On determining the geometric and kinematic characteristics of coherent flow structures over a gravel bed: a new approach using combined PLIF‐PIV

In gravel‐bed rivers, the microtopography of the bed is known to exert a significant influence on the generation of turbulent flow structures that owe their origin to fluid shear generated near the bed. Although field and laboratory measurements have indicated that flows over gravel beds contain a range of coherent flow structures, the kinematic and dynamic properties of these structures are still poorly understood. This paper describes a new experimental methodology to quantify simultaneously both the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of coherent flow structures based upon combined planar laser‐induced fluorescence and particle imaging velocimetry (PLIF‐PIV). The results confirm that the primary generative mechanism of coherent flow structures is at the bed, where merging hairpin vortices form around bed clasts and generate larger‐scale fluid motions that advect downstream. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geochemistry of mine waters draining a low-sulfide, gold-quartz vein deposit, Bralorne, British Columbia

The Bralorne and Pioneer mines, now inactive, produced over 4 million ounces of Au from an orogenic lode Au deposit located on the eastern edge of the Coastal Mountains of SW British Columbia. Between 2007 and 2009, drainage from a recently developed exploration adit was investigated in order to better understand and anticipate potential environmental management issues associated with the development of this type of deposit in the future. Portal discharge rate and specific conductance were monitored continuously over a 14-month period during which 36 water samples were collected. Additional samples were collected from flooded workings within the adit. Concentrations of As and Sb at the portal range as high as 1738 and 316 μg/L, respectively, while those in the mine pool reach 3304 and 349 μg/L, respectively. Effluent chemistry is mildly alkaline (pH = 8.7) and is dominated by Na, Ca, Mg, HCO₃ and SO₄. Geochemical inverse modeling of effluent composition indicates weathering of albite (2515 kg/a), ferroan dolomite (718 kg/a), pyrite (456 kg/a), arsenopyrite (23 kg/a) and stibnite (2 kg/a). Modeled sulfide reaction coefficients, normalized by their corresponding host rock concentrations, suggest that oxidation of arsenopyrite is 25 times slower than that of pyrite whereas oxidation of stibnite is 1.5 times faster. Oxidative dissolution of arsenopyrite and stibnite releases 10.6 kg/a of As and 1.1 kg/a of Sb of which 57% and 46%, respectively, are sorbed to ferrihydrite and gibbsite on the bed of the shallow channel through which the mine pool drains to the portal. Although mass balance calculations predict the formation of sufficient ferrihydrite to sorb 100% of the As dissolved in the mine pool, this attenuation process was ineffective possibly because the precipitated sorbents settled to the bottom of the water column or because of competition for sorption sites from Ca and HCO₃. The dissolved Sb/As molar ratio in portal effluent (0.082) is much greater than the Sb/As ratio of the mineralization (0.002) because of slower arsenopyrite oxidation and somewhat lesser sorption of Sb.     

Influence of junction angle on three‐dimensional flow structure and bed morphology at confluent meander bends during different hydrological conditions

Recent field and modeling investigations have examined the fluvial dynamics of confluent meander bends where a straight tributary channel enters a meandering river at the apex of a bend with a 90° junction angle. Past work on confluences with asymmetrical and symmetrical planforms has shown that the angle of tributary entry has a strong influence on mutual deflection of confluent flows and the spatial extent of confluence hydrodynamic and morphodynamic features. This paper examines three‐dimensional flow structure and bed morphology for incoming flows with high and low momentum‐flux ratios at two large, natural confluent meander bends that have different tributary entry angles. At the high‐angle (90°) confluent meander bend, mutual deflection of converging flows abruptly turns fluid from the lateral tributary into the downstream channel and flow in the main river is deflected away from the outer bank of the bend by a bar that extends downstream of the junction corner along the inner bank of the tributary. Two counter‐rotating helical cells inherited from upstream flow curvature flank the mixing interface, which overlies a central pool. A large influx of sediment to the confluence from a meander cutoff immediately upstream has produced substantial morphologic change during large, tributary‐dominant discharge events, resulting in displacement of the pool inward and substantial erosion of the point bar in the main channel. In contrast, flow deflection is less pronounced at the low‐angle (36°) confluent meander bend, where the converging flows are nearly parallel to one another upon entering the confluence. A large helical cell imparted from upstream flow curvature in the main river occupies most of the downstream channel for prevailing low momentum‐flux ratio conditions and a weak counter‐rotating cell forms during infrequent tributary‐dominant flow events. Bed morphology remains relatively stable and does not exhibit extensive scour that often occurs at confluences with concordant beds. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment-preserved diatom assemblages can distinguish a petroleum activity signal separately from the nutrient signal of the Mississippi River in coastal Louisiana

We analyzed the preserved diatom assemblages in dated sediment cores collected from five locations in the Louisiana Bight to test if there was a signature of petroleum extraction activities (hopanes and barium) distinct from the well-documented effects of nutrient loading. The results of a multi-dimensional scaling analysis indicate that the diatom assemblage changes documented throughout the 40 year record could be explained by three variables: barium and hopanes concentrations, and Mississippi River nitrogen loading. The results of a canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated that these signals could be distinguished through correlations with specific diatom species. The abundance of Actinoptychus senarius, for example, was negatively correlated with barium and the Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima complex was positively correlated with nitrogen loading. These results provide a “proof-of-concept” demonstration that diatom assemblages preserved in the sediments can be used to study the effects of petroleum extraction activities, and that these ‘petroleum signals’ may be distinguished from other significant influences such as nutrient loading.     

The influence of habitat structure on juvenile fish in a New Zealand estuary

Estuarine and sheltered coastal habitats that contain physical structure are potentially important nurseries for juvenile fish. Many of these structured habitats, however, are potentially vulnerable to stressors such as elevated turbidity. Quantifying the benefits that structured habitats provide to juvenile fish may therefore be an important step in the management process. We investigated the value of structured habitat for juvenile fishes in northeastern New Zealand, using artificial seagrass units (ASUs) with varying blade density. ASUs were predominantly settled by juvenile snapper (Pagrus auratus) and spotty (Notolabrus celidotus). The density of both snapper and spotty was greatest on ASUs with the highest blade density. For snapper, a gradient in abundance was present (with higher abundance closer to the harbour mouth), suggesting either a gradient in the supply of recruits or a potential recruitment shadow effect. The size distribution of juvenile snapper (12–70 mm fork length) was very similar on both sampling trips, despite the 2‐month interim period, suggesting an ontogenetic habitat shift dependent on size. The condition of juvenile snapper from ASUs with the highest blade density was also greater than the other ASU treatments. Overall, these results provide new empirical evidence that habitats with physical structure within shallow estuarine systems are important to early stage juvenile fishes such as snapper, and indicate that the location‐specific context of that habitat is also likely important.     

Arsenic mobility in weathered gold mine tailings under a low-organic soil cover

Historical gold mining operations in Nova Scotia, Canada, resulted in numerous deposits of publicly accessible, arsenic (As)-rich mine waste that has weathered in situ for 75–150 years, resulting in a wide range of As-bearing secondary minerals. The geochemical heterogeneity of this mine waste creates a challenge for identifying a single remediation approach that will limit As mobility. A 30-cm-thick, low-organic content soil cover was evaluated in a laboratory leaching experiment where, to simulate natural conditions, the equivalent of 2 years of synthetic rainwater was leached through each column and two dry seasons were incorporated into the leaching protocol. Each column was a stratigraphic representation of the four major tailings types found at the historical Montague and Goldenville gold mine districts: hardpan tailings, oxic tailings, wetland tailings, and high Ca tailings. Hardpan tailings released acidic, As-rich waters (max 12 mg/L) under the soil cover but this acidity was buffered by surrounding oxic tailings. Leachate from the oxic tailings was circumneutral, with average As concentrations between 4.4 and 9.7 mg/L throughout the experiment. The presence of carbonates in the high Ca tailings resulted in near-neutral to weakly alkaline leachate pH values and average As concentrations between 2.1 and 6.1 mg/L. Oxidation of sulfides in the wetland tailings led to acidic leachate over time and a decrease in As concentrations to values that were generally less than 1 mg/L. This study shows that the use of a low-organic content soil cover does not create reducing conditions that would destabilize oxidized, As-bearing secondary phases in these tailings. However, oxygen penetration through the cover during dry seasons would continue to release As to tailings pore waters via sulfide oxidation reactions.     

Mixing at the front of gravity currents

Observations made with the help of a movable-bed tank designed and operated to freeze the motion of gravity current fronts indicate that both the scale of the apparatus and the magnitude of the current Reynolds number have a strong influence on mixing rates. Low mixing rates are associated with fronts in relatively shallow fresh water depths and low Reynolds numbers. Mixing rates increase more rapidly as the ratio of current thickness to fresh water depth increases. For the deepest fresh water flow conditions, when scale effects can be expected to be negligible, the dimensionless mixing rate is approximately equal to three times the relative current thickness and has an upper limit of about 0.3. Lower mixing rates are observed as the current Reynolds number decreases, suggesting that viscous effects can still exist even for deep fresh water conditions. Application of the experimental results to estimate some parameters of a hypothetical gravity current on the continental shelf yield reasonable values. However, it is clear that, owing to the scale and Reynolds number effects that might be present in laboratory experiments, particular care should be exercised when trying to extrapolate results to gravity currents in nature.