Three-dimensional numerical modeling of cohesive sediment transport and wind wave impact in a shallow oxbow lake

It was observed that in some closed inland lakes sediment transport was dominated by wind-induced currents, and the sediment resuspension was primarily driven by wind-induced waves. This paper presents the development and application of a three-dimensional numerical model for simulating cohesive sediment transport in water bodies where wind-induced currents and waves are important. In the model, the bottom shear stresses induced by currents and waves were calculated, and the processes of resuspension (erosion), deposition, settling, etc. were considered. This model was first verified by a simple test case consisting of the movement of a non-conservative tracer in a prismatic channel with uniform flow, and the model output agreed well with the analytical solution. Then it was applied to Deep Hollow Lake, a small oxbow lake in Mississippi. Simulated sediment concentrations were compared with available field observations, with generally good agreement. The transport and resuspension processes of cohesive sediment due to wind-induced current and wave in Deep Hollow Lake were also discussed.     

Interactions among waves,current, and mud: Numerical and laboratory studies

Interactions between waves, current, mud and turbulence are very complicated in the coastal and estuarine turbid waters. It is still necessary to improve our understanding of the fundamental physical processes governing the cohesive sediment transport in the coastal and estuarine waters. A numerical model is developed to study the interactions among waves, current, and mud. An eddy viscosity model for wave and current is proposed in order to close the equations of wave motion or of current motion in a combined flow, respectively. The equations of mud transport are derived based on the visco-elastic properties of mud. Coupling the equations of wave motion or of current motion for water layer with those of mud layer can give (1) wave height; (2) distributions of current velocities in the water layer; (3) distributions of transport velocities at the water–mud interface; and (4) distributions of mass transport velocities within the mud layer. These modeled results are in a reasonable agreement with experimental results. Results suggest that (1) the rate of wave attenuation increases in the opposing currents (currents against in the direction in which the waves propagate) and decreases in the following currents (currents in the same direction as that in which the waves propagate); (2) the opposing currents would have more significant effects on the rate of wave height attenuation than the following currents; (3) the effect of current on the rate of wave attenuation on the muddy bottom is larger than that on the rigid bottom; (4) mud transport rate increased in the following currents but decreased in the opposing currents; and (5) the rate of wave height attenuation on the mud bottom is one order of magnitude larger than that on the rigid bottom.     

THE SOURCE OF COHESIVE SEDIMENT AND ITS TRANSPORT IN THE YANGTZE ESTUARY AND NEAR SEA

In the light of the regional physiography and its effect on clay mineral composition of cohesive sediment (d < 0.005 mm) the source area of cohesive sediment in the Yangtze Estuary can be identified as three supplying regions: the main stem of the Yangtze River, the deltaic region of the abandoned Yellow River including the northwest Huanghai Sea and the Hangzhou Bay. Based on the evaluation of clay mineral composition in the supplying regions and the converging region, a computational model is established. More than 89.6% of cohesive sediment comes from the Yangtze River, a considerable amount is replenished from the deltaic region of the abandoned Yellow River while some part of the cohesive sediment load is transported from the Yangtze Estuary to the Hangzhou Bay. Computation results reveal that the annual deposit of cohesive sediment in the Yangtze Estuary amounts to 45.54 x 106 t. The annual cohesive sediment load replenished from the deltaic region of the abandoned Yellow River is 27.30 x 106t, while the annual cohesive sediment load transported to the Hangzhou Bay is 22.47 x 106 t. The amount of deposit in the Yangtze Estuary has been checked against the value obtained by comparing bathemetry of the Yangtze Estuary in 1915 and 1963.     

GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF SEDIMENT IN THE NORTHERN EAST CHINA SEA AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SEA CURRENTS

1 INTRODUCTION The East China Sea, one of the largest continental marginal seas in the world, receives large amount of suspended sediment from the land annually (Milliman and Meade, 1983; Shen, 1999). Since late Pleistocene, the deposition of the suspended sediment over the relict sandy sediment induces the complicated distribution of surface sediment (Fig. 1). Many studies have been done on the surface sediment distribution, sedimentation rate, concentration and dispersion of suspen…     

Numerical simulation of tidal current and erosion and sedimentation in the Yangshan deep-water harbor of Shanghai

Yangshan near-shore sea area is the multi-island and multi-channel area with strong flow velocity and high suspended sediment concentration. Based on the characteristics of tidal currents, waves, and sediment in the Yangshan area, a two-dimensional numerical model of tidal currents, sediment transport, and sea bed deformation is developed. In the model, the effects of tidal currents and wind waves on sediment transport are considered. According to characteristics of the study area, unstructured grids are applied to fit the boundaries of the near-shore sea area. The results show that the calculated values are in good agreement with the measured data. The field of tidal currents, suspended sediment concentrations, and the deformation of the seabed can be successfully simulated.     

Mud erosion by waves: a laboratory study

The role of mud erosion under waves in governing cohesive sediment transport in estuarial and coastal waters is well known. A laboratory study was conducted in order to elucidate the mechanism by which soft muds erode under progressive waves in a flume. Two types of cohesive sediment were used, a commercial kaolinite and an estuarial mud. Beds were formed by pouring in a pre-prepared sediment-water slurry and allowing the deposit to consolidate for a period ranging from 2 to 14 days. A multi-layered hydrodynamic model, which considers the mud to be viscoelastic, has been developed and used to evaluate the bed shear stress at the oscillating mud-water interface. The viscoelastic property of the mud has been confirmed by rheological measurements, and model results on velocity, pressure and wave attenuation verified against flume data. Concentration profiles indicate a distinct evolutionary pattern resulting in a highly stratified suspension. Just above the bed, a thin layer of fluid mud is generated. Above this layer, the suspension concentration is significantly lower. This two-layered feature of the concentration profile is related to the oscillatory response of the mud and water layers, and the associated momentum exchange and mass diffusion characteristics. An expression relating the rate of erosion to the bed shear stress in excess of bed shear resistance has been developed. Generation of fluid mud during erosion is a significant feature of the role of waves over mud.     

Wave- and current-induced bottom shear stress distribution in the Gulf of Lions

Simulations of both currents and waves were performed throughout the year 2001 to assess the relative contribution of each to their overall erosive potential on the Gulf of Lions shelf. Statistical analysis of bottom shear stress (BSS) was compared to sediment grain-size distribution on the bottom. The hydrodynamic features of the bottom layer coincide with the distribution of surficial sediments, and three areas with different hydro-sedimentary characteristics were revealed. (i) The sandy inner shelf (<30 m) area is a high-energy-wave dominated area but may be subjected to intense current-induced BSS during on-shore winds along the coast and during continental winds mainly in the up-welling cells. (ii) The middle shelf (30–100 m) is a low-energy environment characterised by deposition of cohesive sediments, where the wave effect decreases with depth and current-induced BSS cannot reach the critical value for erosion of fine-grained sediments. (iii) The outer shelf, which has a higher bottom sand fraction than the middle shelf, may be affected by strong south-westward currents generated by on-shore winds, which can have an erosive effect on the fine-grained sediments.     

DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SEA CURRENTS AND SEDIMENT DISPERSION IN THE YELLOW RIVER ESTUARY

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A field study of coastal dynamics on a muddy coast offshore of Cassino beach,Brazil

Mud deposits near sandy beaches, found throughout the world, are of scientific and societal interest as they form important natural sea defenses by efficiently damping storm waves. A multi-national field experiment to study these phenomena was performed offshore Cassino beach in southern Brazil starting in 2004. This experiment aimed to investigate the formation of an offshore mud deposit, to characterize wave attenuation over potentially mobile muddy bottoms, and to evaluate the performance of models for wave transformation over heterogeneous beds through the measurement of water waves, near-bottom currents, bathymetry, and changes in bottom sediment characteristics. The main instrumentation was a set of wave sensors deployed in a transect from the shoreline across sandy and muddy deposits offshore to a depth of 25 m. Additional sensors, including current meters and optical backscatter sensors, were concentrated at stations in the middle of the mud deposit and in the surf zone to document aspects of the wave boundary layer and lutocline dynamics. This fieldwork also involved the geological and geotechnical characterization of the mud deposit using seismic equipment, echo-sounders, cores, surficial sampling and an in-situ density meter. These sediment samples were subsequently analyzed for density, grain size distribution, mineralogy, rheology and sedimentary structures. In addition, video and radar monitoring equipment were installed to measure the long-term aspects of surf zone damping by fluid mud and any associated morphodynamic responses. This paper provides a summary of environmental conditions monitored during the experiment and describes the major findings of the various investigations. Although data collection was more difficult than anticipated and dramatic wave attenuation involving the onshore transport of fluid mud into the surf zone region was not observed during the instrumented interval, the new methodologies developed and comprehensive observations obtained during this effort are being used to improve our understanding of shoaling wave dynamics and sediment transport in the coastal zone in regions with significant cohesive sediment deposits.     

Modelling of hydrodynamics and cohesive sediment transport in Tanshui River estuarine system,Taiwan

A laterally averaged two-dimensional numerical model is used to simulate hydrodynamics and cohesive sediment transport in the Tanshui River estuarine system. The model handles tributaries as well as the main stem of the estuarine system. Observed time series of salinity data and tidally averaged salinity distributions have been compared with model results to calibrate the turbulent diffusion coefficients. The overall model verification is achieved with comparisons of residual currents and salinity distribution. The model reproduces the prototype water surface elevation, currents and salinity distributions. Comparisons of the suspended cohesive sediment concentrations calculated by the numerical model and the field data at various stations show good agreement. The validated model is applied to investigate the tidally averaged salinity distributions, residual circulation and suspended sediment concentration under low flow conditions in the Tanshui River estuarine system. The model results show that the limit of salt intrusion in the mainstem estuary is located at Hsin-Hai bridge in Tahan Stream, 26 km from the River mouth under Q75 flow. The null point is located at the head of salt intrusion, using 1 ppt isohaline as an indicator. The tidally averaged sediment concentration distribution exhibits a local maximum around the null point.     

THE INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL ON TRANSPORT OF BEACH SAND BY WIND

This paper deals with the effect of rainfall on the process of wind erosion of beach sands and presents results from both field and wind tunnel experiments. Although sediment transport by splash is of secondary importance on coastal dunes, splash–saltation processes can move sediments in conditions where no motion is predicted by aeolian processes. The effect of raindrop impact on the movement of soil particles by wind was measured on a sand beach plain using an acoustic sediment sampler. In general, an increase of particle movement by wind at the sensor heights was observed during rainfall. Rainfall also affected the wind erosion process during and after rain by changing the cohesive conditions of the surface. The influence of the surface moisture content on the initiation of wind erosion and on the vertical distribution of transported sand particles was studied in a wind tunnel. Moisture significantly increased threshold wind velocities for the initiation of sediment transport and modified vertical sediment profiles.     

Mixing processes in lakes: mechanisms and ecological relevance

In Lake Baldegg, Switzerland (surface area 5.3 km², maximum depth 66 m) the analysis of data from moored instrument systems (atmospheric boundary layer, lake temperature distribution, bottom currents) was correlated to the long-term development of vertical mixing as seen from profiles of natural isotopes (radon-222, tritium and helium-3) and chemical species. The investigation shows: 1. Vertical mixing coefficients below 25 m are small. Consequently the vertical concentration distribution of sediment emanating species in the deep hypolimnion is controlled by the bottom topography. 2. Renewal of deep hypolimnic water is significant even during stratification. 3. Weakly damped internal waves characterize the internal dynamics during stratification. 4. Horizontal bottom currents play an important role in the hypolimnion mixing and can be correlated to internal waves during stratification.     

Morphodynamics and sediment dynamics on intertidal mudflats in China (1961–1994)

This paper presents an overview of the significant research on morphodynamics and sediment dynamics on intertidal mudflats in China (1961–1994), particularly in the past 15 years (1980–1994). Development of intertidal mudflats has long been regarded as the response of the intertidal profile to tides, waves and storms. It has been found that there were long-term and short-term cyclic developments of intertidal mudflats in China. Three sedimentological zones have generally been identified from land to sea within the intertidal zone: high mudflat, middle mudflat and low mudflat. In addition, the sediments in the middle mudflat are relatively coarser than those in the high mudflat and low mudflat. Storms have great impacts on the intertidal morphology, sediment textures and sedimentary structures. Based on field investigations of intertidal sedimentary processes, many researchers have found that “settling and scour lags” were only applicable to intertidal cohesive sediment transport during periods of weak waves, but not during storms. In fact, flood fronts, waves, storm surges and longshore drift play important roles in suspended sediment transport on open intertidal mudflats in China. Despite of these extensive studies in the past several decades, there is still a need for an improved understanding of fundamental physical and biological processes governing erosion and deposition of cohesive fine sediment within the intertidal zone in China.     

3D Modeling of sediment movement by ships-generated wakes in confined shipping channel

Ship-generated waves and return currents are capable of re-suspending significant quantities of bottom and bank sediments.However,most of the previous studies done on the subject do not show how and where sediment is re-suspended by the wakes and the directions of net transport.In this paper,a 3D numerical model based on hydro-sedimentary coupling is presented to search the relationship between the sediment movement,and the pattern of ship-generated waves around and far away from the vessel and the return currents around the ships.The hydrodynamic model is based on 3D Navier-Stokes equations including the standard k-ε model for turbulence processes,and the sediment transport model is based on a 3D equation for the re-suspended sediment transport.The computation results show that the areas of sediment concentration and transport(whether by resuspension or by the bedload) depend mainly on the position,the speed of the ship in the waterways,the kinematics of ship-generated waves and on the return flows.Thus,a map of sediment distribution and the modes of sediment transport generated by the passage of the ship are presented.     

A 3-D finite volume model for sediment transport in coastal waters

Ocean Dynamics - A 3-D model has been developed to simulate sediment transport and bed change induced by currents and waves in coastal waters. The currents are calculated with the 3-D...     

General velocity formula of boundary layer above mobile sediment bed induced by asymmetric waves

Sediment movement in the wave boundary layer above a mobile sediment bed is complex.A velocity formula for the boundary layer is proposed for sheet flow induced by asymmetric waves above a mobile sediment bed.The formula consists of a free stream velocity and a defect function which contains a phase-lead,boundary layer thickness and mobile sediment bed.Phase-lag of sediment movement is considered in the formula for the mobile sediment bed.The formula needs six dependent variables about asymmetric wave and sediment characteristics.Asymmetry effects on parameters(orbital amplitude,roughness height,bed shear stress,and boundary layer thickness)are properly considered such that the formula can yield velocity differences among onshore,offshore,acceleration,and deceleration stages.The formula estimates the net boundary layer velocity resulting from the mobile sediment bed and asymmetric boundary layer thickness.In addition,a non-constant phase-lead also contributes to the net boundary layer velocity in asymmetric oscillatory sheet flow.Results of the formula are as good as that of a two-phase numerical model.Sheet flow transport induced by asymmetric waves,and the offshore net sediment transport rate with a large phase-lag under velocity-skewed waves,can be adequately estimated by the formula with a power sediment concentration function.     

BIOGENIC INFLUENCES ON THE FORMATION AND LONG-TERM DYNAMICS OF COHESIVE SEDIMENTS

1 wrRonvCTIoxToday it is widely accepted that the PrOcesses involved in cohesive sediment transpoft are stronglyinfluenced by the biological achvity of planctic (flocculation and sedimentahon) and benthic(consolldation and erosion) orgedsms (SPOrk et al. l997; PrOchnow et al. l999). Furthennre it can notbe neglected that particulary the ProCesses of sediment aging in teW of comPosition, pore-water content,stickiness of particles and aggregates and threshold of sediment motion are affected…     

Rossby波的螺旋斑图

应用描写大气大尺度运动的准地转方程组，求得了大气Rossby波的三维定常流场以及相应的位温场、涡度场和散度场，其中的三维流场构成了物理空间的一个非线性自治动力系统. 研究表明，Rossby波具有     

云南扬子准地台区地壳浅部速度构造特征

描述了云南扬子准地台洱源－江川深地震测深部面初至波的详细分析解释结果,所用方法为改进的射线追踪法。结果表明,在剖面中段沉积盖层巨厚,基底面下陷最深可达１０ｋｍ以上,并且中新生代沉积也比别处厚。     

Currents induced by vertical varied radiation stress in standing waves and evolution of the bed composed of fine sediments

This paper extends the conventional concept of radiation stress （Longuet-Higgins and Stewart, 1964） in progressive water waves to standing waves, so that its vertical profile could be defined and calculated in a new technical way. The hydrodynamic numerical model being coupled with the vertically varying radiation stress in standing waves is used to simulate the currents being induced by standing waves in the vertical section. Numerical modeling of suspended sediment transport is then carried out to simulate the evolution of the bed composed of fine sediments by the currents. The scour and deposition patterns simulated are in qualitative agreement with prior laboratory and field observations.