Differences in trace metal concentrations among fluvial morphologic units and implications for sampling

 This study examines the segregation of trace metals within and between fluvial morphologic units in sand-sized and finer bed sediments in a cobble bed stream. The types of fluvial morphologic units sampled are low gradient riffles, high gradient riffles, glides, eddy drop zones, lateral scour pools, attached bars, and detached bars. Three to nine samples were collected from ten of each type of morphologic unit. All 12 metals show significantly different concentrations between some morphologic units in sediments smaller than 2 mm. Eddy drop zones and attached bars consistently have the highest metal concentrations, while low gradient riffles, high gradient riffles, and glides typically have the lowest concentrations. Metals showing the greatest between-unit variability are Al, Cr, Fe, Cu, and Ti, followed by Co, Mn, and Pb, while Mg, Mn, V, and Zn display relatively few differences between units. Lateral and longitudinal variations of metals within units are not significant, and there was no consistent, predictable variation in metal concentrations with distance downstream. Results indicate that metal studies in other gravel- and cobble-bed streams should include a reconnaissance survey to determine variations between morphologic units, stratify sampling by morphologic unit, and analyze spatial autocorrelation to determine sample spacing. Received: October 1997 · Accepted: 23 March 1998     

Sediment transport for desert watersheds in erodible materials

Sediment transport for five small watersheds in arid southern Israel, eroded into shales, chalks, anhydrites and alluvium is studied. Analysis includes data from three large watersheds in the southern United States. Results indicate that floodwater heavily laden with suspended load (10-60 per cent, by weight) is characteristic of watersheds cut in erodible materials. No correlation was found between environmental characteristics such as lithology, catchment area, angle of slope or rainfall intensity and suspended-sediment concentration or texture. The carrying capacity for sands, derived both from hillslopes and channel alluvium is greatly increased by high suspended silt concentration, the trend being (where R = ratio, % fines/% sand; C_s = suspended load concentration, per cent by weight). The high concentration of fine sediment effectively causes more sand transport than would normally occur. This is also true for transport of coarser clastics; higher velocities, typical of highly concentrated silt suspensions, increased competence for transporting pebbles and boulders. The action of a large variety of processes (splash, wash, rilling, gullying, sliding, mudflow) combine with low infiltration and high credibility to render every rainstorm erosionally effective, and high concentrations of washload increase both the capacity and competence of coarse clastic transport. Whole basins are thus subjected to high rates of denudation (2-10 mm/yr).     

Sediment transport patterns at Trafalgar offshore windfarm

A simple analytical model of wave propagation has been developed in order to study the potential sediment transport patterns due to the action of currents and waves in the neighborhood of cylindrical structures as well inside a group of these structures. The attention is focused on the study of Trafalgar offshore windfarm, a case in which it has been necessary to analyze the flow trough porous structures in order to model fish growing-cages planned to be installed at each aerogenerator structure. The results are obtained by averaging over one period of wave in order to evaluate the net potential sediment transport. The analysis of the results reveals how the processes of wave diffraction and reflection give rise to periodic patterns of sediment transport around and between the structures.     

Two-dimensional,two-phase granular sediment transport model with applications to scouring downstream of an apron

We present a two-dimensional, two-phase model for non-cohesive sediment transport. This model solves concentration-weighted averaged equations of motion for both fluid and sediment phases. The model accounts for the interphase momentum transfer by considering drag forces. A collisional theory is used to compute the sediment stresses, while a two-equation (k–ε) fluid turbulence closure is implemented. A benchmark sediment transport problem concerning the scouring downstream of an apron is carried out as an example and numerical results agree with existing experimental data.     

Effects of rainfall patterns on runoff and rainfall-induced erosion

Rainfall-induced erosion involves the detachment of soil particles by raindrop impact and their transport by the combined action of the shallow surface runoff and raindrop impact.Although temporal variation in rainfall intensity(pattern)during natural rainstorms is a common phenomenon,the available information is inadequate to understand its effects on runoff and rainfall-induced erosion processes.To address this issue,four simulated rainfall patterns(constant,increasing,decreasing,and increasing-decreasing)with the same total kinetic energy were designed.Two soil types(sandy and sandy loam)were subjected to simulated rainfall using 15 cm×30 cm long detachment trays under infiltration conditions.For each simulation,runoff and sediment concentration were sampled at regular intervals.No obvious difference was observed in runoff across the two soil types,but there were significant differences in soil losses among the different rainfall patterns and stages.For varying-intensity rainfall patterns,the dominant sediment transport mechanism was not only influenced by raindrop detachment but also was affected by raindrop-induced shallow flow transport.Moreover,the efficiency of equations that predict the interrill erosion rate increased when the integrated raindrop impact and surface runoff rate were applied.Although the processes of interrill erosion are complex,the findings in this study may provide useful insight for developing models that predict the effects of rainfall pattern on runoff and erosion.     

A comparison of the early diagenetic environment in intertidal sands and muds of the Manukau Harbour,New Zealand

The early diagenetic environment of intertidal sandy sediments (sands) and muddy sediments (muds) is described and compared from two cores taken from an unpolluted part of the Manukau Harbour, New Zealand. Extraction techniques characterized the form of the trace elements (Fe, Mn, S, C, Pb, Zn, Cu) at different depths in the sediment. Dissolved forms of Fe, Mn, and S were measured in interstitial water. Nonresidual metal concentrations, humic acid, FeS, and FeS₂ are an order of magnitude higher in the muds than in the sands because of dilution by unreactive sand particles. Muds contain a larger proportion of metals in the mobile fractions; exchangeable (Mn), carbonate (Mn, Fe, Zn), and easily-reducible oxide (Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb). This is due to greater surface area (for Mn adsorption); the favorable conditions for MnCO₃, FeCO₃, and FeS precipitation; and higher concentrations of easily reducible iron oxide and humic acid. Therefore, compared to the sands, muds are more important as reservoirs for toxic metals, both in terms of quantity and availability. At either site there was very little difference between the forms of Zn, Pb or Cu identified by sequential extraction as sediments changed from oxic to anoxic conditions. One reason for this is that the amounts and proportions of some of the important components that bind metals, viz., amorphous iron hydrous oxides, humic acids, and FeS₂, do not change much. Other components that do change with redox conditions, for example, manganese phases and FeS, are only minor components of the sediment. Redox conditions, then, have relatively little effect on trace-metal partitioning in the sediment matrix of these unpolluted sediments.     

Discharge and suspended sediment flux estimated along the mainstream of the Amazon and the Madeira Rivers (from in situ and MODIS Satellite Data)

Water and suspended sediment fluxes are considered during the period 2000–2008 in a region including the full Amazon River from the confluence of the Negro River to Santarém, the end part of the Solimões River, and the lower part of the Madeira River. Three types of data are used: water discharge estimated from field measurements, and suspended sediment obtained from field measurements and derived from MODIS satellite data. A generalized least square method including a propagating term is developed in order to propagate the signal upward and downward the river. The approach is introduced and tested. Several experiments are considered in order, first, to estimate the ability to propagate the signal from stations located before the confluences of Negro and Madeira Rivers to stations located on the Amazon River; second to investigate the possibility to propagate the signal along the Amazon River which dynamics is coupled with floodplains dynamics; and third to produce optimal solutions of water and sediment fluxes. For each experiment, the influence of field and satellite data is compared. The approach is efficient in the upper part of the region of study where the Solimões, the Negro and the Madeira Rivers meet and fails in the lower part of the region where interactions between Amazon River and floodplains play an important role on the fluxes’ dynamics. The optimal experiment includes in situ and satellite data from all the stations available and is used to analyse the recent evolution of suspended sediment flux along the Amazon River and its interaction with the large coupled floodplains. A high accumulation rate is observed during the 2000–2002 period, followed by decreasing rates until 2005 and by increasing values in 2006 and 2007. Our results suggest that floodplains extending along a river reach of 390 km-long between Itacoatiara and Óbidos trap about 15% of the suspended sediment flux passing at Óbidos. The simulated deposition rate is of about 0.3 Mt km⁻¹ yr⁻¹ corresponding to an accretion rate of about 27 mm yr⁻¹.     

Sedimentary Phosphorus Form Distribution and Cycling in the Littoral Subzones of a Eutrophic Lake

Algae which bloom in open water and accumulate in the littoral zones may affect the biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus in eutrophic lakes. To determine such effects, a part of the lakeshore with little allochthonous nutrient input in Taihu Lake, China was selected for this field study. Distinct differences in sedimentary P forms were found among the different littoral subzones. The surface sedimentary total phosphorus (TP) content was 655 mg/kg in the eulittoral subzone and 631 to 641 mg/kg in the infralittoral subzone. Both were much higher than that in the profundal zone (410 mg/kg). Calcium‐bound P (Ca‐P) was significantly correlated to exchangeable P (Ex‐P), and they both had the highest contents in the infralittoral subzone and the lowest in the profundal zone. The aluminum‐ and iron‐bound P (Al‐P, Fe‐P) contents decreased from land to water along the ecotone section. Lower Fe/P ratios and higher Al‐P/Fe‐P ratios appeared in the infralittoral subzone, as compared with the profundal zone. This suggested that the accumulated algae could lead to a great deposit of P in the littoral zones. However, the active sedimentary P form transformation in the littoral zones would also result in a partial release of the accumulated P to the overlying water.     

A STUDY ON THE FLOOD STORAGE CAPACITY IN DONGTING LAKE

1 INTRODUCTION Dongting Lake lies south of the middle reach of the Yangtze River in Hunan and Hubei provinces (Fig. 1). On the north side of Dongting Lake, there are the three diversion openings of the Yangtze River named Songzi, Taiping, and Ouchi, and, on the south and west sides, there are the four tributary streams named Xiang, Zi, Yuan, and Li Rivers. The flow of the three diversion openings and the four tributary streams runs into Dongting Lake, and runs out at Chenglingji a…