scholarly journals Sediment Concentration in Melt Waters as an Indicator of Erosion Processes Beneath an Alpine Glacier

1979 ◽  
Vol 23 (89) ◽  
pp. 247-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
David N. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Alpine Glacier ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
Ice Water

Abstract Suspended-sediment concentrations in melt waters from the Gornera, Gornergletscher, Switzerland, were determined at hourly intervals for periods during the ablation seasons of 1974 and 1975. Rapid erratic fluctuations of suspended-sediment concentration produced peaks which occurred both before and after highest daily flows. Clockwise daily hysteresis rating loops between sediment concentration and discharge included many involutions. Suspended-sediment-concentration-discharge rating curves were different for rising and falling limbs of individual diurnal hydrographs and varied from day to day. Close-interval measurements of sediment concentration and discharge records allow interpretation of the nature of ice–water–sediment interactions at the bed of an Alpine glacier. At Gornergletscher, subglacial sediment is delivered to melt waters flowing in the smaller basal conduits, which often change course suddenly, entraining unworked sediment stored at the bed. During diurnal discharge maxima, sediment concentration in the Gornera is reduced because the rate of increase of water volume outstrips the rate of supply of sediment. The drainage of the ice-dammed lake Gornersee, producing exceptionally high flows, extended the drainage network over large areas of the glacier bed, and evacuated much sediment.

scholarly journals Sediment Concentration in Melt Waters as an Indicator of Erosion Processes Beneath an Alpine Glacier

1979 ◽  
Vol 23 (89) ◽  
pp. 247-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
David N. Collins
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Alpine Glacier ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
Ice Water

AbstractSuspended-sediment concentrations in melt waters from the Gornera, Gornergletscher, Switzerland, were determined at hourly intervals for periods during the ablation seasons of 1974 and 1975. Rapid erratic fluctuations of suspended-sediment concentration produced peaks which occurred both before and after highest daily flows. Clockwise daily hysteresis rating loops between sediment concentration and discharge included many involutions. Suspended-sediment-concentration-discharge rating curves were different for rising and falling limbs of individual diurnal hydrographs and varied from day to day. Close-interval measurements of sediment concentration and discharge records allow interpretation of the nature of ice–water–sediment interactions at the bed of an Alpine glacier. At Gornergletscher, subglacial sediment is delivered to melt waters flowing in the smaller basal conduits, which often change course suddenly, entraining unworked sediment stored at the bed. During diurnal discharge maxima, sediment concentration in the Gornera is reduced because the rate of increase of water volume outstrips the rate of supply of sediment. The drainage of the ice-dammed lake Gornersee, producing exceptionally high flows, extended the drainage network over large areas of the glacier bed, and evacuated much sediment.

scholarly journals Curvas-chave de descargas de sedimentos em suspensão no Baixo São Francisco

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solange Cavalcanti de Melo ◽  
José Coelho de Araújo Filho ◽  
Renata Maria Caminha Mendes de Oliveira Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Gradual Reduction ◽  
Sao Francisco River ◽  
Sediment Loads ◽  
São Francisco River ◽  
Historical Series ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations

RESUMOO conhecimento da análise quantitativa das concentrações de sedimentos em suspensão transportados pelo rio São Francisco bem como sua relação com as vazões é de muita importância, pois pode auxiliar na identificação dos efeitos da intervenção humana e ou ocasionados pelas condições naturais da região. As regiões a jusante dos barramentos no rio São Francisco apresentam como principal consequência a regularização das vazões e a diminuição das concentrações de sedimentos. O objetivo da pesquisa foi determinar as curvas-chave de sedimentos em suspensão (CCS) nas estações fluviométricas instaladas no Baixo São Francisco (BSF) após a barragem de Xingó. Para o estabelecimento dessas curvas foram utilizados dados de vazão e concentração de sedimentos em suspensão, obtidos do sistema Hidroweb no site da Agência Nacional da Água (ANA) no período de 1999 a 2018. Foram obtidas CCS para todo o trecho do BSF as quais apresentaram bons coeficientes de determinação. Na análise dos dados também foi possível perceber que nos últimos anos, desde 2013 houve redução gradativa das vazões disponibilizadas na barragem de Xingó. Consequentemente, houve também a redução gradativa das cargas de sedimentos em suspensão geradas nas estações de Piranhas, Traipu e Propriá, ou seja, os menores valores já registrados no BSF correspondendo as menores séries históricas tanto de vazão como de sedimentos em suspensão.  Keys curves of sediment discharges in suspension in the Lower São Francisco A B S T R A C TThe knowledge of the quantitative analysis of suspended sediment concentrations carried by the São Francisco River as well as its relation with the flows is of great importance, since it can help in the identification of the effects of human intervention and/or caused by the natural conditions of the region. In the downstream regions of the São Francisco riverbanks, the main consequence was the regularization of flow rates and the reduction of sediment concentrations. The objective of the research was to determine the key curves of suspended sediments (CCS) at the fluviometric stations installed in the lower São Francisco river after Xingó dam. For the evaluation, flow data and suspended sediment concentration were used. These data were obtained from the Hidroweb system on the website of the National Water Agency (ANA) from 1999 to 2018. CCS were plotted for all stretches and presented good coefficients of determination (R2). Based on the analysis of the data it was also possible to notice that in recent years, since 2013 there has been a gradual reduction of the flows available in the Xingó dam. Consequently, there was also a gradual reduction of suspended sediment loads generated at the Piranhas, Traipu and Propriá stations, that is, the lowest values already recorded in lower São Francisco, corresponding to the lower historical series of both discharge and suspended sediments.Keywords: dam, flow, sediments 

Impact of Chelicorophium curvispinum on the concentration-discharge response of suspended sediment in the Rhine River

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel van der Perk
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sudden Increase ◽  
Rhine River ◽  
Rating Curve ◽  
Independent Evidence ◽  
Sediment Rating Curve ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations

<p>In an ongoing study to the decline in suspended sediment concentrations and loads in the Rhine river since the mid-1950s, the temporal changes in the power-law sediment rating curve parameters were examined. This revealed that the rating exponent of the rating curve increased substantially between the early and late 1980s. Until the early 1980s, the ratings curves were relatively flat with values of the rating exponent b varying around 0.2. In the mid-1980s, the exponent suddenly increased to a value between 0.4 and 0.6 and since then has remained within this range. This change in the rating exponent was mainly caused by a decrease in suspended sediment concentrations during low discharges. During high discharges, the suspended sediment concentration initially increased during the late 1980s, but this increase was nullified soon afterwards due to the declining trend in suspended sediment concentration.</p><p>The sudden increase of the rating exponent coincided with the period that the Ponto-Caspian <em>Chelicorophium curvispinum</em> (Caspian mud shrimp) invaded the Rhine river basin. This suggests that this suspension-feeder species bears the prime responsibility for this increase, although this hypothesis requires further independent evidence. The sudden increase in the rating exponent does however not manifest itself in the long-term gradual trend of declining suspended sediment concentrations and vice versa. Apparently, the sequestration of sediment by <em>Chelicorophium curvispinum</em> is only temporary: the suspended sediment sequestered during periods of relatively low discharges is likely remobilised again during periods of high discharge. This implies that the invasion of <em>Chelicorophium curvispinum</em> has not played a significant role in the decline of suspended sediment concentrations. The precise reasons for the gradual long-term decline in suspended sediment concentration remain yet unknown.</p>

scholarly journals Sediment Load and Suspended Sediment Concentration Prediction

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 23-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bečvář Martin
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Load ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
River Basins ◽  
River Systems ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
Annual Sediment

Sediment is a natural component of riverine environments and its presence in river systems is essential. However, in many ways and many places river systems and the landscape have been strongly affected by human activities which have destroyed naturally balanced sediment supply and sediment transport within catchments. As a consequence a number of severe environmental problems and failures have been identified, in particular the link between sediments and chemicals is crucial and has become a subject of major scientific interest. Sediment load and sediment concentration are therefore highly important variables that may play a key role in environment quality assessment and help to evaluate the extent of potential adverse impacts. This paper introduces a methodology to predict sediment loads and suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) in large European river basins. The methodology was developed within an MSc research study that was conducted in order to improve sediment modelling in the GREAT-ER point source pollution river modelling package. Currently GREAT-ER uses suspended sediment concentration of 15 mg/l for all rivers in Europe which is an obvious oversimplification. The basic principle of the methodology to predict sediment concentration is to estimate annual sediment load at the point of interest and the amount of water that transports it. The amount of transported material is then redistributed in that corresponding water volume (using the flow characteristic) which determines sediment concentrations. Across the continent, 44 river basins belonging to major European rivers were investigated. Suspended sediment concentration data were collected from various European basins in order to obtain observed sediment yields. These were then compared against the traditional empiric sediment yield estimators. Three good approaches for sediment yield prediction were introduced based on the comparison. The three approaches were applied to predict annual sediment yields which were consequently translated into suspended sediment concentrations. SSC were predicted at 47 locations widely distributed around Europe. The verification of the methodology was carried out using data from the Czech Republic. Observed SSC were compared against the predicted ones which validated the methodology for SSC prediction.

scholarly journals Calibrations of Suspended Sediment Concentrations in High-Turbidity Waters Using Different In Situ Optical Instruments

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3296
Author(s):  
Yunwei Wang ◽  
Yun Peng ◽  
Zhiyun Du ◽  
Hangjie Lin ◽  
Qian Yu
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Inflection Point ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Fluid Mud ◽  
Optical Instruments ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
High Turbidity ◽  
The Right

In environments of high suspended sediment concentration (SSC > 1 kg/m3), efficient measurements of SSC through accurate calibration relationships between turbidity and SSC are necessary for studies on marine sediment dynamics. Here, we investigated the performance of three types of optical instrument (OBS-3A, AQUAlogger 310TY, and RBRsolo3Tu with Seapoint sensor) in observations carried out at the middle of the Jiangsu coast, China. These instruments were calibrated in the lab using the water and suspended sediment samples collected from the observation site. It was found that both the calibration curves of OBS-3A and RBRsolo3Tu have an inflection point (at SSC of ca. 15 kg/m3 for OBS-3A and ca. 2 kg/m3 for RBRsolo3Tu), on either side of which turbidity increases (the left side) or decreases (the right side) with the increasing SSC. Only under SSCs smaller than the inflection point can OBS-3A and RBRsolo3Tu be applied to continuous SSC measurements at a fixed point. However, the turbidity output of AQUAlogger 310TY has always a positive correlation with SSC, which applies for SSC up to 40 kg/m3; thus, three fluid-mud events are quantified during this observation. AQUAlogger 310TY has important prospects for field applications in high-SSC environments.

scholarly journals Suspended Sediment Transport from the Dokriani Glacier in the Garhwal Himalayas

2003 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pratap Singh ◽  
K. S. Ramasatri ◽  
Naresh Kumar ◽  
N. K. Bhatnagar
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Load ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Suspended Sediment Transport ◽  
Hydro Power ◽  
Garhwal Himalayas ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
June July

Estimation of sediment load from glacierized basins is very important for planning, designing, installation and operation of hydro-power projects, including management of reservoirs. In the present study, an assessment of suspended sediment concentration, load, yield and erosion rate has been undertaken for the Dokriani Glacier drainage basin located in the Garhwal Himalayas. About 60% of the total drainage area of this basin is glacierized. Data were collected for four ablation seasons (1995-1998). The mean daily suspended sediment concentrations for June, July, August and September were 452, 933, 965 and 275 mg 1-1, respectively, indicating highest suspended sediment concentration in August, followed by July. Similar trends were also found for the sediment load and about 88% of the total suspended sediment load of the melt period was transported during the months of July and August. Sediment yield for the study basin was computed to be about 2,800 t km-2 yr-1, which is comparable with glacierized basins (10-30% glacierized) in the Pamir region. For the entire ablation period, the erosion from the Dokriani Glacier basin is estimated to be about 1.0 mm. There was a poor relationship between suspended sediment concentration and discharge. The average percentages of clay, silt and sand were found to be 1.4, 67.3 and 31.3%, respectively, which suggest maximum content of silt followed by sand. There was limited variation in the content of clay, silt and sand in the suspended sediment during the ablation period.

scholarly journals Seasonal variability in hydrologic-system response to intense rain events, Matanuska Glacier, Alaska, U.S.A.

1999 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 267-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon C. Denner ◽  
Daniel E. Lawson ◽  
Grahame J. Larson ◽  
Edward B. Evenson ◽  
Richard B. Alley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
System Response ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Matanuska Glacier

AbstractTwo rain events at Matanuska Glacier illustrate how subglacial drainage system development and snowpack conditions affect hydrologic response at the terminus. On 21 and 22 September 1995, over 56 mm of rain fell in the basin during a period usually characterized by much drier conditions. This event caused an 8-fold increase in discharge and a 47-fold increase in suspended-sediment concentration. Peak suspended-sediment concentration exceeded 20 kg m —3, suggesting rapid evacuation of stored sediment. While water discharge returned to its pre-storm level nine days after the rain ceased, suspended- sediment concentrations took about 20 days to return to pre-storm levels. These observations suggest that the storm influx late in the melt season probably forced subglacial water into a more distributed system. In addition, subglacially transported sediments were supplemented to an unknown degree by the influx of storm-eroded sediments off hillslopes and from tributary drainage basins.A storm on 6 and 7 June 1997, dropped 28 mm of rain on the basin demonstrating the effects of meltwater retention in the snowpack and englacial and subglacial storage early in the melt season. Streamflow before the storm event was increasing gradually owing to warming temperatures; however, discharge during the storm and the following week increased only slightly. Suspended-sediment concentrations increased only a small amount, suggesting the drainage system was not yet well developed, and much of the run off occurred across the relatively clean surface of the glacier or through englacial channels.

scholarly journals Technical note: False low turbidity readings from optical probes during high suspended-sediment concentrations

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1767-1773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Voichick ◽  
David J. Topping ◽  
Ronald E. Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Grand Canyon ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Optical Probe ◽  
Technical Note ◽  
Optical Probes ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
High Turbidity

Abstract. Turbidity, a measure of water clarity, is monitored for a variety of purposes including (1) to help determine whether water is safe to drink, (2) to establish background conditions of lakes and rivers and detect pollution caused by construction projects and stormwater discharge, (3) to study sediment transport in rivers and erosion in catchments, (4) to manage siltation of water reservoirs, and (5) to establish connections with aquatic biological properties, such as primary production and predator–prey interactions. Turbidity is typically measured with an optical probe that detects light scattered from particles in the water. Probes have defined upper limits of the range of turbidity that they can measure. The general assumption is that when turbidity exceeds this upper limit, the values of turbidity will be constant, i.e., the probe is “pegged”; however, this assumption is not necessarily valid. In rivers with limited variation in the physical properties of the suspended sediment, at lower suspended-sediment concentrations, an increase in suspended-sediment concentration will cause a linear increase in turbidity. When the suspended-sediment concentration in these rivers is high, turbidity levels can exceed the upper measurement limit of an optical probe and record a constant “pegged” value. However, at extremely high suspended-sediment concentrations, optical turbidity probes do not necessarily stay “pegged” at a constant value. Data from the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, and a laboratory experiment both demonstrate that when turbidity exceeds instrument-pegged conditions, increasing suspended-sediment concentration (and thus increasing turbidity) may cause optical probes to record decreasing “false” turbidity values that appear to be within the valid measurement range of the probe. Therefore, under high-turbidity conditions, other surrogate measurements of turbidity (e.g., acoustic-attenuation measurements or suspended-sediment samples) are necessary to correct these low false turbidity measurements and accurately measure turbidity.

Sediment Concentrations from Intensively Prepared Wetland Sites¹

1984 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 152-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
George R. Askew ◽  
Thomas M. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Pinus Taeda ◽  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Drainage Ditches ◽  
Storm Flow ◽  
Appreciable Increase ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
Pinus Taeda L

Abstract Suspended sediment concentrations were measured in water draining from a 5,900-acre Carolina bay undergoing conversion to loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. Samples were collected during the first storm-flow event of each month between January 1981 and December 1982 from subwatersheds involved in some of several phases of conversion. Suspended sediment concentration in water leaving the bay averaged only 16 mg/1 for 13 storms. Road erosion and ditch installation produced the highest suspended sediment concentrations. Suspended sediment concentrations decreased substantially with increasing distance from the sediment source. Logging and site preparation activities did not cause an appreciable increase in suspended sediment when equipment did not operate in the drainage ditches.

scholarly journals Impact Of Mozhaysk Dam On The Moscow River Sediment Transport

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 24-31
Author(s):  
Dmitriy I. Sokolov ◽  
Oxana N. Erina ◽  
Maria A. Tereshina ◽  
Valeriy V. Puklakov
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Load ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Sediment Retention ◽  
Water Turbidity ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
Streamflow Regime ◽  
First Time ◽  
Moskva River

Sediments are an essential part of the aquatic environment that define its transformation and development. The construction of dams results in severe changes in sediment fluxes. This study aims to assess how the sediment load of the upper Moskva River is affected by the Mozhaysk Dam flow regulation and to estimate its dynamics over the years of the reservoir’s existence. Our analysis of the 1968, 2012 and 2016 detailed field data shows a 20-40% decrease in the proportion of the spring flood in the annual sediment load into the reservoir, which is caused by changes in the streamflow regime of the inflowing rivers. The peak suspended sediment concentrations have decreased 5- to 10-fold, likely due to a significant decline in the watershed’s cultivated land area, which caused a decrease in the erosion rate. In the Moskva River below the dam, the seasonal dynamics of the suspended sediment concentration no longer corresponds to the natural regime. The annual suspended load of the Moskva River below the Mozhaysk Reservoir decreased up to 9-fold. The sediment retention in the reservoir has dropped from 90% to 70-85% and is to some extent restored by an outflow of the particulate organic matter produced in the reservoir. We also described the relationships between water turbidity and suspended sediment concentration of the reservoir’s tributaries, which allow for the first time to estimate the sediment load with higher accuracy than was previously possible.

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