophotometric sensor

It is well known that sediment properties, including sediment‐associated chemical constituents and sediment physical properties, can exhibit significant variations within and between storm runoff events. However, the number of samples included in suspended sediment studies is often limited by time‐consuming and expensive laboratory procedures after stream water sampling. This restricts high frequency sampling campaigns to a limited number of events and reduces accuracy when aiming to estimate fluxes and loads of sediment‐associated chemical constituents. In this study, we address the potential of a portable ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer (220–730 nm) to estimate suspended sediment properties in a resource efficient way. Several field deployable spectrophotometers are currently available for in‐stream measurements of environmental variables at high temporal resolution. These instruments have primarily been developed and used to quantify solute concentrations (e.g. dissolved organic carbon and NO₃‐N), total concentrations of dissolved and particulate forms (e.g. total organic carbon) and turbidity. Here we argue that light absorbance values can be calibrated to estimate sediment properties. We present light absorbance data collected at 15‐min intervals in the Weierbach catchment (NW Luxembourg, 0.45 km²) from December 2013 to January 2015. In this proof‐of‐concept study, we performed a local calibration using suspended sediment loss‐on‐ignition (LOI) measurements as an example of suspended sediment property. We assessed the performance of several regression models that relate light absorbance measurements with the percentage weight LOI. The MM‐robust regression method presented the lowest standard error of prediction (0.48%) and was selected for calibration (adjusted r² = 0.76 between observed and predicted values). The model was then used to predict LOI during a storm runoff event in December 2014. This study demonstrates that spectrophotometers can be used to estimate suspended sediment properties at high temporal resolution and for long‐time spans in a simple, non‐destructive and affordable manner. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of suspended sediment transport in four alpine watersheds (France): influence of the climatic regime

High‐frequency water discharge and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) databases were collected for 3 years on four contrasted watersheds: the Asse and the Bléone (two Mediterranean rainfall regime watersheds) and the Romanche and the Ferrand (two rainfall–snowmelt regime watersheds). SSCs were calculated from turbidity recordings (1‐h time step), converted into SSC values. The rating curve was calculated by means of simultaneous SSC measurement taken by water sampling and turbidity recording. Violent storms during springtime and autumn were responsible for suspended sediment transport on the Asse and the Bléone rivers. On the Ferrand and the Romanche, a large share of suspended sediment transport was also caused by local storms, but 30% of annual fluxes results from snowmelt or icemelt which occurred from April to October. On each watershed, SSC up to 50 g l^?1 were observed. Annual specific fluxes ranged from 450 to 800 t km^?2 year^?1 and 40–80% of annual suspended sediment fluxes occurred within 2% of the time. These general indicators clearly demonstrate the intensity of suspended sediment transport on these types of watersheds. Suspended sediment fluxes proved to be highly variable at the annual scale (inter‐annual variability of specific fluxes) as well as at the event scale (through a hysteresis loop in the SSC/Q relationship) on these watersheds. In both cases, water discharge and precipitations were the main processes involved in suspended sediment production and transport. The temporal and spatial variability of hydro‐meteorological processes on the watershed provides a better understanding of suspended sediment dynamics. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time‐integrated sampling of fluvial suspended sediment: a simple methodology for small catchments

Fine‐grained (<62·5 µm) suspended sediment transport is a key component of the geochemical flux in most fluvial systems. The highly episodic nature of suspended sediment transport imposes a significant constraint on the design of sampling strategies aimed at characterizing the biogeochemical properties of such sediment. A simple sediment sampler, utilizing ambient flow to induce sedimentation by settling, is described. The sampler can be deployed unattended in small streams to collect time‐integrated suspended sediment samples. In laboratory tests involving chemically dispersed sediment, the sampler collected a maximum of 71% of the input sample mass. However, under natural conditions, the existence of composite particles or flocs can be expected to increase significantly the trapping efficiency. Field trials confirmed that the particle size composition and total carbon content of the sediment collected by the sampler were representative statistically of the ambient suspended sediment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationship between bedload and suspended sediment in the sand-bed Exu River,in the semi-arid region of Brazil

Abstract

Suspended sediment and bedload discharges in sand-bed rivers shape semi-arid landscapes and impact sediment delivery from these landscapes, but are still incompletely understood. Suspended sediment and bedload fluxes of the intermittent Exu River, Brazil, were sampled by direct measurements. The highest suspended sediment concentration observed was 4847.4 mg L^-1 and this value was possibly associated with the entrainment of sediment that was deposited in the preceding year. The bedload flux was well related to the stream power and the river efficiently transported all available bedload with a mean rate of 0.0047 kg m^-1 s^-1, and the percentage of bedload to suspended sediment varied between 4 and 12.72. The bed sediment of Exu River was prone to entrainment and showed a proclivity for transport. Thus, sand-bed and gravel-bed rivers of arid environments seem to exhibit the same mobility in the absence of armour layer.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor B. Touaibia

Citation Cantalice, J.R.B., Cunha Filho, M., Stosic, B.D., Piscoya, V.C., Guerra, S.M.S., and Singh, V.P., 2013. Relationship between bedload and suspended sediment in the sand-bed Exu River, in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (8), 1789–1802.     

Flume‐ and field‐based evaluation of a time‐integrated suspended sediment sampler for the analysis of sediment properties

Suspended sediment has been identified as a vector for nutrient and contaminant transport in the fluvial environment. A time‐integrated sampler (the Phillips sampler), which emerged over a decade ago as a cost‐effective tool for in situ suspended sediment collection, is increasingly being used to collect samples for the analysis of sediment properties such as particle size composition, and nutrient and contaminant concentrations. This study evaluates the sampler under both flume and field conditions for efficiency in the mass and grain size of the suspended sediment collected. The sampler was tested in a flume using both kaolinite and sediment samples (sieved to < 180 µm) collected from the Quesnel River, British Columbia, Canada. In the kaolinite trails, the sampler preferentially collected coarser grain sizes compared to the original sediment, probably due to finer sediment remaining in suspension and therefore passing through the sampler, and also possibly due to flocculation of the kaolinite upon introduction to the flume. Conversely, the sampler collected river sediment that was finer than the original sediment, probably due to some settling of coarser sediment observed at the bottom of the flume. Once allowance was made for these operational issues associated with the flume, maximum sediment mass efficiency for kaolinite and river sediment was 43% and 87%, respectively. Sediment collected by the time‐integrated sampler during field deployment and adjacent channel bed sediment were also compared. The sampler collected sediment with a representative grain size distribution. However, there were differences in the geochemical (arsenic and selenium) concentrations of channel bed sediment and sediment collected by the Phillips sampler which may be a function of differences in the behavior of geochemical elements associated with the two types of sediment. This work suggests that further research is needed to evaluate the role of the Phillips sampler in collecting sediment for contaminant and nutrient analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A discontinuous finite element suspended sediment transport model for water quality assessments in river networks

Suspended sediment plays an important role in the distribution and transport of many pollutants (such as radionuclides) in rivers. Pollutants may adsorb on fine suspended particles (e.g. clay) and spread according to the suspended sediment movement. Hence, the simulation of the suspended sediment mechanism is indispensable for realistic transport modelling. This paper presents and tests a simple mathematical model for predicting the suspended sediment transport in river networks. The model is based on the van Rijn suspended load formula and the advection–diffusion equation with a source or sink term that represents the erosion or deposition fluxes. The transport equation is solved numerically with the discontinuous finite element method. The model evaluation was performed in two steps, first by comparing model simulations with the measured suspended sediment concentrations in the Grote Nete–Molse Nete River in Belgium, and second by a model intercomparison with the sediment transport model NST MIKE 11. The simulations reflect the measurements with a Nash‐Sutcliffe model efficiency of 0.6, while the efficiency between the proposed model and the NST MIKE 11 simulations is 0.96. Both evaluations indicate that the proposed sediment transport model, that is sufficiently simple to be practical, is providing realistic results.     

The need for operational reasoning in data‐driven rating curve prediction of suspended sediment

The use of data‐driven modelling techniques to deliver improved suspended sediment rating curves has received considerable interest in recent years. Studies indicate an increased level of performance over traditional approaches when such techniques are adopted. However, closer scrutiny reveals that, unlike their traditional counterparts, data‐driven solutions commonly include lagged sediment data as model inputs, and this seriously limits their operational application. In this paper, we argue the need for a greater degree of operational reasoning underpinning data‐driven rating curve solutions and demonstrate how incorrect conclusions about the performance of a data‐driven modelling technique can be reached when the model solution is based upon operationally invalid input combinations. We exemplify the problem through the re‐analysis and augmentation of a recent and typical published study, which uses gene expression programming to model the rating curve. We compare and contrast the previously published solutions, whose inputs negate their operational application, with a range of newly developed and directly comparable traditional and data‐driven solutions, which do have operational value. Results clearly demonstrate that the performance benefits of the published gene expression programming solutions are dependent on the inclusion of operationally limiting, lagged data inputs. Indeed, when operationally inapplicable input combinations are discounted from the models and the analysis is repeated, gene expression programming fails to perform as well as many simpler, more standard multiple linear regression, piecewise linear regression and neural network counterparts. The potential for overstatement of the benefits of the data‐driven paradigm in rating curve studies is thus highlighted. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal patterns of suspended sediment transport in an abandoned farmland catchment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees

The suspended sediment response of a small catchment subjected to farmland abandonment and subsequent plant recolonization was studied in relation to its hydrological functioning. The analysis of data over a seven‐year period demonstrated that suspended sediment yield was greatly influenced by the occurrence of intense, low‐frequency events. Greater amounts of suspended sediment were exported during spring, when the catchment was hydrologically more active. Rainfall intensity and baseflow at the start of a flood event had a strong influence on the sediment response, suggesting that several hydrological processes were active within the catchment. SSC (suspended sediment concentration)‐Q hysteretic loop analysis at the event scale aided understanding of the sedimentological and hydrological behaviour of the catchment. During the study period the SSC‐Q loops showed a high degree of seasonality and two main patterns strongly related to catchment wetness were distinguished. When the catchment was dry (mainly during summer and the beginning of autumn) the predominant process was infiltration excess runoff over sparsely vegetated areas close to the main channel. Under these conditions, floods exhibited a counter‐clockwise hysteretic loop and were characterized by a small streamflow response, short duration and high SSC. Under wet conditions (mainly during winter and spring), saturation excess runoff was increasingly dominant over vegetated areas. Under these conditions, floods exhibited a clockwise hysteretic loop, and were characterized by a larger streamflow response, longer duration and higher suspended sediment yield. The lower SSC during the falling stage of the hydrograph is likely to be due to dilution effects related to the contribution of clean water resulting from enlargement of the saturated areas, together with an increase in the baseflow discharge. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.