Depositional mechanics of turbulent nuées ardentes (surges) from their grain sizes

The ability of turbulent nuées ardentes (surges) to transport coarse pyroclasts has been questioned on the basis that settling velocities of coarse fragments in the deposits are much too high for them to have been supported by turbulence in a dilute gas suspension. A computer model is used to evaluate the settling velocity of pyroclasts in suspensions of varying concentration and temperature. Since suspension of grains in low-concentration surges occurs if the shear velocity exceeds the settling velocity, the shear velocities related to the 16th and 84th percentiles, and the mean of the grain-size distribution are compared in surge deposits of the Vulsini, with the shear velocity necessary to move the coarsest grain on the bed surface (the Shields criterion). The results show that the settling velocities do not vary significantly in gaseous suspensions having volume concentrations lower than 15%, and that an increase in concentration to 25% is not sufficient to decrease the settling velocity of the coarser fraction, if it represents flow shear velocity. It is shown that the settling velocity of the mean grain size (M _z ) best depicts the shear velocity of a dilute turbulent suspension. Applying the results to the May 1902 paroxysmal nuées ardentes of Mount Pelée shows that the estimated mean velocities are well within the observed velocities, and sufficient to support all the clasts in dilute, turbulent suspensions.     

Tide-induced vertical suspended sediment concentration profiles: phase lag and amplitude attenuation

In tidal environments, the response of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) to the current velocity is not instantaneous, the SSC lagging behind the velocity (phase lag), and the amplitude of SSC variation decreasing with height above the bed (amplitude attenuation). In order to quantitatively describe this phenomenon, a one-dimensional vertical advection–diffusion equation of SSC is derived analytically for uniform unsteady tidal flow by defining a concentration boundary condition using a constant vertical eddy diffusivity and sediment settling velocity. The solution, in simple and straightforward terms, shows that the vertical phase lag increases linearly with the height above the bed, while the amplitude of the SSC variation decreases exponentially with the height. The relationship between the SSC and the normalized current velocity can be represented by an ellipse or a line, depending on the phase lag. The lag of sediment movement or “diffusion/settling lag” is the mechanism generating the phase lag effect. Field observations used for validation show that the theoretically predicted and the observed curves of the vertical SSC phase lag and amplitude attenuation show reasonable agreement. The procedure proposed in this paper substantially simplifies the modeling of suspended matter transport in tidal flows.     

Parameterized expressions for an improved Rouse equation

The equilibrium profile of suspended sediment concentration （SSC） in steady, uniform turbulent flow has been extensively studied since the proposition of Rouse equation （Rouse, 1937）. Many researchers keep studying and attempting to improve the Rouse equation by modifying the mixing length concept. Bose and Dey （2009） improved Rouse equation based on the modified sediment diffusivity, however, their proposed sediment diffusivity has two parameters, the depth modification factor α and the reciprocal of the sediment Schmidt number β = 1/S, and the corresponding expressions were not given properly in their paper. This paper aims to parameterize the relevant coefficients, the results shows： （1） α is parameterized from a reasonable approximation by the analysis of surface boundary condition of SSC; （2） considering some effect factors on the settling velocity, β can be expressed by an extended and modified Montes-Ippen formula, and its related parameters are calibrated by substantial data about the relationship between the primary Rouse parameter Z. = ω/ku and its counterpart Z＇ = ω/βku.. Through verification with some experimental and field datasets, and comparison with related formula, the results show that the sediment diffusivity and SSC profiles have a good agreement with measured data used the present parameterized expressions of a and,8, so the present improved Rouse equation is reasonable, and can be applied in practical applications. Finally, an approximation and simplified expression of the improved Rouse equation is deduced by using the approach of perturbation, which can be applied easily for the estimation of suspended sediment transport rate.     

Controls on effective settling velocities of mud flocs in the Changjiang Estuary,China

Theoretical and experimental studies were undertaken to gain insight into physical parameters controlling the flocculation and settling properties of mud flocs in the Changjiang Estuary, China. The Rouse equation is applied to vertical profiles of suspended sediment concentration to determine the bulk mean settling velocity (w_s) of sediment suspended in the Changjiang Estuary. Both in situ point‐sampled and acoustically measured profiles of suspended mud concentrations were fit selectively. The calculated settling velocities w_s mainly ranged from 0·4 to 4·1 mm s^?1 for the point‐sampled data set, and from 1·0 to 3·0 mm s^?1 for the acoustically measured data set. Furthermore, the settling velocities of mud flocs increased with mean concentration (C?) of mud flocs in suspension and were proportional to increasing bottom shear stress (τ_b) of tidal flow. The best equation for the field settling velocity of mud flocs in the Changjiang Estuary can be expressed by the power law: w_s = mC?ⁿ (m, 1·14–2·37; n, 0·84–1·03). It is suggested that C? and τ_b were the dominant physical parameters controlling the flocculation and w_s of mud flocs in suspension. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study on three dimensional movements of particles Ⅰ Effects of particle diameter on velocity and concentration distributions

Based on the three Dimensional Particle Tracking Velocimetry （3D PTV） system, the characteristics of motion of particles with four different diameters were investigated under the steady flow conditions The longitudinal average velocity profiles of these particles were in accordance with Log-law, while the vertical and transverse velocities remained very low with minimal fluctuation. The time-average velocity of particles in the bed load layer was 8.50u., close to Bagnold＇s assumptionUn -60. The vertical concentration distribution of particles in the suspension region agreed with the Rouse equation. When the diameter of particles was relatively large, there existed an evident concentration gradient in the bed load layer.     

Simulation of sediment transport during flood events: laboratory work and field experiments

Abstract

This paper aims at initiating a fundamental understanding of the suspended load transport of river sediment in unsteady flow. Laboratory erosion tests as well as artificial flood experiments are used to evaluate the influence of the transient regime on the transport efficiency of the flow. The erosion experiments reveal that the transport capacity is augmented when the unsteadiness of the flow increases. However, the influence of the transient regime is counteracted by the cohesive properties of the river bed. Field experiments with artificial floods released from a reservoir into a small canal confirm these findings and show a relationship between the friction velocity and the suspended load transport. An appropriate parameter β is proposed to evaluate the impact of the transient regime on the transport of suspended sediment.     

Depositional mechanics of turbulent nuées ardentes (surges) from their grain sizes

The ability of turbulent nuées ardentes (surges) to transport coarse pyroclasts has been questioned on the basis that settling velocities of coarse fragments in the deposits are much too high for them to have been supported by turbulence in a dilute gas suspension. A computer model is used to evaluate the settling velocity of pyroclasts in suspensions of varying concentration and temperature. Since suspension of grains in low-concentration surges occurs if the shear velocity exceeds the settling velocity, the shear velocities related to the 16th and 84th percentiles, and the mean of the grain-size distribution are compared in surge deposits of the Vulsini, with the shear velocity necessary to move the coarsest grain on the bed surface (the Shields criterion). The results show that the settling velocities do not vary significantly in gaseous suspensions having volume concentrations lower than 15%, and that an increase in concentration to 25% is not sufficient to decrease the settling velocity of the coarser fraction, if it represents flow shear velocity. It is shown that the settling velocity of the mean grain size (M _z ) best depicts the shear velocity of a dilute turbulent suspension. Applying the results to the May 1902 paroxysmal nuées ardentes of Mount Pelée shows that the estimated mean velocities are well within the observed velocities, and sufficient to support all the clasts in dilute, turbulent suspensions.     

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.     

Turbulence, suspension and downstream fining over a sand-gravel mixture bed

Flume experiments were carried out to study the turbulence and its impact on suspension and segregation of grain-sizes under unidirectional flow conditions over the sand-gravel mixture bed. The components of fluid velocity with fluctuations were measured vertically using 3-D Micro-acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV). The theoretical models for velocity and sediment suspension have been developed based on the concept of mixing length that includes the damping effect of turbulence due to sediment suspension in the flow over the sand-gravel mixture bed. Statistical analysis of segregation of grain-sizes along downstream of the bed has been performed using the principle of unsupervised learning or clustering problem. Exploratory data analysis suggests that there is a progressive downstream fining of sediment sizes with selective depositions of gravels, sand-gravels and sand materials along the stream, which may be segmented into three regions such as, the upstream, the transitional and the downstream respectively. This contribution is relevant to understand the direction of ancient rivers, the bed material character in the river form, sorting process and its role in controlling the sediment flux through landscape.     

Bed roughness and grain sorting-an experimental study over fine to medium sand beds

The relation between grain-size distribution of the bed and in suspension was critically examined under a uniform flow velocity of 50 cm/s over two beds: one of mainly fine sands and the other of medium sands. Two sections – one 2.85 m downstream and the other 6.35 m downstream in the experimental channel-were selected for sampling to study the grain-sorting pattern in the vertical direction along the direction of transport. The shape and type of the grain-size distribution pattern were critically studied with height above the bed. The change in the distribution pattern has been attributed to the change of local bed roughness causing scouring against the protruded relatively coarse grains on the bed. Such trends are important to predict the nature of river bed topography. The sand of Bed-1 initially exhibits a log-skew-Laplace distribution at different heights of suspension. The distribution pattern, however, changes but this changing pattern is not consistent along the upstream side. For Bed-2, which initially exhibits a log-normal distribution, the same pattern persists from the height of suspension at 5 cm up to 20 cm. Such consistency in log-normality is also observed at the downstream points of measurement. It is generally expected that the mean grain-size would reduce with increases of suspension height but the results of the experiments, in some occasions, differ significantly from the gradual fining upward trend. This result has been attributed to local changes of bed roughness arising from the protruded relatively coarse grains causing eddies, scouring, and turbulent phenomena which moves coarse particles higher in suspension adding a coarse tail to the distribution increasing the mean grain-size.     

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.     

Feedback between residual circulations and sediment distribution in highly turbid estuaries: An analytical model

Motivated by field studies of the Ems estuary which show longitudinal gradients in bottom sediment concentration as high as O(0.01 kg/m⁴), we develop an analytical model for estuarine residual circulation based on currents from salinity gradients, turbidity gradients, and freshwater discharge. Salinity is assumed to be vertically well mixed, while the vertical concentration profile is assumed to result from a balance between a constant settling velocity and turbulent diffusive flux. Width and depth of the model estuary are held constant. Model results show that turbidity gradients enhance tidally averaged circulation upstream of the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM), but significantly reduce residual circulation downstream, where salinity and turbidity gradients oppose each other. We apply the condition of morphodynamic equilibrium (vanishing sediment transport) and develop an analytical solution for the position of the turbidity maximum and the distribution of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) along a longitudinal axis. A sensitivity study shows great variability in the longitudinal distribution of suspended sediment with the applied salinity gradient and six model parameters: settling velocity, vertical mixing, horizontal dispersion, total sediment supply, fresh water flow, and water depth. Increasing depth and settling velocity move the ETM upstream, while increasing freshwater discharge and vertical mixing move the ETM downstream. Moreover, the longitudinal distribution of SSC is inherently asymmetric around the ETM, and depends on spatial variations in the residual current structure and the vertical profile of SSC.     

Sand settling through bedform-generated turbulence in rivers

Fluvial bedforms generate a turbulent wake that can impact suspended-sediment settling in the passing flow. This impact has implications for local suspended-sediment transport, bedform stability, and channel evolution; however, it is typically not well-considered in geomorphologic models. Our study uses a three-dimensional OpenFOAM hydrodynamic and particle-tracking model to investigate how turbulence generated from bedforms and the channel bed influences medium sand-sized particle settling, in terms of the distribution of suspended particles within the flow field and particle-settling velocities. The model resolved the effect of an engineered bedform, which altered the flow field in a manner similar to a natural dune. The modelling scenarios alternated bed morphology and the simulation of turbulence, using detached eddy simulation (DES), to differentiate the influence of bedform-generated turbulence relative to that of turbulence generated from the channel bed. The bedform generated a turbulent wake that was composed of eddies with significant anisotropic properties. The eddies and, to a lesser degree, turbulence arising from velocity shear at the bed substantially reduced settling velocities relative to the settling velocities predicted in the absence of turbulence. The eddies tended to advect sediment particles in their primary direction, diffuse particles throughout the flow column, and reduced settling likely due to production of a positively skewed vertical-velocity fluctuation distribution. Study results suggest that the bedform wake has a significant impact on particle-settling behaviour (up to a 50% reduction in settling velocity) at a scale capable of modulating local suspended transport rates and bedform dynamics. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

2D stream hydrodynamic,sediment transport and bed morphology model for engineering applications

A 2D depth‐averaged hydrodynamic, sediment transport and bed morphology model named STREMR HySeD is presented. The depth‐averaged sediment transport equations are derived from the 3D dilute, multiphase, flow equations and are incorporated into the hydrodynamic model STREMR. The hydrodynamic model includes a two‐equation turbulence model and a correction for the mean flow due to secondary flows. The suspended sediment load can be subdivided into different size classes using the continuum (two‐fluid) approach; however, only one bed sediment size is used herein. The validation of the model is presented by comparing the suspended sediment transport module against experimental measurements and analytical solutions for the case of equilibrium sediment‐laden in a transition from a rigid bed to a porous bed where re‐suspension of sediment is prevented. On the other hand, the bed‐load sediment transport and bed evolution numerical results are compared against bed equilibrium experimental results for the case of a meander bend. A sensitivity analysis based on the correction for secondary flow on the mean flow including the effect of secondary flow on bed shear stresses direction as well as the downward acceleration effect due to gravity on transverse bed slopes is performed and discussed. In general, acceptable agreement is found when comparing the numerical results obtained with STREMR HySeD against experimental measurements and analytical solutions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of deposition of fine sediment within the pores of a coarse sediment bed stream

Elaborate experiments were performed in a 30 m long, 0.5 m deep and 0.2 m wide laboratory flume to study the process of infiltration of fine sediment into the pores of coarse sediment forming the channel bed material. Different concentrations of suspended load of fine sediment of size 0.064 mm were passed over the channel bed made up of three different types of coarse sediments; two uniform and one nonuniform. The proportion of fine sediment infiltrated into the pores of bed material for each equilibrium concentration of suspended load of fine sediment in the flow was studied during several experimental runs. The proportion of fine sediment within the pores of bed material increased with an increase in the equilibrium concentration of suspended load of fine sediment in the flow. This process continued till the pores within the coarse sediment bed were filled up to the capacity with the fine sediment transported by the flow in suspension. The theoretical value was identified for limit for maximum proportion of fine sediment that can be present within the pores of bed material. On further increase in the concentration of suspended load of fine sediment in the flow, deposition of fine sediment occurs on the surface of the flume bed in the form of ripples of the fine sediment. This condition is defined as 'depositional condition'. Experimental observations on these and related aspects are presented herein.     

A new approach to define surface/sub-surface transition in gravel beds

The vertical structure of river beds varies temporally and spatially in response to hydraulic regime, sediment mobility, grain size distribution and faunal interaction. Implicit are changes to the active layer depth and bed porosity, both critical in describing processes such as armour layer development, surface-subsurface exchange processes and siltation/ sealing. Whilst measurements of the bed surface are increasingly informed by quantitative and spatial measurement techniques (e.g., laser displacement scanning), material opacity has precluded the full 3D bed structure analysis required to accurately define the surface-subsurface transition. To overcome this problem, this paper provides magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of vertical bed porosity profiles. Uniform and bimodal (?? _g = 2.1) sand-gravel beds are considered following restructuring under sub-threshold flow durations of 60 and 960 minutes. MRI data are compared to traditional 2.5D laser displacement scans and six robust definitions of the surface-subsurface transition are provided; these form the focus of discussion.     

Significance of particle interaction to the modelling of cohesive sediment transport in rivers

Aggregation processes of fine sediments have rarely been integrated in numerical simulations of cohesive sediment transport in riverine systems. These processes, however, can significantly alter the hydrodynamic characteristics of suspended particulate matter (SPM), modifying the particle settling velocity, which is one of the most important parameters in modelling suspended sediment dynamics. The present paper presents data from field measurements and an approach to integrate particle aggregation in a hydrodynamic sediment transport model. The aggregation term used represents the interaction of multiple sediment classes (fractions) with corresponding multiple deposition behaviour. The k–ε–turbulence model was used to calculate the coefficient of vertical turbulent mixing needed for the two‐dimensional vertical‐plane simulations. The model has been applied to transport and deposition of tracer particles and natural SPM in a lake‐outlet lowland river (Spree River, Germany). The results of simulations were evaluated by comparison with field data obtained for two levels of river discharge. Experimental data for both discharge levels showed that under the prevailing uniform hydraulic conditions along the river reach, the settling velocity distribution did not change significantly downstream, whereas the amount of SPM declined. It was also shown that higher flow velocities (higher fluid shear) resulted in higher proportions of fast settling SPM fractions. We conclude that in accordance with the respective prevailing turbulence structures, typical aggregation mechanisms occur that continuously generate similar distribution patterns, including particles that settle toward the river bed and thus mainly contribute to the observed decline in the total SPM concentration. In order to determine time‐scales of aggregation and related mass fluxes between the settling velocity fractions, results of model simulations were fitted to experimental data for total SPM concentration and of settling velocity frequency distributions. The comparison with simulations for the case of non‐interacting fractions clearly demonstrated the practical significance of particle interaction for a more realistic modelling of cohesive sediment and contaminant transport. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Turbulence and suspended sediment processes in the Garonne River tidal bore in November 2016

A tidal bore is a water discontinuity at the leading edge of a ood tide wave in estuaries with a large tidal range and funneling topography. New measurements were done in the Garonne River tidal bore on 14 15 November 2016, at a site previously investigated between 2010 and 2015. The data focused on long, continuous, high-frequency records of instantaneous velocity and suspended sediment con- centration (SSC) estimate for several hours during the late ebb, tidal bore passage and ood tide. The bore passage drastically modi ed the ow eld, with very intense turbulent and sediment mixing. This was evidenced with large and rapid uctuations of both velocity and Reynolds stress, as well as large SSCs during the ood tide. Granulometry data indicated larger grain sizes of suspended sediment in water samples compared to sediment bed material, with a broader distribution, shortly after the tidal bore. The tidal bore induced a sudden suspended sediment ux reversal and a large increase in suspended sedi- ment ux magnitude. The time-variations of turbulent velocity and suspended sediment properties indicated large uctuations throughout the entire data set. The ratio of integral time scales of SSC to velocity in the x-direction was on average TE,SSC/TE,x 0.16 during the late ebb tide, compared to TE,SSC/ TE,x 0.09 during the late ood tide. The results imply different time scales between turbulent velocities and suspended sediment concentrations.     

2DV modelling of sediment transport processes over full-scale ripples in regular asymmetric oscillatory flow

Wave-induced, steep vortex ripples are ubiquitous features in shallow coastal seas and it is therefore important to fully understand and model the sediment transport processes that occur over them. To this end, two two-dimensional vertical (2DV) models have been critically tested against detailed velocity and sediment concentration measurements above mobile ripples in regular asymmetric oscillatory flow. The two models are a k–ω turbulence-closure model and a discrete-vortex, particle-tracking (DVPT) model, while the data are obtained in the Aberdeen oscillatory flow tunnel (AOFT). The models and the data demonstrate that the time-dependent velocity and suspended sediment concentration above the ripple are dominated by the generation of lee-side vortices and their subsequent ejection at flow reversal. The DVPT model predicts the positions and strengths of the vortices reasonably well, but tends to overpredict the velocity close to the ripple surface. The k–ω model, on the other hand, underpredicts the height to which the vortices are lifted, but is better able to predict the velocity close to the bed. In terms of the cycle- and ripple-averaged horizontal velocity, both models are able to reproduce the observed offshore flow close to and below the ripple crest and the DVPT model is able to produce the onshore flow higher up. In the vicinity of the vortices, the DVPT model better represents the concentration (because of its better prediction of vorticity). The k–ω model, on the other hand, better represents the concentration close to the ripple surface and higher up in the flow (because of the better representation of the near-bed flow and background turbulence). The measured and predicted cycle- and ripple-averaged suspended sediment concentrations are in reasonable agreement and demonstrate the expected region of exponential decay. The models are able to reproduce the observed offshore cycle- and ripple-averaged suspended sediment flux from the ripple troughs upwards, and as a result, produce net offshore suspended sediment transport rates that are in reasonable agreement. The net measured offshore suspended transport rate, based on the integration of fluxes, was found to be consistent with the total net offshore transport measured in the tunnel as a whole once the onshore transport resulting from ripple migration was taken into account, as would be expected. This demonstrates the importance of models being able to predict ripple-migration rates. However, at present neither of the models is able to do so.