Utilizing sediment grain size characteristics to assess the effectiveness of clay–sand barriers in reducing aeolian erosion in Minqin desert area,China

The clay–sand barriers in Minqin desert area,China,represent a pioneering windbreak and sand fixation project with a venerable history of 60 a.However,studies on evaluating the long-term effectiveness of clay–sand barriers against aeolian erosion,particularly from the perspective of surface sediment grain size,are limited and thus insufficient to ascertain the protective impact of these barriers on regional aeolian activities.This study focused on the surface sediments(topsoil of 0–3 cm depth)of clay–sand barriers in Minqin desert area to explain their erosion resistance from the perspective of surface sediment grain size.In March 2023,six clay–sand barrier sampling plots with clay–sand barriers of different deployment durations(1,5,10,20,40,and 60 a)were selected as experimental plots,and one control sampling plot was set in an adjacent mobile sandy area without sand barriers.Surface sediment samples were collected from the topsoil of each sampling plot in the study area in April 2023 and sediment grain size characteristics were analyzed.Results indicated a predominance of fine and medium sands in the surface sediments of the study area.The deployment of clay–sand barriers cultivated a fine quality in grain size composition of the regional surface sediments,increasing the average contents of very fine sand,silt,and clay by 30.82%,417.38%,and 381.52%,respectively.This trend became markedly pronounced a decade after the deployment of clay–sand barriers.The effectiveness of clay–sand barriers in erosion resistance was manifested through reduced wind velocity,the interception of sand flow,and the promotion of fine surface sediment particles.Coarser particles such as medium,coarse,and very coarse sands predominantly accumulated on the external side of the barriers,while finer particles such as fine and very fine sands concentrated in the upwind(northwest)region of the barriers.By contrast,the contents of finest particles such as silt and clay were higher in the downwind(southeast)region of the sampling plots.For the study area,the deployment of clay–sand barriers remains one of the most cost-effective engineering solutions for aeolian erosion control,with sediment grain size parameters serving as quantitative indicators for the assessment of these barriers in combating desertification.The results of this study provide a theoretical foundation for the construction of windbreak and sand fixation systems and the optimization of artificial sand control projects in arid desert areas.

Partitioning of grain-size components of estuarine sediments and implications for sediment transport in southwestern Laizhou Bay, China

Sediment transport in estuarine systems has been of increasing interest for scientists during the past few decades. However, the mechanisms for sediment redistribution remain unclear. We characterized in detail sediment transport in the Xiaoqing River estuary using the mathematical Weibull function to partition grain-size components of surface sediments in the southwestern Laizhou Bay, Northeast China. Four partitioned components: finer than 4,4.6-12.5, 23.4-63.3, and 67.1-132.6 μm were interpreted in terms of hydrodynamic conditions. During sediment transport, silt grains were suspended and moved seaward from three depositional centers, whereas fine-grained sands moved generally landward. Overall, sediments are transported clockwise in a generally NNE direction near shore and then turn eastward offshore. The mathematical partitioning method showed a great potential for future estuarine environmental studies.

Effect of suspended sediment grain size on channel sedimentation in the lower Yellow River and some implications

Based on the data of suspended sediment transport and channel sedimentation in various grain size fractions in the period of 1962―1985, the relationship between channel sedimentation in the lower Yellow River and sediment input has been plotted with respect to each grain size fraction. Several fill-scour thresholds in sediment input have been identified from these graphs. It was found that the fill-scour threshold in sediment input decreases with the increase in fraction grain size. The correlation coefficient between channel sedimentation and sediment input becomes larger with the increasing fraction grain size, indicating that channel sedimentation depends more on coarser grain size fractions than on smaller ones. The fraction channel sedimentation induced by unit change of fraction sediment input increases with grain size. Of the input of sediment larger than 0.025 mm, 43.73% was deposited on the channel, and for inputs of sediments larger than 0.05 mm and larger than 0.10 mm, 76.61% and 97.68% were deposited on the channel, respectively. Thus, for reduction of each ton of sediment larger than 0.10 mm from the drainage basin, the resultant reduction in channel sedimentation in the lower Yellow River would be 1.275 times that for the sediment larger than 0.10 mm, and 2.234 times that for the sediment larger than 0.025 mm. Therefore, if the erosion and sediment control measures are enforced in the areas where >0.05 or >0.10 mm sediment is produced, then the best beneficial will be achieved in reducing sedimentation in the lower Yellow River.

Relationship model of sediment grain size and Tibetan Plateau uplift in middle-west parts of Qilian Mountain

By observing, measuring the fluvial sediment grain size of mid-western segment of the Qilianshan Range and studying the correlation between the grain size and uplift of the plateau, we model the correlation. These models are applied to the Laojunmiao section and the process curve of the uplift of the northern Tibetan Plateau against age from 8.35 Ma is illustrated here. The process curve shows that the northern Tibetan Plateau surface has uplifted from the mean altitude of 900-3700 m since 8.35 MaBP. From 8.35 to 3.1 MaBP, the Tibetan Plateau uplifted slowly, uplifted amplitude is small, the total range is 420 m. From 3.1 MaBP up to now, the Tibetan Plateau uplifted tempestuously, showing that the uplift accelerated obviously later. It uplifted totally 2400 m. About 0.9 Ma ago, the northern Tibetan Plateau surface had uplifted to over 3000 m a.s.l., showing that the Tibetan Plateau surface had reached the cryosphere; and the mountain peaks had uplifted to more than 4000 m altitude, suggesting that there was a glacier developed on the mountains.

Environmental records of lacustrine sediments in different time scales:Sediment grain size as an example

Sediment grain size is a conventional proxy of climatic changes. Larger sediment grain size is often interpreted to indicate dry climate during lower lake level while smaller sedi- ment grain size implies wet climate during higher lake level. Through detailed study on sediment grain sizes in Lake Erhai and Lake Chenghai, this paper reveals the different indication signifi- cances of sediment grain sizes in different time scales, different resolution investigations. For long time-scale and low resolution (102a or 103a) studies, larger sediment grain size indicates lower lake level, smaller lake area and drier climate while smaller sediment grain size indicates higher lake level, larger lake area and wetter climate. For short time-scale and high resolution (a or 10a) studies, larger sediment grain size reflects more rainfall and wetter climate while smaller sediment grain size reflects less rainfall and drier climate. Environmental information revealed by lacustrine sediment records is often different in different time scales because of the variance of sedimentation resolution, sampling resolution and dating precision. Therefore, paleoclimate im- plications of environmental proxies in long time-scale and low resolution investigations could not be mechanically applied to short time-scale and high resolution studies. Only after synthetically analyzing the influence manner and extent of all factors on the sediment records in different time scales, can credible conclusions be obtained.

Forms of phosphorus and silicon in the natural grain size surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea

The forms of phosphorus and silicon in the natural grain sizes surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea were studied. In sediments, the organic matter bound form of phosphorus was the main form of transferable phosphorus and ranged from 0.37 μmol/g to 1.57 μmol/g, accounting for 10.7% of the total phosphorus, others were the carbonate bound form, iron manganese oxide bound form and ion exchange able form; the transferable form of phosphorus accounted for 19.2% of the total phosphorus. Silicon’s carbonate bound form was predominant over others among its transferable forms, and content ranged from 1.55 μmol/g to 8.94 μmol/g, accounting for 0.05% of the total silicon; the total amount of transferable silicon forms accounted for only 0.12% of the total silicon. Therefore, 19.2% of the total phosphorus and 0.12% of the total silicon contained in the surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea could participate in the biogeochemical cycling.

The reverse sediment transport trend between abandoned Huanghe River(Yellow River) Delta and radial sand ridges along Jiangsu coastline of China——an evidence from grain size analysis

To reveal the sediment transporting mechanism between the abandoned Huanghe River （Yellow River） Delta and radial sand ridges, “End Member” Model and grain size trend analysis have been employed to separate the “dynamic populations” in the surficial sediment particle spectra and to determine the possible sediment transporting pathway. The results reveal four “dynamic subpopulations”（EM1 to EM4） and two reverse sediment transporting directions： a northward transport tend from the radial sand ridges to mud patch, and a southward transport trend in deep water area outside the mud patch. Combined with the published hydrodynamic information, the transporting mechanism of dynamic populations has been discussed, and the main conclusion is that the transporting of finer subpopulations EM1 and EM2 is controlled by the “anticlockwise residual current circulation” forming during tidal cycle, which favor a northward transporting trend and the forming of mud patch on the north of radial sand ridges, while the transporting of coarser EM3 is mainly controlled by wind driven drift in winter, which favors a southward transporting direction.

Sediment transport in the Luanhe River delta:grain size trend analysis

Sediment grain size in the deltaic environment of the Luanhe River(LR),Liaoning,China,contains sediment transport pathway information useful in elucidating the shoreline change and fluvialmarine interaction.In this study,we utilized numerical partitioning of the sedimentary components and geostatistical grain size trend analysis(GSTA)to define the sediment transport pattern in the Luanhe River delta(LRD)and interpolated the sediment transport pattern using content changes of end numbers(EM).EM1(the mean grain size 7.12Ф,fine silt),EM2(2.37Ф,fine sand),and EM3(1.27Ф,medium sand)components were identified by the numerical partitioning by GSTA.Kriging interpolation method was used to interpolate the parameters of the grain size for the regular grid,and the interpolation radius was 0.015 decimal degree.We chose 0.09 decimal degree as the characteristic distance for GSTA in the semivariogram model using the geostatistical method.The FB(-)case(finer,better sorted and more negatively skewed)was adopted in GSTA for its satisfaction in the Global Moran’s I test.The result of the GSTA shows that the sediments in the south barriers(SBs)were transported to the southwest of the study area.The sediments in the north,in the SE direction of sediment transport trend from the river mouth,indicated that the sediments in the north of the study area were transported from the LR to the northern beaches,and to the south and east of the study area.The sediment transport trend that simplified by GSTA as the FB(-)case was approved by the content changes of sedimentary components(i.e.EM1,EM2,and EM3).In addition,the turbulent jet diffusion pattern indicated that the coarse sediments(EM3)were delivered by LR during the flood season,and the EM2 and EM1 were from wave and tide,respectively.

Trend analysis of sediment grain size and sedimentary process in the central South Yellow Sea

With the method of trend analysis of sediment grain size, the sediment transport trend of the fine-grained sediments area in the central South Yellow Sea was studied. The results demonstrated that there is a sedimentation center around the point of 123.4° E, 35.1°N, and the sediments outside the center are transported to it. The patterns of sediment transportation and deposition in the Yellow Sea should be controlled by cyclonic circulation (including the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass) and cold water gyre. The study also showed that the method of trend analysis of sediment grain size has prospective utilization in the fine-grained sediment deposited area on large-scale continental shelf.

The Effect of Grain Size on the Viscosity and Yield Stress of Fine-Grained Sediments

In debris flow modelling,the viscosity and yield stress of fine-grained sediments should be determined in order to better characterize sediment flow.In particular,it is important to understand the effect of grain size on the rheology of fine-grained sediments associated with yielding.When looking at the relationship between shear stress and shear rate before yielding,a high-viscosity zone(called pseudoNewtonian viscosity) towards the apparent yield stress exists.After yielding,plastic viscosity(called Bingham viscosity) governs the flow.To examine the effect of grain size on the rheological characteristics of fine-grained sediments,clay-rich materials(from the Adriatic Sea,Italy; Cambridge Fjord,Canada; and the Mediterranean Sea,Spain),silt-rich debris flow materials(from La Valette,France) and silt-rich materials(iron tailings from Canada) were compared.Rheological characteristics were examined using a modified Bingham model.The materials examined,including the Canadian inorganic and sensitive clays,exhibit typical shear thinning behavior and strong thixotropy.In the relationships between the liquidity index and rheological values(viscosity and apparent yield stress),the effect of grain size on viscosity and yield stress is significant at a given liquidity index.The viscosity and yield stress of debris flow materials are higher than those of low-activity clays at the same liquid state.However the viscosity and yield stress of the tailings,which are mainly composed of silt-sized particles,are slightly lower than those of low-activity clays.

Grain-size distribution characteristics of red sandy sediments in Dongjiang River valley,southern Nanling Mountains,during the MIS2 stage

Layer LJ3 of Linjiang stratigraphic section in Dongjiang River valley in the south of the Nanling Mountains is a set of red sandy sediments.Measured by thermoluminescence(TL) dating,it was found to be formed in MIS2-9,500 ± 800 yr to 19,600 ± 1,800 yr B.P.After analy-sis of the grain sizes of the 16 samples(LJ3-100 to LJ3-85) in this layer,it was discovered that(1) The contents of each grain group in dif-ferent samples are similar.(2) The values of Md,Mz,,Sk,and Kg vary from LJ3-100 to LJ3-85 in a narrow range.(3) The segments of each sample in the accumulative curves extend parallel with similar slopes.All the three aspects reveal the Aeolian characteristics of Layer LJ3.Therefore,it is thought that Layer LJ3 consists of red sandy sediments formed in MIS2 in the south of Nanling Mountain,which reflects the arid climate at that time.

Grain-size distribution patterns of suspended sediment in response to hydrodynamics on the Dafeng intertidal flat, Jiangsu, China

Patterns of grain-size distributions of suspended sediment in relation to resuspension, settling, and tidal processes are investigated, based on in situ measurements over the Dafeng intertidal flat, on the Jiangsu coast, in the summer of 2002 and 2003. The suspended sediment here is dominated by fine and very fine silt, with a mean grain-size of 7 - 13 μm. The patterns of the grainsize distributions of suspended sediment during a tidal cycle are characterized by two types： one stable type representing insignificant spatial and temperal variations; and the other bimedal type with significant variations. The main factors influencing the grainsize distributions include resnspension, settling, suspended sediment imported into intertidal flats during the flood phase, and the grain-size distribution of seabed sediment. Resuspension increases the coarse particle content, enhances the mean grain-size of suspended sediment, and results in grain-size distributions for the suspended sediment similar to those of seabed sediment; the settling process has opposite effects on the suspended sediment. When resuspension occurs, the gain-size distributions of suspended sediment in the lower part of water column respond significantly to the current velocity. Where the influence of resuspension and settling processes is weak, the grain-size distributions of suspended sediment appear to be stable and almost identical for the various parts of intertidal flats during different measurement periods. Such distributions are referred to the background grain-size distribution, for which the mean grain-size over the Dafeng intertidal flat is around 7 μm.

Distributional characteristics of grain sizes of surface sediments in the Zhujiang River Estuary

Distributions of the parameters of sedimentary grain sizes and their correlations were studied to trace the sources of silts and their movement trends in the Zhujiang River Estuary based on the analyses of grain sizes from more than 1080 sedimentary samples. The distributions of the median diameter, public value, quartile deviation, and skewness of sediments were complex in the Zhuiiang River Estuary mainly because of the impact of the matter source regions, distances from the source regions, and hydrodynamic conditions, such as waves, tidal currents, and coastal currents. Analyses of the parameters of the grain sizes for the various types of sediments showed that the distributions of the surface sediments in the Zhujiang River Estuary were controlled by many factors. Their matter sources were mainly the sediments discharged from the runoffs and ebb tidal currents, and from the open sea. The sediments mainly moved by suspension movement. The silts formed a large area of sediments with suspended fine silts in the Zhujiang River Estuary by internal adjustment transportation in the area, and moved toward the western coast of the Zhujiang River Estuary under the effect of Coriolis forces and coastal currents.

The application of geostatistics in grain size trend analysis： A case study of eastern Beibu Gulf

There are 71 surface sediment samples collected from the eastern Beibu Gulf. The moment parameters （i.e. mean size, sorting and skewness） were obtained after applying grain size analysis. The geostatistical analysis was then applied to study the spatial autocorrelation for these parameters; while range, a parameter in the semivariogram that meters the scale of spatial autocorrelation, was estimated. The results indicated that the range for sorting coefficient was physically meaningful. The trend vectors calculated from grain size trend analysis model were consistent with the annual ocean circulation patterns and sediment transport rates according to previous studies. Therefore the range derived from the semivariogram of mean size can be used as the characteristic distance in the grain size trend analysis, which may remove the bias caused by the traditional way of basing on experiences or testing methods to get the characteristic distance. Hence the results from geostatistical analysis can also offer useful information for the determination of sediment sampling density in the future field work.

Improvement and Application of Grain Size Distribution Characteristics Calculation of Bed Material

Grain size distribution of bed material is an important characteristic for studying evolution of natural river channel by means of experimental ways and numerical modeling of flow and sediment process.In this study,the fractal characteristic of sediment particle has been defined by means of fractal theory based on ana- lyzing the property of grain size distribution of bed material in the river channel.Furthennore,the fractal prop- erty of sediment particle has been applied to judge the process of armorin...

Grain Size Analysis of a Growing Sand Bar at Sonadia Island, Bangladesh

Sonadia is one of the most important islands of Bangladesh. South-eastern shore of the island, which is a growing sand bar, has to encounter continuous and rapid morphological changes. So study of the sediment characteristics of this Sand Bar is very important. In the present study, grain size analysis of this Sand Bar has been done on the basis of laboratory analysis. Sediment samples were collected from 9 (Nine) stations and texture analysis of sediment was completed following a standard procedure of sieve analysis of sand samples. The average value of median (MD), mean (M), standard deviation (s), skewness (SK) and kurtosis (K) of sediment of the Sand Bar of Sonadia Island was 1.93, 1.87, 0.44, 0.11 and 1.88 respectively. Highest median, mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis of Sand Bar of Sonadia Island was 2.98 (Station 2, Lower Shore), 2.68 (Station 1, Lower Shore), 0.83 (Station 1, Middle Shore and Station 2, Lower Shore), 0.65 (Station 2, Lower Shore) and 3.59 (Station 1, Lower Shore) respectively. Lowest median, mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis of Sand Bar of Sonadia Island was 1.42 (Station 9, Middle Shore), 1.45 (Station 9, Middle Shore), 0.30 (Station 5, Lower Shore and Station 8, Lower Shore), 0.04 (Station 5, Upper Shore) and 0.94 (Station 6, Upper Shore) respectively.

Incipient motion of sediment in presence of submerged flexible vegetation

The presence of submerged vegetation on river beds can change the water flow structure and alter the state of sediment motion. In this study, the incipient motion of sediment in the presence of submerged flexible vegetation in open channels was investigated in a laboratory experiment. The vegetation was simulated with flexible rubber cylinders arranged in parallel arrays. The effect of the vegetation density, water depth, and sediment grain size on the incipient motion was investigated. The experimental results indicate that the incipient motion velocity of sediment increases as the vegetation density decreases and the water depth and sediment grain size increase. With flexible plants, the incipient motion velocity of sediment is lower than it is without vegetation, and is larger than it is with rigid vegetation. A general incipient motion velocity equation was derived, which can be applied to both flexible and rigid vegetation conditions.

Classifying the sedimentary environments of the Xincun Lagoon,Hainan Island,by system cluster and principal component analyses

An understanding of the sedimentary environment in relation to its controlling factors is of great importance in coastal geomorphology,ecology,tourism and aquaculture studies.We attempt to deal with this issue,using a case study from the Xincun Lagoon,Hainan Island in southern China.For the study,surficial sediment samples were collected,together with hydrodynamic and bathymetric surveys,during August 2013.Numerical simulation was carried out to obtain high-spatial resolution tidal current data.The sediment samples were analyzed to derive mean grain size,sorting coefficient,skewness and kurtosis,together with the sand,silt and clay contents.The modern sedimentary environments were classified using system cluster and principal component analyses.Grain size analysis reveals that the sediments are characterized by extremely slightly sandy silty mud（ESSSM） and slightly silty sand（SSS）,which are distributed in the central lagoon and near-shore shallow water areas,respectively.Mean grain size varies from 0 to 8.0Ф,with an average of 4.6Ф.The silt content is the highest,i.e.,52% on average,with the average contents of sand and clay being 43% and 5%,respectively.There exists a significant correlation between mean size and water depth,suggesting that the surficial sediments become finer with increasing water depth.Cluster analyses reveals two groups of samples.The first group is characterized by mean grain size of more than 5.5Ф,whilst the second group has mean grain size of below 3.5Ф.Further,these groups also have different correlations between mean grain size and the other grain size parameters.In terms of the tidal current,the average values of the root mean square velocity（RMSV） are 7.5 cm/s and 6.9 cm/s on springs and neaps,respectively.For the RMSVs that are higher than 4 cm/s,a significant positive correlation is found between the content of the 63–125 μm fraction and the RMSV,suggesting that the RMSV determines the variability of the very fine sand fraction.Based on system cluster and principal component analyses（PCA）,the modern sedimentary environments are classified into three types according to the grain size parameters,RMSVs and water depth data.The results suggest the importance of grain size parameters and high-spatial resolution hydrodynamic data in differentiating the coastal sedimentary environments.

Inversion and Prediction of Consolidation Settlement Characteristics of the Fluvial Sediments Based on Void Ratio Variation in the Northern Modern Yellow River Subaqueous Delta, China

The modern Yellow River delta is formed near the estuary of the Yellow River with the characteristics of short formation time, efficient sedimentation rate and loose structure which make sediments prone to be compacted and consolidate under the geostatic stress and overburden stress. It is one of the key areas with land subsidence disasters in China, bringing a series of safety hazards to production and living. Based on the data of massive surface cores and ten drill holes ranging from 12 to 40 m obtained from the northern modern Yellow River subaqueous delta, the inversion method suitable for the calculation of consolidation settlement characteristics of the modern Yellow River subaqueous delta is discussed, and the consolidation settlement characteristics of the delta sediments are inversed and predicted in this paper. The actual void ratio of the delta sediments at the depth from 3 to 15 m shows a significant power function relationship with the depth, while the void ratio of the sediments below 15 m changes little with depth. The pre-consolidation settlement(from deposition to sampling) of the delta sediments is between 0.91 and 1.96 m, while the consolidation settlement of unit depth is between 9.6 and 14.0 cm m^(-1). The post-consolidation settlement(from sampling to stable) of the subaqueous delta sediments is between 0.65 and 1.56 m in the later stage, and the consolidation settlement of unit depth is between 7.6 and 13.1 cm m^(-1) under the overburden stress. The delta sediments with a buried depth of 3 to 7 m contribute the most to the possible consolidation settlement in the later stage.