Sediment erodability in sediment transport modelling: Can we account for biota effects?

Sediment erosion results from hydrodynamic forcing, represented by the bottom shear stress (BSS), and from the erodability of the sediment, defined by the critical erosion shear stress and the erosion rate. Abundant literature has dealt with the effects of biological components on sediment erodability and concluded that sediment processes are highly sensitive to the biota. However, very few sediment transport models account for these effects. We provide some background on the computation of BSS, and on the classical erosion laws for fine sand and mud, followed by a brief review of biota effects with the aim of quantifying the latter into generic formulations, where applicable.     

Spatio-temporal variations in intertidal mudflat erodability: Marennes-Oléron Bay,western France

A portable erosion device (ERIS) was deployed in November 2000 and May 2001 to investigate the spatio-temporal variation of fine-grained sediment erosion over a transect on the intertidal mudflats of Marennes-Oléron Bay, western France. The objective was to relate changes in bed erodability over diurnal emersion periods to bioturbation, rapid changes in sediment characteristics, and microphytobenthos biomass.     

Long-term development and current status of the Barcelona continental shelf: A source-to-sink approach

The Barcelona continental shelf, off the city of Barcelona (NE Spain), is a relatively narrow canyon-bounded shelf in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Three medium-size rivers (Tordera, Besós and Llobregat) and several ephemeral rivulets flow into this margin. Two main domains have been recognized in the Barcelona shelf: (i) a modern, river-influenced area, and (ii) a relict, sediment depleted area, both affected by a variety of human impacts. A detailed geomorphologic study based on multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, high resolution seismic profiles, and surface sediment samples allowed mapping and interpreting the main distinctive seafloor features on the Barcelona shelf. Modern sedimentary features reveal that the Llobregat River is the main sediment source of the Barcelona prodeltaic shelf. High-discharge fluvial events result in the formation of suspended sediment plumes and sediment waves on the shelf floor. Relict (late Pleistocene–Holocene) sedimentary features reflect that an important shift occurred in the seashore direction between MIS 4 and MIS 2, and that recent neotectonic reactivation has created a set of seafloor faults. The Barcelona inner and middle shelf is severely impacted by anthropogenic activities such as the enlargement works of the Port of Barcelona, sewage pipes, dredging, anchoring and trawling.     

Export fluxes of biogenic matter in the presence and absence of seasonal sea ice cover in the Chukchi Sea

Drifting sediment traps were deployed at 9 stations in May-June (ice-covered conditions) and July-August (ice-free conditions) 2004 in the Chukchi Sea to investigate the variability in export fluxes of biogenic matter in the presence and absence of sea ice cover. Measurements of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen (PN), phytoplankton, zooplankton fecal pellets, and the stable carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) of the sinking material were performed along Barrow Canyon (BC) and a parallel shelf-to-basin transect from East Hanna Shoal (EHS) to the Canada Basin. POC export fluxes were similarly high in the presence (378±106 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) and in the absence of ice cover (442±203 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) at the BC stations, while fluxes were significantly higher in the absence (129±98 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) than in the presence of ice cover (44±29 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹) at the EHS stations. The C/N ratios and δ¹³C values of sinking organic particles indicated that POC export fluxes on the Chukchi continental shelf were mostly composed of freshly produced labile material, except at the EHS stations under ice cover where the exported matter was mostly composed of refractory material probably advected into the EHS region. Chl-a fluxes were higher under ice cover than in ice-free water, however, relatively low daily loss rates of Chl-a and similar phytoplankton carbon fluxes in ice-covered and ice-free water suggest the retention of phytoplankton in the upper water column. An increase in fecal pellet carbon fluxes in ice-free water reflected higher grazing pressure in the absence of ice cover. Elevated daily loss rates of POC at the BC stations confirmed other indications that Barrow Canyon is an important area of carbon export to the basin and/or benthos. These results support the conclusion that there are large spatial and temporal variations in export fluxes of biogenic matter on the Chukchi continental shelf, although export fluxes may be similar in the presence and in the absence of ice cover in highly productive regions.     

Critical erosion profiles in macro-tidal estuary sediments: Implications for the stability of intertidal mud and the slope of mud banks

Vertical profiles of the critical erosion threshold (τ_crit) in sediment have been measured at 11 stations along the axis of the Tamar Estuary and at a single station in a tributary of the Tamar at St. John's Ford. The τ_crit of surface sediment increased from 0.04 Pa in the upper, brackish estuary to 0.09 Pa in the lower estuary. In the upper estuary τ_crit only increased slightly with depth whereas in the marine estuary τ_crit increased rapidly from 0.09 Pa at the surface to 0.25 Pa at 15 cm below the sediment surface. The results showed that the relationship between τ_crit and bulk density (ρ_b) obtained previously for surface sediment was also applicable to sediments from depths of 10–15 cm and probably deeper. Profiles of ρ_b were measured to depths of 70 cm using a corer. In the lower (marine) estuary ρ_b increased with depth in the sediment from 1580 kg m⁻³ at the surface to 1720 kg m⁻³ at 70 cm. In the upper estuary ρ_b values were lower at 1170–1200 kg m⁻³ and profiles were almost homogeneous indicating that consolidation was not occurring. The mid-estuary was transitional between these two situations. These results are consistent with the seasonal accumulation and loss of ‘mobile’ sediment observed previously in the upper estuary with changes in river flow, and with the apparent stability of intertidal mud in the lower marine estuary deduced from historical bathymetric survey records. The slopes of the intertidal mud banks ranged from 1–2% in the lower estuary to 20–25% in mid-estuary but, instead of continuing to increase in steepness towards the head as the estuary became narrower, the measured slopes actually decreased. It is speculated that the lack of consolidation through continual mobilisation and settlement cycles combined with an increase in silt content in the upper estuary resulted in sediment that lacked the mechanical strength to maintain steep slopes.     

GIS morphometric indicators for the analysis of sediment dynamics in mountain basins

Watershed management and headwater reconstruction programs require a reliable knowledge of sediment dynamics. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) provide the framework for the implementation of different complex techniques for the assessment of shallow landsliding and erosion processes in mountain basins. This paper presents some morphometric indicators aimed at erosion and sediment delivery analysis. The proposed indicators can be easily derived from medium to fine resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEM). Applications conducted in Eastern Italian Alps have shown the adequateness of the proposed approach to address erosion and sediment-related problems. The analysis considered the classification of sediment source areas with regard to their activity, the comparison between drainage basins having different morphological characteristics and the topographic control on sediment transport capacity, with a particular attention to the identification of channel reaches characterised by a low sediment transport capacity.     

Water quality and sediment geochemistry in lakes of Yunnan Province, southern China

 Yungui Plateau lakes in southwestern China are economically important, although few have been studied previously. Water and sediments of 24 lakes throughout Yunnan Province were sampled in October 1994. We describe the chemical and physical characteristics of Yunnan lakes, and address effects of regional geology and human influences on water quality and sediment type. Water quality differs between deep Yunnan lakes of tectonic origin and shallow solution basins. Shallow lakes generally have higher nutrient concentrations and appear to be more susceptible to riparian disturbance than deeper lakes. Shallow lakes with high macrophyte standing crops, nevertheless, exhibit nutrient-poor waters. Principal ions Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and HCO₃ ^– reflect regional carbonate geology, except in Cheng Hai, which is a sodium bicarbonate lake. Specific conductance and δ¹⁸O are positively correlated, indicating that evaporation concentrates both solutes and ¹⁸O. Large, shallow lakes in southeastern Yunnan exhibit ¹⁸O-enriched waters because of substantial evaporation, whereas small, deep lakes are ¹⁸O-depleted. Lake waters are ¹⁸O-depleted in small, shallow basins that receive substantial rainwater input relative to their small volumes. ¹⁸O enrichment in Cheng Hai suggests that a recent 5-m water-level decline in this lake was caused by increased evaporation or diversion of freshwater inflow. Yunnan watersheds have undergone substantial deforestation, agricultural cultivation, soil erosion, and industrialization. Limnetic nutrient concentrations indicate that human activities have affected water quality. Organic matter content is low in sediments because of increased non-carbonate, clastic sediment yield from watersheds. Environmental policies are needed to balance ecological contraints with economic activities that impact water quality. Received: 1 July 1996 / Accepted: 2 October 1996     

Toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) of pore water of contaminated marine sediments collected from Hong Kong waters

Marine sediment can function both as a source and as a sink of marine chemical contaminants. The toxicity of contaminated marine sediment can be assessed by toxic evaluation of its pore water, the inter-particle water of sediment, because toxicants in the pore water may be bioavailable to marine organisms. In this study, the toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) was performed to identify the major toxicants in the pore water of marine sediment collected in Hong Kong waters. In Phase 1 TIE, the suspected toxicants were characterized as anions or organic compounds that are either oxidizable or filterable in alkaline medium. In Phase 2 TIE, the suspected toxicants were identified as sulfide (S²⁻) based on the reduction of toxicity due to lowering of sulfide concentrations by experimental manipulations. The mass balance and spiking analyses in Phase 3 confirmed that S²⁻ was one of the major toxicants and that some non-toxic unknown compounds measured by LC–MS, which was removed by C18 solid phase extraction, enhanced the toxicity of S²⁻ in the pore water samples.     

Regional Applications of Lake Sediment Dating by Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particle Analysis I: United Kingdom

Spheroidal carbonaceous fly-ash particles (SCPs) are produced by the high temperature combustion of fossil-fuels such as coal and oil. They are not produced by any natural processes and therefore are unambiguous indicators of atmospheric deposition from power generation and other industrial sources. In lake sediments, SCP concentration profiles are robust, replicable and often regionally characteristic such that the main profile features can be used for sediment dating. Previous work in the UK provided dates for the three main SCP profile features for Scotland, North Wales and Northern Ireland and also highlighted the lack of information for the rest of the UK. In this study, archived SCP data and new SCP concentration profiles were compiled from 80 radionuclide-dated sediment cores from across the whole of the UK in order to determine the regional coherence of temporal trends. Using SCP cumulative percentage profiles, with the SCP concentration peak set as 100%, dates for each 10% were produced for each core. Comparing these dates, eight distinct regions were found within the UK and dated cumulative profiles, with errors, were determined for each. Despite this regionality, the whole of the UK showed the same date for the start of the record (1850±25 years) and for the 40- and 50% (1940±15 and 1955±15, respectively). The national coherence of the former is thought to be due to the large confidence limits in the radionuclide dates for this period, whilst the latter is thought to be due to the impact from the major increase in electricity demand following the Second World War and the widespread introduction and use of cheap fuel-oil. Since the 1960s the trend has been one of increasing regionalisation resulting from the introduction of particle arrestor technology, the decline of heavy industry, the move to fewer and larger sources, particularly power stations, and an increase in accuracy for the dates of recent horizons. Regional trends are seen to compare well with industrial development in the UK and in some western areas influenced by emissions from Ireland. Areas of uncertainty remain in South Wales and the northern isles. A cumulative percentile was also calculated for each region for 1963 in order that this can be compared with the ²⁴¹Am and ¹³⁷Cs peaks.