Impact of seepage flow on sediment resuspension by internal solitary waves:parameterization and mechanism

Sediment incipient motion is the first step in sediment resuspension.Previous studies ignored the effect of seepage flow on the mobility of sediment particles and simplified the seabed surface as a rigid boundary.A flume experiment was designed to innovatively divide the seabed into two parts to control the dynamic response of the seabed and control the seepage conditions.In the experiment,the seabed sediments and the amplitude of internal solitary waves(ISWs)were changed to compare and analyze the impact of seepage flow on the sediment resuspension by shoaling ISWs.Moreover,parametric research and verification were carried out.Results indicate that seepage flow can greatly influence fine sand,promote sediment resuspension,and increase the amount of suspension by two times on average.However,seepage flow had a little effect on the suspension of clayey silt and sandy silt.Besides,seepage force was added to the traditional gravity,drag force,and uplift force,and the parameterization of threshold starting shear stress of coarse-grained sediments was developed.The results of this parameterization were verified,and seepage force was critical to parameterization.The threshold starting shear stress was reduced by 54.6%after increasing the seepage force.The physical mechanism of this process corresponded to the vertical reciprocating transient seepage in and out the seabed interface caused by the wave-induced transient excess pore water pressure.This quantitative study on seepage flow for shear stress of coarse-grained sediments induced by ISWs is critical to geohazard assessment.

Submarine Trenches and Wave-Wave Interactions Enhance the Sediment Resuspension Induced by Internal Solitary Waves

Internal solitary waves(ISWs)are nonlinear fluctuations in nature that could cause significant interactions between seawater and the seabed.ISWs have been proven to be an adequate cause of sediment resuspension in shallow and deep-sea environments.In the South China Sea,ISWs have the largest amplitude globally and directly interact with the seabed near the Dongsha slope in the northern South China Sea.We analyzed the water profile and high-resolution multibeam bathymetric data near the Dongsha slope and revealed that submarine trenches have a significant impact on the sediment resuspension by ISWs.Moreover,ISWs in the zone of the wave-wave interaction enhanced sediment mixing and resuspension.The concentration of the suspended particulate matter inside submarine trenches was significantly higher than that outside them.The concentration of the suspended particulate matter near the bottoms of trenches could be double that outside them and formed a vast bottom nepheloid layer.Trenches could increase the concentration of the suspended particulate matter in the entire water column,and a water column with a high concentration of the suspended particulate matter was formed above the trench.ISWs in the wave-wave interaction zone near Dongsha could induce twice the concentration of the bottom nepheloid layer than those in other areas.The sediment resuspension caused by ISWs is a widespread occurrence all around the world.The findings of this study can offer new insights into the influence of submarine trench and wave-wave interaction on sediment resuspension and help in geohazard assessment.

Phosphorus Bioavailability in a Phosphorus-Abundant System under Repeated Sediment Resuspension Conditions

Variation of bioavailable phosphorus(BAP) concentrations,i.e.,the sum of dissolved total phosphorus(DTP) and bioavailable particulate phosphorus(BAPP),was investigated in a phosphorus(P)-abundant system as influenced by repeated sediment resuspension.The overlying water and sediments in the studied system collected from a city canal,with the initial BAP concentration about 0.679 mg·L-1 in the overlying water.The sediments were disturbed with rotating blade once every day for 30 days in the experimental system.Concentrations of dissolved inorganic phosphorus(DIP),DTP,and total phosphorus(TP) in overlying water and algal available phosphorus(AAP),total phosphorus(Tot-P) in suspended particles were determined in diminishing frequency.It was found that the BAP decreased rapidly in the beginning few days in the sediment resuspension system,and then kept decreasing gradually at a low level,compared with the static conditions.This was mainly attributed to the sharp decrease of DIP.It is suggested that repeated sediment resuspension plays a significant role in phosphorus migration and converting it to more stable forms.

Fine Sediment Resuspension Dynamics in Moreton Bay

A comprehensive field study has been undertaken to investigate sediment resuspension dynamics in the Moreton Bay, a large semi-enclosed bay situated in South East Queensland, Australia. An instrumented tripod, which housed three current meters, three OBS sensors and one underwater video camera, was used to collect the field data on tides, currents, waves and suspended sediment concentrations at four sites （Sites 1, 2, 4, and 5） in the bay. Site 1 was located at the main entrance, Site 2 at the central bay in deep water, and Sites 4 and 5 at two small bays in shallow water. The bed sediment was fine sand （ d5o = 0.2 ram） at Site 1, and cohesive sediment at the other three sites. Based on the col- lected field data, it is found that the dominant driving forces for sediment resuspension are a combination of ocean swell and tidal currents at Site 1, tidal currents at Site 2, and wind-waves at Sites 4 and 5. The critical bed shear stress for cohesive sediment resuspension is determined as 0.079 Pa in unidirectional flow at Site 2, and 0. 076 Pa in wave-induced oscillatory flow at Site 5.

Two Kinds of Waves Causing the Resuspension of Deep-Sea Sediments:Excitation and Internal Solitary Waves

The resuspension of marine sediments plays a key role in the biogeochemical cycle and marine ecology system.Internal solitary waves are considered to be important driving forces of the resuspension of bottom sediments.In this paper,the movement of turbidity currents,the generation and the effects on the bottom bed of internal solitary waves and excitation waves are studied by flume tests and numerical simulations,and the sediment resuspension are analyzed.The results show that the excitation wave can lead to the resuspension of the bottom sediments under all the conditions,while the internal solitary wave can lead to the resuspension of the sediment only under some special conditions,such as high amplitude or large underwater slope.Under the experimental conditions,the change in the near-bottom velocity caused by the excitation wave is close to three times that of the internal solitary wave.

Temporal and spatial changes of suspended sediment concentration and resuspension in the Yangtze River estuary

A detailed analysis of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) variations over a year period is presented using the data from 8 stations in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent waters, together with a discussion of the hydrodynamic regimes of the estuary. Spatially, the SSC from Xuliujing downwards to Hangzhou Bay increases almost constantly, and the suspended sediment in the inner estuary shows higher concentration in summer than in winter, while in the outer estuary it shows higher concentration in winter than in summer, and the magnitude is greater in the outer estuary than in the inner estuary, greater in the Hangzhou Bay than in the Yangtze River estuary. The sediments discharged by the Yangtze River into the sea are resuspended by marine dynamics included tidal currents and wind waves. Temporally, the SSC shows a pronounced neap-spring tidal cycle and seasonal variations. Furthermore, through the analysis of dynamic mechanism, it is concluded that wave and tidal current are two predominant factors of sediment resuspension and control the distribution and changes of SSC, in which tidal currents control neap-spring tidal cycles, and wind waves control seasonal variations. The ratio between river discharge and marine dynamics controls spatial distribution of SSC.

Sediment Deposition and Resuspension in Mouth Bar Area of the Yangtze Estuary

A comprehensive analysis is conducted based on observations on topography, tidal current, salinity, suspended sediment and bed load during the years of 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989. 1996, and 1997 in the Yangtze Estuary. Results show that the deformation of tidal waves is distinct and the sand carrying capacity is large within the mouth bar due to strong tidal currents and large volume of incoming water and sediments. Owing to both temporal and spatial variation of tidal current, deposition and erosion ore extremely active. In general a change of up to 0.1 m of bottom sediments takes place during a tidal period. The maximum siltation and erosion are around 0.2 m in a spring to neap tides cycle. The riverbed is silted during flood when there is heavy sediment load, eroded during dry season when sediment lo:ld is low. The annual average depth of erosion anti siltation on the riverbed is around 0.6 m. In particular cases, it may increase to 1.4 m to 2.4 m at some locations.

Investigation of the impact of hydrodynamic conditions on sediment resuspension in shallow lakes

In this study,we sampled the original sediment columns from three points located in the eastern,central,and western areas of Chaohu Lake,and then investigated sediment resuspension under hydraulic disturbances in the laboratory. The results showed that when the hydraulic disturbance is weak and sediment surface shear stress is small (<0.02 N/m²),sediment surface layer moves alone. When the hydraulic disturbance is moderate and sediment surface shear stress is within a threshold (3.7 N/m²),only a small proportion of the surface sediments begins to move. However,when the hydraulic disturbance is further strengthened and sediment surface shear stress is larger than the threshold value,surface sediments move smoothly. By the experimental results,we found that the plankton layer is about 1 mm (1.56% of the maximum content of suspended matter (SSCmax)),which is the major contribution of individual sediment initiation. The new sediment layer is about 19–22 mm (20.9% of the SSCmax),which considerably affects sediment resuspension in shallow lakes. The consolidated layer is about 22 mm below the bed surface,which requires high shear stress and is hard to be transferred to the water column. The quantified experimental observation results are further verified with the theoretical results.

Empirical model for estimating vertical concentration profiles of re-suspended, sediment-associated contaminants

Vertical distribution processes of sediment contaminants in water were studied by flume experiments. Experimental results show that settling velocity of sediment particles and turbulence characteristics are the major hydrodynamic factors impacting distribution of pollutants, especially near the bottom where particle diameter is similar in size to vortex structure. Sediment distribution was uniform along the distance, while contaminant distribution slightly lagged behind the sediment. The smaller the initial sediment concentration was, the more time it took to achieve a uniform concentration distribution for suspended sediment. A contaminants transportation equation was established depending on mass conservation equations. Two mathematical estimation models of pollutant distribution in the overlying water considering adsorption and desorption were devised based on vertical distribution of suspended sediment: equilibrium partition model and dynamic micro-diffusion model. The ratio of time scale between the sediment movement and sorption can be used as the index of the models. When this ratio was large, the equilibrium assumption was reasonable, but when it was small, it might require dynamic micro-diffusion model.

Relative roles of resuspended particles and pore water in release of contaminants from sediment

Sediment layers containing contaminants play a significant role in environmental hydrodynamics. Experiments were conducted in order to characterize the relative roles of resuspended particles and pore water under different flow and sediment conditions. A conservative tracer （NaC1） and a reactive tracer （phosphate） were used as contaminants in the bottom sediment in a laboratory flume. The mixing between the overlying water and pore water occurred over a short time while the desorption of contaminants from fine-grained resuspended particles lasted a relatively long time. The effects of resuspended particles and pore water on the variations of release flux and concentration of contaminants in water with time under different hydrodynamic conditions were quantified. The results show that pore water dominated the initial release flux, which could be several orders of magnitude greater than the flux due to molecular diffusion. Flux contribution of desorption from sediment particles in the latter release could be equal to what was seen from pore water in the initial stage.

Turbidity maximum formation and its seasonal variations in the Zhujiang(Pearl River)Estuary,southern China

Real-time observations in the field and numerical simulations（with Delft3D） were combined to study the formation, distribution and the relevant influencing factors of turbidity maximum（TM） in the Zhujiang（Pearl River） Estuary（ZE）. The spatial distribution pattern of the TM varies with the longitudinal distributions of salinity and suspended sediment concentration（SSC）. The SSC is enhanced and the TM is intensified during dry seasons,whereas the center of the TM moves upstream by a distance of 10 km during wet seasons. The formation of the TM is influenced by a complex combination of numerous factors, including tides, river discharges and topography, wherein sediment resuspension and vertical circulation dominate the formations and variability of the TM.

Distribution of heavy metals in the water column,suspended particulate matters and the sediment under hydrodynamic conditions using an annular flume

Sediment resuspension plays an important role in the transport and fate of heavy metals in the aquatic environment. In the present study, the release and binding forms of Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb under hydrodynamic conditions were investigated using an annular flume. Two sediments located at YLZ and GBD from Liangshui River, Beijing were resuspended for 10 hr at 0.159 and 0.267 m/see, respectively. The concentrations of suspended particulate matters of YLZ were higher than those of GBD during resuspension, indicating that the former sediment is more sensitive to the velocity. Cr in the dissolved phase stayed nearly constant at about 2.25 and 1.84 I^g/L for YLZ and GBD, respectively, due to the high percentage of its stable binding fractions in both sediments, while Cu, Zn, and Pb showed a fast release in the initial period of time. However, their concentrations in SPM generally decreased with time and were higher at the lower velocity of 0.159 m/see, which resulted from the entrainment and depressing effect of larger size particles with lower heavy metal content, commonly referred to as the ＂particle concentration effect＂. In addition, the binding form and heavy metal fractions were also found to vary during the resuspension event. A decrease in the sulphide/organic matters bounded form in GBD sediment was observed, whereas no visible changes were perceived in YLZ site samples. This phenomenon is due to the oxidation of heavy metal-sulphide binding forms, which originated from its high acid volatile sulphide content in GBD sediment.

Effect of intermittent aeration mode on nitrogen concentration in the water column and sediment pore water of aquaculture ponds

Nitrogen in pond sediments is a major water quality concern and can impact the productivity of aquaculture.Dissolved oxygen is an important factor for improving water quality and boosting fish growth in aquaculture ponds,and plays an important role in the conversion of ammonium-nitrogen(NH4-N)to nitrite-nitrogen(NO2--N)and eventually nitrate-nitrogen(NO3--N).A central goal of the study was to identify the best aeration method and strategy for improving water quality in aquaculture ponds.We conducted an experiment with six tanks,each with a different aeration mode to simulate the behavior of aquaculture ponds.The results show that a 36 hr aeration interval(Tc=36 hr:36 hr)and no aeration resulted in high concentrations of NH4-N in the water column.Using a 12 hr interval time(Tc=12 hr:12 hr)resulted in higher NO2--N and NO3--N concentrations than any other aeration mode.Results from an 8 hr interval time(Tc=8 hr:8 hr)and 24 hr interval time(Tc=24 hr:24 hr)were comparable with those of continuous aeration,and had the benefit of being in use for only half of the time,consequently reducing energy consumption.

Hydrodynamic effects on contaminants release due to rususpension and diffusion from sediments

Hydrodynamic effects play a very important role in the contaminants release from sediments. Experiments were performed to study contaminants releasing characteristics due to resuspension. The time-dependent variation of COD concentration and relative roles under static and dynamic state of the overlying water were analyzed. Experimental results showed that COD concen- tration in the water column got a striking increment on the dynamic conditions, mainly by reducing the thickness of concentration boundary layer near sediment-water interface and destructing the surface structure of sediment. Hydrodynamics increased contamina- nts release rates and flux in unit time. Before reaching an equilibrium stage, the dynamic release caused by the resuspension was more effective than static one due to molecular diffusion. The release rate of COD increased with flow velocity and decreased with water depth. But at a shallow water depth, wave effects would dominate the causing resuspension, resulting in contaminants release in large quantity. The intensity of pollutant release increased with time in a rather circuitous process. The diffusion of pollutant from internal sediment to the sediment-water interface would maintain the endogenous release effects.

Impacts of ship movement on the sediment transport in shipping channel

The duration of ship-generated waves （wake waves） and accelerated currents can generate significant influences on the sediment transport. A 3-D numerical model is presented to estimate these effects. The hydrodynamic model is the 3-D Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes （RANS） equations including the standard k - ε model while the 3-D convection-diffusion model is for the resuspended sediment transport. This hydro-sedimentary model is firstly validated with the trench experimental results, and then applied to the open channel with a moving ship. The computed results demonstrate that the resuspension generation mainly depends on ship speeds, barge number, and the relative distance away from ship. The acceleration effects of ship on the sediment transport are analyzed as well.