Sediment transport in high‐speed flows over a fixed bed: 2. Particle impacts and abrasion prediction

Single bed load particle impacts were experimentally investigated in supercritical open channel flow over a fixed planar bed of low relative roughness height simulating high‐gradient non‐alluvial mountain streams as well as hydraulic structures. Particle impact characteristics (impact velocity, impact angle, Stokes number, restitution and dynamic friction coefficients) were determined for a wide range of hydraulic parameters and particle properties. Particle impact velocity scaled with the particle velocity, and the vertical particle impact velocity increased with excess transport stage. Particle impact and rebound angles were low and decreased with transport stage. Analysis of the particle impacts with the bed revealed almost no viscous damping effects with high normal restitution coefficients exceeding unity. The normal and resultant Stokes numbers were high and above critical thresholds for viscous damping. These results are attributed to the coherent turbulent structures near the wall region, i.e. bursting motion with ejection and sweep events responsible for turbulence generation and particle transport. The tangential restitution coefficients were slightly below unity and the dynamic friction coefficients were lower than for alluvial bed data, revealing that only a small amount of horizontal energy was transferred to the bed. The abrasion prediction model formed by Sklar and Dietrich in 2004 was revised based on the new equations on vertical impact velocity and hop length covering various bed configurations. The abrasion coefficient k_v was found to be vary around k_v ~ 10⁵ for hard materials (tensile strength f_t > 1 MPa), one order of magnitude lower than the value assumed so far for Sklar and Dietrich's model. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating a process‐based model for use in streambank stabilization: insights on the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM)

Streambank retreat is a complex cyclical process involving subaerial processes, fluvial erosion, seepage erosion, and geotechnical failures and is driven by several soil properties that themselves are temporally and spatially variable. Therefore, it can be extremely challenging to predict and model the erosion and consequent retreat of streambanks. However, modeling streambank retreat has many important applications, including the design and assessment of mitigation strategies for stream revitalization and stabilization. In order to highlight the current complexities of modeling streambank retreat and to suggest future research areas, this paper reviewed one of the most comprehensive streambank retreat models available, the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM), which has recently been integrated with several popular hydrodynamic and sediment transport models including the Hydrologic Engineering Center's River Analysis System (HEC‐RAS). The objectives of this paper were to: (i) comprehensively review studies that have utilized BSTEM and report their findings, (ii) address the limitations of the model so that it can be applied appropriately in its current form, and (iii) suggest directions of research that will help make the model a more useful tool in future applications. The paper includes an extensive overview of peer reviewed studies to guide future users of BSTEM. The review demonstrated that the model needs further testing and evaluation outside of the central United States. Also, further development is needed in terms of accounting for spatial and temporal variability in geotechnical and fluvial erodibility parameters, incorporating subaerial processes, and accounting for the influence of riparian vegetation on streambank pore‐water pressure dynamics, applied shear stress, and erodibility parameters. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

软悬挂状态下隔水管动力特性分析

建立了软悬挂状态下隔水管动力分析模型,采用有限单元法对模型进行离散,结合Newmark-β法对动态方程求解,并对模型进行验证,最后选取南海某口深水井实际参数,对软悬挂状态下隔水管动力特性进行分析。研究结果表明:软悬挂状态下隔水管底端横向位移最大,顶部铰接处弯矩最大。软悬挂状态下,隔水管横向位移与弯矩随着海底隔水管总成(LMRP)重量增加而减小,随着平台运动速度、平台航向与海流方向夹角增大而增大;回收隔水管减小悬挂长度有利于减小最大横向位移,但会造成弯矩轻微增加;采用旋转刚度适当较大的挠性接头则有利于减小隔水管挠性接头以下整体位移与弯矩。研究成果为钻井平台避台撤离时隔水管的安全提供理论指导。     

Biotic drivers of river and floodplain geomorphology – New molecular methods for assessing present‐day and past biota

Geomorphology has increasingly considered the role of biotic factors as controls upon geomorphic processes across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Where timescales are long (centennial and longer), it has been possible to quantify relationships between geomorphic processes and vegetation using, for example, the pollen record. However, where the biotic agents are fauna, longer term reconstruction of the impacts of biological activity upon geomorphic processes is more challenging. Here, we review the prospect of using environmental DNA as a molecular proxy to decipher the presence and nature of faunal influences on geomorphic processes in both present and ancient deposits. When used appropriately, this method has the potential to improve our understanding of biotic drivers of geomorphic processes, notably fauna, over long timescales and so to reconstruct how such drivers might explain the landscape as we see it today. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hierarchically nested river landform sequences. Part 2: Bankfull channel morphodynamics governed by valley nesting structure

River corridors exhibit landforms nested within landforms repeatedly down spatial scales. In Pasternack et al. ( 2018 ), a new, scale‐independent, hierarchical river classification was developed that uses five landform types to map the domains of a single fluvial process – flow convergence routing – at each of three–five spatial scales. Given those methods, this study investigated the details of how flow convergence routing organizes nested landform sequences. The method involved analyzing landform abundance, sequencing, and hierarchical nesting along the 35 km gravel/cobble lower Yuba River in California. Independent testing of flow convergence routing found that hydraulic patterns at every flow matched the essential predictions from classification, substantiating the process–morphology link. River width and bed elevation sequences exhibit large, nonrandom, and linked oscillations structured to preferentially yield wide bars and constricted pools at base flow and bankfull flow. At a flow of 8.44 times bankfull, there is still an abundance of wide bar and constricted pool landforms, but larger topographic drivers also yield an abundance of nozzle and oversized landforms. The nested structure of flow convergence routing landforms reveals that base flow and bankfull landforms are nested together within specific floodprone valley landform types, and these landform types control channel morphodynamics during moderate to large floods. As a result, this study calls into question the prevailing theory that the bankfull channel of a gravel/cobble river is controlled by in‐channel, bankfull, and/or small flood flows. Such flows may initiate sediment transport, but they are too small to control landform organization in a gravel/cobble river with topographic complexity. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

祁连山大通河河流阶地形成时代及地质意义

祁连山是研究青藏高原隆升与构造变形的关键部位,其中大通河河流阶地是祁连山地区早更新世以来构造隆升和气候变化的载体,厘定大通河河流阶地的形成时代及地质意义对于分析祁连山地区的区域构造和气候环境改变具有重要意义。通过ESR测年技术,并对大通河流域江仓区域的剖面样品实测,获取岩层形成时代数据,分别为(42±4) ka B.P.、(71±5) ka B.P.、(121±12) ka B.P.、(210±20) ka B.P.和(602±60) ka B.P.。根据测年结果,确认剖面为河流相沉积环境,形成时代对应中晚更新世酒泉砾岩和戈壁砾岩时期,表明大通河河流阶地在542~662 ka B.P.之前就已经形成,推测其可能是受到中新世白杨河组之后的盆山运动或早更新世祁连山的褶皱变形影响而形成的。利用测年数据计算抬升速率,从中更新世晚期到晚更新世中期,抬升速率加快,反映了大通河流域的构造运动和气候变化加强,祁连山江仓地区在此期间快速隆升,为青藏高原东北缘以面积和体积扩张的观点提供了新的依据。     

Grain size along two gravel-bed rivers: statistical variation,spatial pattern and sedimentary links

A new set of field data facilitates a detailed analysis of variations in bed material grain size within two confluent gravel-bed rivers in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. A preliminary assessment of grain-size variability establishes a basis for examination of the spatial pattern of grain-size change. Standard ANOVA techniques are inappropriate because individual samples have unequal variances and are not normally distributed. Alternative tests for homoscedasticity and comparison of means are therefore utilized. Within-site, between-sample variability is not significant. The grain-size distributions that were obtained at individual sites are therefore representative of the depositional environments that were sampled. In both rivers mean grain size does vary significantly between sites and there is therefore a basis for examining the data for spatial patterns such as downstream fining. Textural variations along the two rivers studied here are complex and show negligible overall fining (in over 100 km). This is the consequence of a large number of tributary inputs and non-alluvial sediment sources which are the legacy of Late Pleistocene glaciation. The identification of lateral sources like these is fundamental for understanding textural changes within rivers. The sedimentary link (a channel reach between significant lateral sediment inputs) provides a means of isolating fluvial maturation processes (abrasion and sorting) from contingent lateral inputs. Strong fining trends are apparent in most links and classification of grain-size measurements according to their location within particular links greatly improves the statistical explanation of textural variation. Identification of sedimentary links provides a means of applying models of fluvial fining processes, so isolation of link networks will aid the development of basin-scale models of textural variation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bed material transport estimated from the virtual velocity of sediment

This study evaluates the possibility of determining bed material transport using the virtual rate of travel of individual particles, dimensions of the active layer of the streambed, and porosity and density of streambed material. Magnetically tagged stones and scour indicators were employed in Carnation Creek, British Columbia, to quantify transport rates. Observations cover flows up to 36 m³ s⁻¹ (τ* = 0·081). Transport rates, ranging from 0·090 to 9·7 kg s⁻¹ (0·12–13·2 m³ h⁻¹), display a relatively sensitive trend with maximum stream power, as expected. Error analysis indicates that uncertainty in virtual velocity covers the majority of sample variance. An evaluation of the two measurement techniques used to delineate active layer dimensions, magnetically tagged stones and scour indicators, indicates that they yield comparable depths, widths and transport rates over the range of flows observed. Issues for further study are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Terraces Development and Their Implications for Valley Evolution of the Jinsha River Since Late Pleistocene near Longjie,Yunnan

The drainage evolution and valley development of the Jinsha River is an important issue constantly concerned by researchers in geology and geomorphology. Despite hundreds of years of research, there is a big dispute on the formation time and the evolution process of the fluvial valley. Fluvial terraces are very important geomorphic markers for studying the formation and evolution of the fluvial valley. Through field investigation combined with Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating, we confirmed that 5 fluvial terraces were formed, and then preserved, along the course of the Jinsha River near the Longjie, which are all strath terraces. Among them, T5 developed on the base rock, with an age of (78±12) ka; all T4~T1 developed on the lacustrine sediments, named Longjie Group by Chinese, with an age of (29±1.4) ka, (26±2.4) ka, (23±1.4) ka, (18±1.7) ka, respectively. Compared with the global and regional climate change history, the terraces are all the result of the river responding to the climate change. T5 formed at MIS 5/4, and T4~T1 formed at the period of regional climate fluctuation. The relationship of terraces and the Longjie Formation, combined with sedimentary characteristics analysis demonstrate that the Longjie Formation is landslide dammed lake sediment. The landslide and blocking events.seriously influenced the valley evolution, inhibiting the river incising, and making the valley evolution defer to the mode of “cut-landside-damming-fill-cut” in the period of Late Pleistocene. Synthesized studies of the terraces and the correlative sediments indicate that the formation of the Jinsha River valley may have begun in the late Early Pleistocene.