Effects of short flexible seagrass Zostera noltei on flow,erosion and deposition processes determined using flume experiments

Innovative flume experiments were conducted in a recirculating straight flume. Zostera noltei meadows were sampled in their natural bed sediments in the field at contrasting stages of their seasonal growth. The aims of this study were: (i) to quantify the combined effects of leaf flexibility and development characteristics of Zostera noltei canopies on their interaction with hydrodynamics; and (ii) to quantify the role of Zostera noltei meadows in suspended sediment trapping and bed sediment resuspension related with changes in hydrodynamic forcing caused by the seasonal development of seagrasses. Velocity within the canopy was significantly damped. The attenuation in velocity ranged from 34 to 87% compared with bare sediments and was associated with a density threshold resulting from the flow‐induced canopy reconfiguration. The reduction in flow was higher in dense canopies at higher velocities than in less dense canopies, in which the reduction in flow was greater at low velocities. These contrasted results can be explained by competition between a rough‐wall boundary layer caused by the bed and a shear layer caused by the canopy. The velocity attenuation was associated with a two to three‐fold increase in bottom shear stress compared with unvegetated sediment. Despite the increase in near‐bed turbulence, protection of the sediment against erosion increased under a fully developed meadow, while sediment properties were found to be the main factor controlling erosion in a less developed meadow. Deposition fluxes were higher on the vegetated bed than on bare sediments, and these fluxes increased with leaf density. Fewer freshly deposited sediments were resuspended in vegetated beds, resulting in an increase in net sediment deposition with meadow growth. However, in the case of a very high leaf area index, sediment was mostly deposited on leaves, which facilitated subsequent resuspension and resulted in less efficient sediment trapping than in the less developed meadow.     

长江口北支悬沙浓度在潮周期内和大小潮周期尺度的变化特征及输运研究

Profiles of tidal current and suspended sediment concentration(SSC) were measured in the North Branch of the Changjiang Estuary from neap tide to spring tide in April 2010. The measurement data were analyzed to determine the characteristics of intratidal and neap-spring variations of SSC and suspended sediment transport. Modulated by tidal range and current speed, the tidal mean SSC increased from 0.5 kg/m3 in neap tide to 3.5 kg/m3 in spring tide. The intratidal variation of the depth-mean SSC can be summarized into three types: V-shape variation in neap tide, M-shape and mixed M-V shape variation in medium and spring tides. The occurrence of these variation types is controlled by the relative intensity and interaction of resuspension, settling and impact of water exchange from the rise and fall of tide. In neap tide the V-shape variation is mainly due to the dominant effect of the water exchange from the rise and fall of tide. During medium and spring tides, resuspension and settling processes become dominant. The interactions of these processes, together with the sustained high ebb current and shorter duration of low-tide slack, are responsible for the M-shape and M-V shape SSC variation. Weakly consolidated mud and high current speed cause significant resuspension and remarkable flood and ebb SSC peaks. Settling occurs at the slack water periods to cause SSC troughs and formation of a thin fluff layer on the bed. Fluxes of water and suspended sediment averaged over the neap-spring cycle are all seawards, but the magnitude and direction of tidal net sediment flux is highly variable.     

Enzyme activities in the Delaware Estuary affected by elevated suspended sediment load

Extracellular enzyme activities were compared among surface water, bottom water, and sediments of the Delaware Estuary using six fluorescently labeled, structurally distinct polysaccharides to determine the effects of suspended sediment transport on water column hydrolytic activities. Potential hydrolysis rates in surface waters were also measured for the nearby shelf. Samples were taken in December 2006, 6 months after a major flood event in the Delaware Basin that was followed by high freshwater run-off throughout the fall of 2006. All substrates were hydrolyzed in sediments and in the water column, including two (pullulan and fucoidan) that previously were not hydrolyzed in surface waters of the Delaware estuary. At the time of sampling, total particulate matter (TPM) in surface waters at the lower bay, bay mouth, and shelf ranged between 31 mg l⁻¹ and 48 mg l⁻¹ and were 2 to 20 times higher than previously reported. The presence of easily resuspended sediments at the lower bay and bay mouth indicated enhanced suspended sediment transport in the estuary prior to our sampling. Bottom water hydrolysis rates at the two sites affected by sediment resuspension were generally higher than those in surface waters from the same site. Most notably, fucoidan and pullulan hydrolysis rates in bay mouth bottom waters were 22.6 and 6.2 nM monomer h⁻¹, respectively, and thus three and five times higher than surface water rates. Our data suggest that enhanced mixing processes between the sediment and the overlying water broadened the spectrum of water column hydrolases activity, improving the efficiency of enzymatic degradation of high molecular weight organic matter in the water with consequences for organic matter cycling in the Delaware estuary.     

杭州湾北部潮流深槽区细颗粒物质输运与再悬浮过程

于2005年5月大潮期间在杭州湾北部潮流深槽区的4个站位进行潮周期观测,获得了流速、悬沙等数据,并对其进行了分析,计算了水沙通量和再悬浮通量。分析结果表明,该深槽区涨潮流速大于落潮流速,涨潮历时小于落潮历时,潮差自湾口向湾内方向增大;悬沙的组分以粉砂为主,分选较差,偏态以负偏为主,这些特征与底质一致;深槽中部和东部的悬沙沿岸线向湾内方向输运;深槽西部和东部外侧的悬沙输运方向与余流方向一致,分别向湾内和南部输运;除转流和流速加速初期外,垂线流速分布符合Kûrmûn-Prandtl模型,摩阻流速与垂线平均流速变化趋势一致。计算得到的表观粗糙长度在涨落潮时段的水流加速或减速阶段都呈增大趋势,且数值较大,这难以把它简单地归结为床面形态的作用,表观粗糙长度的变化趋势可能是高悬沙浓度和浓度成层性共同作用的结果,但对这一假说的验证还有待于进一步的现场观测和机制分析。计算所得的再悬浮发生的周期性与实测悬沙浓度的周期性相符,而且最大悬沙浓度的出现滞后于最大再悬浮通量,说明再悬浮作用对水层中悬沙浓度的变化具有重要影响。     

长江口崇明东滩水域悬沙粒径组成和再悬浮作用特征

根据2006年10月在崇明东滩潮间带和潮下带两个站位的大小潮水文泥沙观测资料和悬沙水样的室内粒度分析资料,对悬沙粒径的时空分布特征及其与流速等的关系进行了分析,并对再悬浮特点进行了探讨,结果表明,大小潮期间的悬沙颗粒组成较细,平均粒径的均值仅为6μm;大潮时的悬沙粒径略粗于小潮的,潮间带的略粗于潮下带的;由底床向上悬沙粒径趋于减小。悬沙粒径与流速、悬沙含量无明显的统计学关系,底质粒径、再悬浮强度和再悬浮泥沙粒径的空间变化以及浮泥的悬浮作用等是主要的影响因素。由于底质粒径的空间分布复杂,在东滩水域再悬浮具有明显的空间变化。在底质平均粒径大于60μm的粗颗粒沉积区,大小潮的再悬浮作用微小,底质以推移质运动为主。在底质平均粒径介于5~11μm的细颗粒沉积区上,悬沙级配与底质级配基本相同,该区域是再悬浮的主要发生源地;悬沙级配的变化过程揭示,再悬浮对底层悬沙的贡献率平均为8%~20%,大潮时的再悬浮强度是小潮的5~10倍,由底质再悬浮产生的悬沙在底部水层中的平均含量约为0.03~0.47 kg/m3。     

The release behavior of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in sediment during disturbance

Sediments and surface water were sampled in a tide flat in the Huiquan Bay, Qingdao, China in January 2004 to simulate the exchange of NH4-N/NO3-N/PO4^3- between sediments and surface water. A working system was designed with which samples were shaken at 60, 120 and 150 revolutions per minute （r/min）. Experiment results show that NH4-N concentration in water at shaking rate of 60 r/min decreased gradually, while at 120 r/min increased gradually. In resuspension, fine-grained sediments contributed most NH4-N to the seawater, followed by medium-grained and coarse-grained sediments. The NO3-N concentration in water had a negative relation with the shaking rate; the medium-grained sediments contributed more NO3-N to seawater than the coarse- and fine-grained sediments. The PO4^3- concentration is positively related with the shaking rate, the fine-grained sediments were the main N and P contributor to the seawater, followed by medium- and coarse-grained sediments.     

Wind-induced hydrodynamic changes impact on sediment resuspension for large,shallow Lake Taihu,China

The internal sediment release is a key factor controlling eutrophication processes in large,shallow lakes.Sediment resuspension is associated with the wave and current induced shear stress in large,shallow lakes.The current study investigated the wind field impacts on sediment resuspension from the bottom at Meiliang Bay of large,shallow Lake Taihu.The impacts of the wind field on the wave,current,and wave-current combined shear stresses were calculated.The critical wind speed range was 4–6 m/s after which wave and current shear stress started to increase abruptly,and onshore wind directions were found to be mainly responsible for greater shear stress at the bottom of Lake Taihu.A second order polynomial fitting correlation was found between wave(R^2 0.4756)and current(R^2 0.4466)shear stresses with wind speed.Wave shear stress accounted for 92.5% of the total shear stress at Meiliang Bay.The critical wave shear stress and critical total shear stress were 0.13 N/m^2 for sediment resuspension whereas the current shear stress was 0.019 N/m^2 after which suspended sediment concentrations(SSC)increased abruptly.A second order polynomial fitting correlation was found between wave(R^2 0.739),current(R^2 0.6264),and total shear stress(R^2 0.7394)with SSC concentrations at Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu.The sediment resuspension rate was 120 to 738 g/m^2/d during 4–6 m/s onshore winds while offshore winds contributed ≥ 200 g/m^2/d.The study results reveal the driving mechanism for understanding the role of the wind field in sediment resuspension while considering wind speed and direction as control parameters to define wave and current shear stresses.     

近70年来太湖水体磷浓度变化特征及未来控制策略

分析湖泊中磷浓度的变化特征,揭示其变化的驱动机制,是有效实施湖泊水体磷浓度控制的前提.本文整理分析了太湖70年来(1949 2020年)水体磷浓度监测历史资料,对比了太湖不同湖区、不同时间尺度水体磷浓度的差异性及波动性,发现影响太湖磷浓度变化的原因既有人为的因素,也有自然的因素.无论是污染较轻的1950年,还是污染负荷相对较重的近30年,太湖水体磷浓度一直存在较大时空差异性.暴雨引发入湖河流携带磷污染的扩散、风浪扰动引起的内源释放及蓝藻水华期间藻类生物量的大幅时空变化,都加剧了太湖水体磷浓度的不稳定性.近20年的太湖水污染治理对磷浓度的时空分布影响明显,1998年的太湖水污染治理"零点行动",2007年以来的水利调度等系列水污染治理工程,以及2017年以来的藻情变化等,都对太湖水体磷浓度的时空格局产生了影响.然而,高强度治理投入下太湖水体磷浓度依然偏高,其原因与流域建设用地比例增加、人口增加、耕地种植结构变化等外源负荷因素发生变化有关,也与湖体沉水植被退化、出入流结构发生变化、气候变化引发的蓝藻水华扩张等内源强度及水体表观磷浓度决定因素的生态环境变化有关.近70年来太湖水体磷浓度的变化过程对类似大型浅水湖泊的磷控制策略具有启示意义:大型浅水湖泊存在磷浓度较大波动的自然属性,在水环境保护目标考核中应充分考虑其不确定性,制定切实可行的控制目标;在控制策略上应将外源负荷控制放在首位,在流域污水处理厂深度除磷及流域土地利用调整等方面采取措施,实现入湖磷负荷的大幅削减,同时实施湖体生态修复与食物链调控措施,才能逐步实现湖泊水体磷浓度的控制目标.     

长江口水下高分辨率微地貌及运动特征

在 1997年枯季和 1998年全流域特大洪水后期 ,用旁侧声纳、热敏式双频测深仪、差分GPS、2 4道浅地层剖面仪、声学悬沙浓度剖面仪、流速仪等对长江口区主航槽进行走航测量和定点探测 ,第一次获得了长江口大量细颗粒大尺度底形沙波三维实测图像、数据以及底形运动的连续时间序列可视图像和数据。对这些图像和数据的分析结果对河口动力沉积和动力地貌过程、河口地形演变、大比例尺水下地形测量、三维流场的数值模拟、港口航道的疏浚以及深水航道的稳定性研究等具有重要意义。     

半日潮流作用下悬移质泥沙的运动特征及其影响因素研究

本文通过建立一维水深平均悬沙模型,对典型潮流控制的水道内悬沙运动特征进行研究。模型以泥沙再悬浮、沉降和平流为主要物理过程,动力因素包含M₂、S₂分潮及余流,采用湄洲湾2007年8月潮位、潮流、悬沙、底质同步观测资料进行分析和验证。通过三角傅里叶分析,将悬沙的时间序列分解为12个主要的谐波分量,其中主要分量包括:M₂分潮作用下产生的具有M₂倍潮角速度的1/4日分潮项,M₂与S₂分潮共同作用下且角速度为两分潮角速度之和的1/4日分潮项,及水平悬沙梯度、余流与M₂分潮共同作用下具有M₂分潮角速度的半日潮项。悬沙在时间上的平均值受到余流、悬沙水平梯度、M₂分潮流及悬沙起动条件等因素控制。余流导致了悬沙序列中相邻周期之间的不对称性。反映泥沙特性的参量对悬沙的曲线特征具有重要影响,泥沙沉降速度影响悬沙的相位,并影响其振幅;再悬浮有关的参量仅影响各谐波分量的振幅,但不影响相位。