On the role of flocculation, hindered settling and sediment-induced damping of turbulence in trapping sediment in estuaries, with focus on the North Passage, Yangtze Estuary

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenjuan Jiang ◽  
Huib E. de Swart ◽  
Jianan Zhou ◽  
Jiufa Li
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Settling Velocity ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Yangtze Estuary ◽  
Fine Sediment ◽  
Sediment Distribution ◽  
Hindered Settling ◽  
Density Driven Flow ◽  
The North ◽  
Upstream Flow

<p>Many estuaries are characterized by one or more locations where the concentration of fine sediment attains a maximum. The locations and intensities of these estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) are sensitive to river discharge, tides, depth and sediment properties. In this contribution, results are presented of a width-averaged process-based model that describes tides, residual currents and sediment transport in an estuarine channel. The aim is to quantify the sensitivity of location and intensity of ETM to 1) flocculation and hindered settling of fine sediment and 2) sediment-induced damping of turbulence. The model is applied to the North Passage of the Yangtze Estuary, which is a prototype estuary that undergoes strong variations in environmental conditions. The sediment settling velocity is allowed to vary along the channel due to the effects of flocculation and hindered settling, by parametrizing settling velocity as the function of the subtidal near-bed sediment concentration according to results obtained from laboratory experiments. Sediment-induced turbulence damping is taken into account by parametrizing eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity coefficients as functions of bulk Richardson number.</p><p>In the flocculation (low concentration) regime, where the settling velocity increases with sediment concentration, the rapid settling of flocs induces larger landward sediment transport due to upstream flow in the lower layer of density-driven flow, leading to a landward shift and intensification of the ETM (with respect to the case of a constant settling velocity). In the hindered settling (high concentration) regime, the settling velocity decreases with bottom concentration. This induces a decrease in upstream sediment transport due to density-driven flow and an increase in seaward sediment transport due to river flow, leading to seaward migration and attenuation of the ETM. In both regimes, sediment-induced damping of turbulence results in stronger upstream flow in the bottom layer of density-driven flow and more vertically stratified sediment distribution, which significantly intensifies the landward sediment transport due to density driven flow, and hence causes a landward shift and intensification of the ETM.</p>

scholarly journals Numerical Investigation of Hydrodynamics and Cohesive Sediment Transport in Cua Lo and Cua Hoi Estuaries, Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1258
Author(s):  
Viet Thanh Nguyen ◽  
Minh Tuan Vu ◽  
Chi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Wave Model ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Cohesive Sediment ◽  
Wave Direction ◽  
The South ◽  
The North ◽  
Cohesive Sediment Transport

Two-dimensional models of large spatial domain including Cua Lo and Cua Hoi estuaries in Nghe An province, Vietnam, were established, calibrated, and verified with the observed data of tidal level, wave height, wave period, wave direction, and suspended sediment concentration. The model was then applied to investigate the hydrodynamics, cohesive sediment transport, and the morphodynamics feedbacks between two estuaries. Results reveal opposite patterns of nearshore currents affected by monsoons, which flow from the north to the south during the northeast (NE) monsoon and from the south to the north during the southeast (SE) monsoon. The spectral wave model results indicate that wave climate is the main control of the sediment transport in the study area. In the NE monsoon, sediment from Cua Lo port transported to the south generates the sand bar in the northern bank of the Cua Hoi estuary, while sediment from Cua Hoi cannot be carried to the Cua Lo estuary due to the presence of Hon Ngu Island and Lan Chau headland. As a result, the longshore sediment transport from the Cua Hoi estuary to the Cua Lo estuary is reduced and interrupted. The growth and degradation of the sand bars at the Cua Hoi estuary have a great influence on the stability of the navigation channel to Ben Thuy port as well as flood drainage of Lam River.

scholarly journals Transport Mechanism of Suspended Sediments and Migration Trends of Sediments in the Central Hangzhou Bay

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2189
Author(s):  
Zekun Song ◽  
Weiyong Shi ◽  
Junbiao Zhang ◽  
Hao Hu ◽  
Feng Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentration ◽  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Hangzhou Bay ◽  
The South ◽  
Transport Mode ◽  
Tidal Pumping ◽  
The North

Based on the 2013 field survey data of hydrology, suspended sediments and bottom sediments in the Central Hangzhou Bay, this paper explores the dynamic mechanism of suspended sediments in Hangzhou Bay by employing material flux decomposition. Meanwhile, the migration trends of bed sediments are also investigated by analyzing grain size trends. The results show that during an ebb or flood tide, the hydrograph of suspended sediment concentration of Hangzhou Bay is dominated by an M shape (bimodal), which is attributed primarily to the generation of a soft mud layer and a separate fluid mud layer. Laterally, the distribution of suspended sediment concentration is high in the south and low in the north. From a macroscopic perspective, the net sediment transport in the study area displays a “north-landward and south-seaward” trend, presenting a “C”-shaped transport mode. That is, the sediments are transported from the bay mouth to the bay head on the north side and from the bay head to the bay mouth on the south side. The sediment transports by advection and tidal pumping are predominant, while the sediment transport by vertical circulation makes little contribution to the total sediment transport. Moreover, the sediment transport in the center of the reach area is dominated by advection, whereas that near both sides of the banks is controlled by tidal pumping. The asymmetry of the tides, i.e., flood-dominance in the north and ebb-dominance in the south, is the primary cause of the dynamic mechanism for the overall “C”-shaped transport mode in Hangzhou Bay. Additionally, coupled with the narrow-head wide-mouth geomorphology, Hangzhou Bay remains evolving by south shore silting and north shore scouring.

scholarly journals Tidal Variation in Cohesive Sediment Distribution and Sensitivity to Flocculation and Bed Consolidation in An Idealized, Partially Mixed Estuary

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarpley ◽  
Harris ◽  
Friedrichs ◽  
Sherwood
Keyword(s):  
Settling Velocity ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Tidal Flow ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Tidal Variation ◽  
Model Framework ◽  
Sediment Distribution ◽  
Floc Size ◽  
Size Classes ◽  
Suspended Floc

Particle settling velocity and erodibility are key factors that govern the transport of sediment through coastal environments including estuaries. These are difficult to parameterize in models that represent mud, whose properties can change in response to many factors, including tidally varying suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and shear stress. Using the COAWST (Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport) model framework, we implemented bed consolidation, sediment-induced stratification, and flocculation formulations within an idealized two-dimensional domain that represented the longitudinal dimension of a micro-tidal, muddy, partially mixed estuary. Within the Estuarine Turbidity Maximum (ETM), SSC and median floc diameter varied by a factor of four over the tidal cycle. Downstream of the ETM, the median floc size and SSC were several times smaller and showed less tidal variation (~20% or less). The suspended floc distributions only reached an equilibrium size as a function of SSC and shear in the ETM at peak tidal flow. In general, flocculation increased particle size, which reduced SSC by half in the ETM through increased settling velocity. Consolidation also limited SSC by reduced resuspension, which then limited floc growth through reduced SSC by half outside of the ETM. Sediment-induced stratification had negligible effects in the parameter space examined. Efforts to lessen the computation cost of the flocculation routine by reducing the number of size classes proved difficult; floc size distribution and SSC were sensitive to specification of size classes by factors of 60% and 300%, respectively.

scholarly journals Study on the Spillover of Sediment during Typical Tidal Processes in the Yangtze Estuary Using a High-Resolution Numerical Model

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dechao Hu ◽  
Min Wang ◽  
Shiming Yao ◽  
Zhongwu Jin
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Numerical Model ◽  
Good Description ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Yangtze Estuary ◽  
Sediment Flux ◽  
The Yangtze Estuary ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The North ◽  
The Difference

Because of special morphologies and complex runoff–tide interactions, the landward floodtide flows in Yangtze Estuary are observed to spill over from the North to the South Branches, carrying a lot of sediment. To quantitatively clarify the spillover problem, a two-dimensional numerical model using a high-resolution channel-refined unstructured grid is developed for the entire Yangtze Estuary from Datong to river mouths (620 km) and part of the East Sea. The developed model ensures a good description of the river-coast-ocean coupling, the irregular boundaries, and local river regimes in the Yangtze Estuary. In tests, the simulated histories of the tidal level, depth-averaged velocity, and sediment concentration agree well with field data. The spillover of sediment in the Yangtze Estuary is studied using the condition of a spring and a neap tide in dry seasons. For a representative cross-section in the upper reach of the North Branch (QLG), the difference of the cross-sectional sediment flux (CSSF) between floodtide and ebbtide durations is 43.85–11.26 × 104 t/day, accounting for 37.5–34.9% of the landward floodtide CSSF. The mechanics of sediment spillover in Yangtze Estuary are clarified in terms of a successive process comprising the source, transport, and drainage of the spillover sediment.

3D numerical studies on stratification and mixing processes affecting fine sediment transport in the pre-dam of the Dhünn reservoir in Germany

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Gonzalez ◽  
Irina Klassen ◽  
Anne Jakobs ◽  
Frank Seidel
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Input Data ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Fine Sediment ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Transport Modeling ◽  
Wind Effects ◽  
Sediment Distribution ◽  
Vertical Diffusivity ◽  
The Impact

<p>Fine sediment transport processes and the thermodynamics in reservoirs are key processes governing the water quality of reservoirs. With regard to a sustainable sediment management of reservoirs, the prediction of sediment transport and deposition is becoming increasingly important.</p><p>The subject of the present work was the 3D numerical simulation of fine sediment transport in a reservoir taking into account stratification and mixing effects which in turn are caused by temperature gradients and wind effects. In order to understand and investigate the driving factors for stratification processes and their impact on fine sediment distribution, the great pre-dam of the Dhünn reservoir in Germany served as case study. The investigations were conducted in sensitivity analyses adopting a 3D sediment transport model with Delft 3D. The impact of various physical and numerical parameters on temperature and fine sediment transport modeling was examined: the number of vertical layers, the input data for the heat model (e.g. relative humidity, air temperature, cloud coverage, solar radiation), the vertical diffusivity and wind effects. The sensitivity studies showed that the input data for the heat model have a minor impact on the temperature and sediment transport modeling within the tested range of parameters. However, the vertical diffusivity and especially the inclusion of wind showed a greater influence on the simulated temperature and suspended sediment concentration gradients. The temperature modeling results by inclusion/exclusion of wind were qualitatively compared with temperature data from literature and with measurement data over a period of one month. Hereby, the simulations showed a good agreement with measurement data by exclusion of wind effects.</p><p>The results of the studies provide a solid basis for the development of further models in fields where fine sediment transport is affected by stratification processes and can also be very useful in terms of a better understanding of the interactions between temperature, wind and fine sediment transport.</p>

Analysis for the Characteristics of Sediment in Tarim River

2014 ◽  
Vol 641-642 ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
Shao Yun Deng
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Sediment Load ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Tarim River ◽  
Main Stream ◽  
Water Network ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Sediment Distribution ◽  
Annual Sediment

The author had given a brief introduction of Tarim River, and the analysis of its water network and the surrounding environmental features, and a few important representative of Tarim River tributaries and the main stream of the four major hydrological stations measured runoff for many years, the annual runoff, the average annual sediment load, the annual sediment load, the annual average sediment concentration, the annual sediment concentration, the average annual sediment transport modulus, the annual sediment transport modulus index data were analyzed. And on this basis, the author had given the further analysis of Tarim River stream sediment distribution characteristics, and had described the sediment source and characteristics of Tarim River.

scholarly journals SEDIMENT TRANSPORT ON THE SOUTH-EAST AUSTRALIAN CONTINENTAL SHELF

1984 ◽  
Vol 1 (19) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angus D. Gordon ◽  
John G. Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Transport System ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Sediment Distribution ◽  
Sediment Movement ◽  
Shelf Sediment ◽  
Sea Bed

Engineering projects on the continental shelf off Sydney, Australia, have stimulated investigation into the sediment transport system of the shelf. Investigation activities associated with these projects have included: definition of sea bed morphology, sediment distribution and bedform characteristics; monitoring of steady and wave induced currents; wind data collection; suspended sediment sampling; bottom camera sediment movement investigations and analytical studies of sediment reaction to sea bed forcing functions. Sea bed velocity exceedence relationships for both wave oscillations and steady currents have been determined at depths of 24 m, 60 m and 80 m. Thresholds of sediment movement have been defined. Relative sediment transport computations have been undertaken and studies of suspended sediment concentration profiles are in progress so that absolute transport rates can be determined. The prevailing conditions, which include a mainly south bound current, are seldom sufficient to induce entrainment of shelf sediments. Transport events mainly result from major storms in the Tasman Sea which produce both high energy waves and north bound currents. Although these events are rare and short lived, the combined wave and current shear produced at the sea bed during the events gives rise to entrainment conditions which result in their dominance of the shelf sediment transport system.

scholarly journals Flocculation processes and sedimentation of fine sediments in the open annular flume – experiment and numerical modeling

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 437-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Klassen ◽  
G. Hillebrand ◽  
N. R. B. Olsen ◽  
S. Vollmer ◽  
B. Lehmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Settling Velocity ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fine Sediments ◽  
Aggregation Processes

Abstract. The prediction of cohesive sediment transport requires numerical models which include the dominant physico-chemical processes of fine sediments. Mainly in terms of simulating small scale processes, flocculation of fine particles plays an important role since aggregation processes affect the transport and settling of fine-grained particles. Flocculation algorithms used in numerical models are based on and calibrated using experimental data. A good agreement between the results of the simulation and the measurements is a prerequisite for further applications of the transport functions. In this work, the sediment transport model (SSIIM) was extended by implementing a physics-based aggregation process model based on McAnally (1999). SSIIM solves the Navier-Stokes-Equations in a three-dimensional, non-orthogonal grid using the k-ε turbulence model. The program calculates the suspended load with the convection-diffusion equation for the sediment concentration. Experimental data from studies in annular flumes (Hillebrand, 2008; Klassen, 2009) is used to test the flocculation algorithm. Annular flumes are commonly used as a test rig for laboratory studies on cohesive sediments since the flocculation processes are not interfered with by pumps etc. We use the experiments to model measured floc sizes, affected by aggregation processes, as well as the sediment concentration of the experiment. Within the simulation of the settling behavior, we use different formulas for calculating the settling velocity (Stokes, 1850 vs. Winterwerp, 1998) and include the fractal dimension to take into account the structure of flocs. The aim of the numerical calculations is to evaluate the flocculation algorithm by comparison with the experimental data. The results from these studies have shown, that the flocculation process and the settling behaviour are very sensitive to variations in the fractal dimension. We get the best agreement with measured data by adopting a characteristic fractal dimension nfc to 1.4. Insufficient results were obtained when neglecting flocculation processes and using Stokes settling velocity equation, as it is often done in numerical models which do not include a flocculation algorithm. These numerical studies will be used for further applications of the transport functions to the SSIIM model of reservoirs of the Upper Rhine River, Germany.

scholarly journals Unraveling the Essential Effects of Flocculation on Large-Scale Sediment Transport Patterns in a Tide-Dominated Estuary

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 1957-1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dante M. L. Horemans ◽  
Yoeri M. Dijkstra ◽  
Henk M. Schuttelaars ◽  
Patrick Meire ◽  
Tom J. S. Cox
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Settling Velocity ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Order Effect ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Estuarine Turbidity Maxima ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSediment transport in estuaries and the formation of estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) highly depend on the ability of suspended particulate matter (SPM) to flocculate into larger aggregates. While most literature focuses on the small-scale impact of biological flocculants on the formation of larger aggregates, the influence of the flocculation process on large-scale estuarine SPM profiles is still largely unknown. In this paper, we study the impact of flocculation of SPM on the formation of ETM. For this, a semianalytical width-integrated model called iFlow is utilized and extended by a flocculation model. Starting from a complex one-class flocculation model, we show that flocculation may be described as a linear relation between settling velocity and suspended sediment concentration to capture its leading-order effect on the ETM formation. The model is applied to a winter case in the Scheldt estuary (Belgium, Netherlands) and calibrated to a unique, long-term, two-dimensional set of turbidity (cf. SPM) observations. First, model results with and without the effect of flocculation are compared, showing that the spatial and temporal variations of the settling velocity due to flocculation are essential to reproduce the observed magnitude of the suspended sediment concentrations and its dependence on river discharge. Second, flocculation results in tidally averaged land-inward sediment transport. Third, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of the freshwater discharge and floc breakup parameter, which shows that flocculation can cause additional estuarine turbidity maxima and can prevent flushing of the ETM for high freshwater inflow.

Determination of Settling Velocity of Suspended Sediment in Estuary

2014 ◽  
Vol 670-671 ◽  
pp. 805-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Ming Huang ◽  
Da Ke Chen ◽  
Wei Na Zhang ◽  
Cheng Chen
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Settling Velocity ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Fine Sediment ◽  
Cohesive Sediments ◽  
The Changjiang River ◽  
Sediment Particle Size ◽  
Logarithmic Distribution ◽  
Sediment Data

The settling velocity of sediment is a hot issue and a basic problem in study of sediment transport and estuarine engineering. According to field hydrodynamics and sediment data around the South Passage of the Changjiang River in China, this paper detected the characteristics of sediment particle size and vertical distribution pattern of suspended sediment concentration, and further estimated the settling velocity of suspended sediment in three methods. The results show that the sediments including suspended and bed load can be categorized into cohesive sediments and the sediment concentration profile agree well with logarithmic distribution. Furthermore, by comparison, it is found that the Rouse formula is more reasonable for estimating the settling velocity of fine sediment, but the Zhang Ruijin and Stokes formula obviously underestimate the values of settling velocity, caused by do not taking into account the flocculation of fine sediment in estuary.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document