Suspended sediment transport analysis in two Italian instrumented catchments

Suspended sediment transport in streams is an effective indicator of soil erosion at the watershed scale. This process was studied using the data obtained from two continuous monitoring stations installed in Italian watersheds, the Rio Cordon and Torrente CarapeUe. The catchments have substantially different climatic, morphological and land use characteristics. The Rio Cordon, a small Alpine watershed, has been monitored since 1986, while in the Torrente Carapelle, a medium-size Mediterranean watershed, the monitoring station has provided data since 2007. Several flood events with suspended sediment transport were isolated in the two catchments, excluding those determined by snowmelt in the Rio Cordon as this process does not affect the Carapelle watershed. Analysis of the events showed different behavior in terms of hysteresis loop trends between water discharge （m3 S-1） and suspended sediment concentration （g 1-1） values, as the Rio Cordon confirms clockwise relationships most frequently, while counter-clockwise trends represent the majority of cases for the Carapelle Torrent. The different behavior of the two watersheds was further analyzed by evaluating relationships between the main hydrological parameters related to suspended sediment transport. Runoff controls the total sediment budget in both catchments. In contrast, it was noted that the runoff process does not interfere in the magnitude of the suspended sediment transport in the Rio Cordon catchment, while variations due to the larger size of the catchment area characterize the events in the Carapelle watershed. Lastly, a flow peak threshold that determines the advance or delay of the hydrograph peak with respect to the sedigraph peak was established for the Carapelle Torrent, while it was not reported in the Rio Cordon.

Summery Intra-Tidal Variations of Suspended Sediment Transportation–Topographical Response and Dynamical Mechanism in the Aoshan Bay and Surrounding Area,Shandong Peninsula

As the second largest bay in Qingdao,the Aoshan Bay and its adjacent sea area play an important role in aquaculture development and urban land and sea coordination for the eastern gulf type of city in the Qingdao Blue Silicon Valley Core Area(QBSVCA).Based on in-situ sedimentary dynamical observation and previous research results,the thermohaline structure,the transportation of suspended sediment and its mechanism,and the coastal geomorphic response were elaborated and analyzed in detail in this paper.The result indicated that the thermohaline and density distribution have obvious intra-tidal characteristics in the QBSVCA and the adjacent waters of the islands,during summer neap tide stage.The development of the bottom high suspended sediment concentration(SSC)layer was slightly enhanced in flood slack at each of the four stations.Suspended sediment transportation near the QBSVCA is related closely with the vertical mixing-stratification mechanism.Combined with previous research results,this study once again showed that submarine topography and the grain size of sea bed sediments would respond to hydrodynamic forces.The medians of the bottom E and D50 in the Aoshan Bay were the highest,followed by those in the Daguan Island and Xiaoguan Island,and the data in the Laoshan Bay were the lowest.This showed that the capacity of suspended sediment transportation in the bottom water layer of the Aoshan Bay was stronger than that of the adjacent sea area.The re-suspension and migration of fine sediments lead to the strong coarsening of sediments in this area.

Suspended sediment transport of the Hangzhou Bay and its related hydrodynamic analyses

The 25-h measurements of current speed, flow direction, water depth, suspended sediment concentration and salinity were carried out at six anchored stations in the study area during spring and neap tides in winter of 1987 and summer of 1989. Caculations and analyses of the data obtained show that large amounts of suspended sediments are moved back and forth under the action of tidal current, and the net transport of sediment is small, with its predominance upstream in winter and downstream in summer. These calculations and analyses also suggest that the advective transport of sediment is dominant, while the vertical gravitational circulation of the suspended sediment comes next. Meantime, it is indicated that tidal currents play a major role in the suspended sediment transport, and residual flows have effect on the net transport of the suspended sediment, which is more remarkable during neap tide than during spring tide.

Suspended Sediment Transport and Deposition in the Zhoushan Archipelago Sea Area

The transport mechanism and settlement characteristics of suspended sediments are analyzed in this article on the basis of measured data. Results indicate that the concentration and flux of suspended sediments decrease sharply from Hangzhou Bay to the offshore area. Suspended sediment transport is mainly controlled by advection transport and gravitational circulation transport. The settling velocity of suspended sediments gradually decreases from Hangzhou Bay to the offshore area. The settlement of suspended sediments mainly takes place during the turning phase of the tidal currents.

Study on the Sediment Transport Flux and Mechanism in the Bohai Strait at the Tidal and Monthly Scales in Summer

Based on the data of tidal currents and suspended sediment concentrations observed synchronously at 11 stations in the Bohai Strait lasting for 25 hours,the temporal and spatial variations of currents and suspended sediment concentrations in the Bohai Strait in summer were analyzed.The Study preliminarily discussed the transport mechanism,transport trend and transport flux of suspended sediments in summer,using flux-mechanism decomposition method and numerical simulation.The suspended sediment transport was mainly controlled by advection and next influenced by vertical net circulation,while resuspension is relatively weak in Bohai Strait.The single-width fluxes of investigation stations varied from 3.8 to 89.1 gm^(−1) s^(−1),with the maximum value in Miaodao Strait.The suspended sediment transport trends in Laotieshan channel along the vertical section are obviously distinct.The waters mainly flow out of the Bohai Sea in surface layer,while into the Bohai Sea in bottom layer.However,the transport trends of other channels in the centre and south are consistent vertically.The sediments in the Bohai Strait follows the transport pattern of moving outward from the south and inward from the north in summer,i.e.,the sediments are carried out of the Bohai Sea through the Laotieshan channel,while into the Bohai Sea through other channels.And the outflow flux exceeds the inflow flux in August with the net water flux of 1.4×10^(10)m^(3),basically same as the deliveries of the rivers into the Bohai Sea.Moreover,the suspended sediment flux is 0.33 Mt under the action of tidal residual currents in the Yellow Sea in August.

NUMERICAL MODELING OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN CHANNEL BENDS

An algorithm to compute three-dimensional sediment transport effect was proposed in this paper to enhance the capability of depth-averaged numerical models. This algorithm took into account of non-uniform distributions of flow velocities and suspended sediment concentrations along water depth, it significantly enhanced the applicability of 2D models in simulating open channel flows, especially in channel bends. Preliminary numerical experiments in a U-shaped and a sine-generated experimental channel indicate that the proposed method performs quite well in predicting the change of bed-deformation in channel bends due to suspended sediment transport. This method provides an effective alternative for the simulations of channel morphodynamic changes.

A VERTICAL 2-D NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT

Numerical simulation of sediment transport and bed evolution has become an important technique in the sediment research. In this article, a numerical model of suspended sediment transport was proposed, which was established in the vertical σ coordinate for fitting the free surface and bottom. In the research of the sediment transport, the predominant factors were found to be the eddy diffusion, the settling velocity, the bed condition and so on. By the aid of the model in the article, the contribution of the Rouse parameter to the vertical profile of sediment concentration was clarified, which was identical to the theoretical results. In the comparison of the numerical results with laboratory data, the agreement between experimental data and numerical results was reached except for some data. And the possible reasons for the disagreement were discussed.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF WIND-INDUCED MOTION IN SUSPENDED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT

In regions with broad water surfaces such as lakes, reservoirs and coastal areas, the wind stress on the flow motion generates a significant impact. The wind stress is an unsteady force which makes numerical simulation difficult. This paper presents a two-dimensional （2-D） mathematical model of the impact of wind-induced motion on suspended sediment transport at Beijing＇s 13-Ling Reservoir. The model uses the Diagonal Cartesian Method （DCM） with a wetting-drying dynamic boundary to trace variations in the water level. The calculation results have been tested against in situ measurements. The measurements confirm the model＇s accuracy and agreement with the actual situation at the reservoir. The calculations also indicate that wind stress holds the key to suspended sediment transport at Beijing＇s 13-Ling Reservoir, especially when westerly winds prevail.

The Dynamics of Suspended Particulate Matter in the Oued Nachef(Tafna Basin,Algeria):Typology of Flood Events and Contribution to Sediment Transport

This article focuses on the study of sediment transport during flood events in the Oued Nachef watershed that feeds the Mefrouche dam.To understand the sediment dynamics in this watershed,ANRH data on instantaneous water discharges and the respective concentrations of suspended particulate matter were used.This enabled the selection of some of the largest flood events over a 24-year period in order to establish the log-log relationships between sediment load(concentration and flux)and water discharge.However,the discharge-concentration relationships revealed hysteresis phenomena that enabled a flood typology to be established and classified into seven categories,thus showing very different transfer dynamics in relation to flood events.The results showed that Category 6 floods presenting hysteresis in the form of a figure of eight exported almost 44%of the suspended particulate matter load while representing just 29%of the flow discharge.

SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN YALU RIVER ESTUARY

Tidal cycle measurements of tidal currents, salinity and water tempe rature, and suspended sediment concentrations were measured at four stations, to gether with surveys along two profiles short core collection within the Yalu Riv er estuary. Grain size analysis of the three core sediment showed that: 1) the s ediment from B1 to B3 became finer, worse sorting and positively skewed; 2) the diversification of matter origin became more and more evident from east to west; 3) the sediments over the region were of the same origin, as indicated by their similar colors and grain sizes. The data indicated that stratification occurred in the flood season, from upstream to downstream, and a salt wedge was formed. The water column was well mixed, but the longitudinal gradient of the salinity w as larger on spring tide. The results also showed that the dominating mechanism of suspended sediment transport in the Yalu River estuary was T1, T2, T3 and T5. The non-tidal steady advection transport was restricted by the net transport o f suspended sediment induced by mass Stoked drift directed to landwards, then th e net sediment transport rate were decreased and the turbidity maxima was also f avored to forming and extending.

Characteristics of Suspended Particulate Matter and the Coastal Turbidity Maximum Areas of the Mekong River

This paper presents the results of application of a 3D （three-dimensional） numerical model to study on MTZ （maximum turbidity zone） in the coastal zone of Mekong River Delta. In this study, a 3D system model with combination of hydrodynamics--wave and suspended sediment transport was set up and validated with measured data in the study area. Based on calculated scenarios for the flood and the dry season, the results have shown appearance of MTZs in the coastal zone of Mekong River with suspended sediment concentration prevalent of 0.04-0.07 kg·m^3 （the dry season） and 0.05-0.1kg·m^3 （the flood season）. The position and MTZs scale change with the interaction between fresh water and tidal oscillations. The MTZ occur more in the dry seasons compared to the wet season. The MTZs are prevalent located far away from estuaries about in 12-22 km （in the dry season）, and 5-15 km in the flood season.

Numerical simulation on seasonal transport variations and mechanisms of suspended sediment discharged from the Yellow River to the Bohai Sea

Based on sediment and discharge flux data for the Yellow River, realistic forcing fields and bathymetry of the Bohai Sea, a suspended sediment transport module is driven by a wave-current coupled model to research seasonal variations and mechanisms of sus- pended load transport to the Bohai Sea. It could be concluded that surface sediment concentration indicates a distinct spatial distribution characteristic that varies seasonally in the Bohai Sea. Sediment concentration is rather high near the Yellow River estuary, seasonal variations of which are controlled by quantity of sediment from the YeUow River, suspended sediment concentration reaches its maximum during summer and fall. Furthermore, sediment concentration decreases rapidly in other seas far from the Yellow River estuary and maintains a very low level in the center of the Bohai Sea, and is dominated by seasonal variations of climatology wind field in the Bohai Sea. Only a small amount of sediments imported from the Yellow River are delivered northwestward to the southern coast of the Bohai Bay. Majority of sediments are transported southeastward to the Laizhou Bay, where sediments are con- tinuously delivered into the center of the Bohai Sea in a northeastward direction, and part of them are transported eastward alongshore through the Bohai Strait. 69% of sediments from the Yellow River are deposited near the river delta, 31% conveyed seaward, within which, 4% exported to the northern Yellow Sea through the Bohai Strait. Wind wave is the most essential contributor to seasonal variations of sediment concentration in the Bohai Sea, and the contribution of tidal currents is also significant in shallow waters when wind speed is low.

Measuring and modeling suspended sediment concentration profiles in the surf zone

Time-averaged suspended sediment concentration profiles across the surf zone were measured in a large-scale three-dimensional movable bed laboratory facility (LSTF:Large-scale Sediment Transport Facility). Sediment suspension under two different types of breaking waves, spilling and plunging breakers, was investigated. The magnitudes and shapes of the concentration profiles varied substantially at different locations across the surf zone, reflecting the different intensities of breaking-induced turbulence. Sediment sus- pension at the energetic plunging breaker-line was much more active, resulting in nearly homogeneous concentration profiles throughout most of the water column, as compared to the reminder of the surf zone and at the spilling breaker-line. Four suspended sediment concentration models were examined based on the LSTF data, including the mixing turbulence length approach, segment eddy viscosity model, breaking-induced wave-energy dissipation approach, and a combined breaking and turbulence length model developed by this study. Neglecting the breaking-induced turbulence and subsequent sediment mixing, suspended sediment concentration models failed to predict the across-shore variations of the sediment suspension, especially at the plunging breaker-line. Wave-energy dissipation rate provided an accurate method for estimating the intensity of turbulence generated by wave breaking. By incorporating the breaking-induced turbulence, the combined breaking and turbulence length model reproduced the across-shore variation of sediment suspension in the surf zone. The combined model reproduced the measured time-averaged suspended sediment concentration profiles reasonably well across the surf zone.

Numerical simulation of a horizontal sedimentation tank considering sludge recirculation

Most research conducted on the concentration distribution of sediment in the sedimentation tank does not consider the role of the suction dredge. To analyze concentration distribution more accurately, a suspended sediment transportation model was constructed and the velocity field in the sedimentation tank was determined based on the influence of the suction dredge. An application model was then used to analyze the concentration distribution in the sedimentation tank when the suction dredge was fixed, with results showing that distribution was in accordance with theoretical analysis. The simulated value of the outlet concentration was similar to the experimental value, and the trends of the isoconcentration distribution curves, as well as the vertical distribution curves of the five monitoring sections acquired through simulations, were almost the same as curves acquired through experimentation. The differences between the simulated values and the experimental values were significant.