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Prediction of bedload rates in gravel-bed rivers at low-to-moderate flow conditions, where bedload movement is intermittent, remains a challenging problem. While the virtual velocity concept provides a useful approach to bedload rate estimation in the intermittent movement regime, virtual velocity estimation remains hindered by a lack of tools for predicting mean sediment resting time. As a first step toward sediment resting time estimation in gravel beds, the present study develops a semi-theoretical resting time model applicable to nonuniform gravel-sized spherical particles. The model is based on the consideration that interactions of near-bed flow with bed material lead to mobilization of individual resting particles during hydrodynamic momentum transfer events (i.e., impulses). Thus, resting time is affected by impulse magnitude and timing. The primary premise underpinning model development is that an instantaneous velocity time-series generation approach based on the velocity spectrum can be used to mimic hydrodynamic impulses and simulate resting times. Based on past findings, two model parameters are considered important to advancing resting time predictions in gravel beds. First, the relative particle size allows size-fractional resting time predictions for a nonuniform sediment mixture. Second, the hindrance coefficient accounts for hiding effects and enables resting time predictions for different bed structure types. To provide calibration and verification data, laboratory experiments documenting impulse statistics and mean resting times for a range of flow and relative particle size conditions were also performed. The verified model exhibits mean resting times with similar magnitude and trends with increasing stress compared with experimental verification data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bedload is rarely measured in Indian rivers. It is recommended that 5% of suspended load can be taken as bedload in the absence of measured bedload. The present study validates this by direct physical measurement of bedload using the Helley–Smith sampler in an ephemeral mountain stream of Gujarat, India. It was observed that, on an average, the bedload formed 3.97% of the suspended load. The measured bedload flux was 1.02 tonnes/ day. To overcome the need and dependability on actual physical bedload measurement, a bedload rating curve against specific discharge was developed to predict the bedload rate in the study reach. Few prominent existing bedload equations selected from the literature were tested against the measured bedload, which over-predicted the bedload transport rate with a discrepancy ratio greater than 2 and RMSE 2.4–48. A calibration coefficient ξ = 0.00167 was introduced in the widely used Recking (2013) equation for the study reach resulting in an improvement of the coefficient of variation as 1.92 and RMSE as 1.35. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trapezoidal-shaped hydrographs are typical of anthropized rivers, as this form is generally associated with the release of water from hydropower dams. To investigate how such unnatural waves can affect bedload rate, preliminary flume experiments were performed in Krakow, Poland, looking at bedload transport rate, bed shear stress and bed morphology. In addition, close-range bed surface photogrammetry was used to investigate bed changes due to the passage of the flood wave. Three scenarios, having the same water volume but different wave magnitudes, were tested. The lowest wave showed almost no sediment transport and no visible changes in bed morphology, while higher waves changed the bed morphology, creating erosion and accumulation zones. The highest wave was characterized by an 8-shaped hysteresis of the bedload rate with a peak during the wave maximum. The lag time between the maximum bedload rate and the wave plateau was longer than expected due to zero-slope conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of sandy rivers is a complex phenomenon linking the interactions between dunes, flow and sediment transport. Despite an existing large amount of research, few comparative studies exist for rivers with major hydro-sedimentological differences. This work uses detailed dune measurements from the Paraná and Tercero rivers, Argentina. Significant differences were found in the representative roughness height scale, dune steepness, lee angles, velocity profiles and flow recirculation. It is found that whereas the hydraulic resistance for the Tercero River scales with the size of large dunes, the Paraná River needs to develop an intermediate roughness scale (the small superimposed dunes) to accommodate the required balance between gravity and friction. Suspended bed sediment increase is inversely related to the dune steepness and lee side angles as advanced by previous findings. The suspension number seems to be a paramount metric that helps explain differences regarding dune geometry within a wide range of flow conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lateral sediment flux from hillslopes is directly connected to the curve number. • The curve number summarized the resistance from the soil-group complex. • The lateral sedimentologic connectivity was well represented by the curve number. • The soil-cover complex in a watershed is closely related to watershed erodibility. The flux of suspended sediment and bedload in a watershed is closely linked to the resistance of soil, known as erodibility. However, the relation between the resistance generated by soil to sediment transport from the hillslope to the river flow is still a challenge. Typically, the bedload flux is related to the shear stress of the main channel. However, the link between lateral sediment flux from hillslopes to suspended sediment flux of the main channel and the relation between bedload and suspended sediment flux to soil erodibility need to be developed. For three Brazilian watersheds, suspended sediment and bedload transport, soils, and hydrological data were obtained to determine watershed soil erodibility. The landscape connectivity expressed by hydrological-sediment connectivity was applied to determine the lateral sediment transport to the primary watershed channel. The flow resistance and lateral suspended sediment discharge were represented by the curve number, which summarized the resistance from the soil-group complex leading to soil erodibility. The curve number addressed the lateral flow and suspended sediment transport to represent the lateral connectivity on the landscape. Sediment transport (sand and suspended sediment) from hillslopes was added to the bedload transport along the longitudinal axis of the watershed, and the watershed soil erodibility (K W) was, thus, obtained for each of the three evaluated watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volume and grain‐size of sediment supplied from catchments fundamentally control basin stratigraphy. Despite their importance, few studies have constrained sediment budgets and grain‐size exported into an active rift at the basin scale. Here, we used the Corinth Rift as a natural laboratory to quantify the controls on sediment export within an active rift. In the field, we measured the hydraulic geometries, surface grain‐sizes of channel bars and full‐weighted grain‐size distributions of river sediment at the mouths of 47 catchments draining the rift (constituting 83% of the areal extent). Results show that the sediment grain‐size increases westward along the southern coast of the Gulf of Corinth, with the coarse‐fraction grain‐sizes (84th percentile of weighted grain‐size distribution) ranging from approximately 19 to 91 mm. We find that the median and coarse‐fraction of the sieved grain‐size distribution are primarily controlled by bedrock lithology, with late Quaternary uplift rates exerting a secondary control. Our results indicate that grain‐size export is primarily controlled by the input grain‐size within the catchment and subsequent abrasion during fluvial transport, both quantities that are sensitive to catchment lithology. We also demonstrate that the median and coarse‐fraction of the grain‐size distribution are predominantly transported in bedload; however, typical sand‐grade particles are transported as suspended load at bankfull conditions, suggesting disparate source‐to‐sink transit timescales for sand and gravel. Finally, we derive both a full Holocene sediment budget and a grain‐size‐specific bedload discharged into the Gulf of Corinth using the grain‐size measurements and previously published estimates of sediment fluxes and volumes. Results show that the bedload sediment budget is primarily comprised (~79%) of pebble to cobble grade (0.475–16 cm). Our results suggest that the grain‐size of sediment export at the rift scale is particularly sensitive to catchment lithology and fluvial mophodynamics, which complicates our ability to make direct inferences of tectonic and palaeoenvironmental forcing from local stratigraphic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For streams draining urban catchments, sediment transport capacity is the key driver of physical impacts including bed sediment removal and channel incision. The main unanswered question is the relative role of flow alteration compared to sediment supply in influencing sediment transport capacity. With this objective, we computed sand and gravel bed sediment transport capacity using the Wilcock and Kenworthy two-fraction bedload transport relation for nine streams in catchments covering a gradient of urbanisation. Computations were done for typical natural bed surface material, based on conditions in the least urban study streams. We compared transport capacity distributions and cumulative transport capacity over one-year between the streams. Transport capacity was up to three orders of magnitude higher in urban streams than in forested-catchment streams. This was driven overwhelmingly by the urbanisation-induced alterations to the flow regime, with only minor feedback from channel form changes. Transport capacity was two to three orders of magnitude greater than measured bedload transport in all but the least urban streams. This excess bedload transport capacity mobilises and removes bed sediment, produces channel incision and enlargement and reduces channel complexity. Rebalancing transport capacity with sediment supply therefore requires significant flow mitigation towards pre-urban conditions. Other responses, which may theoretically help to regain this balance – channel widening, grade control, increasing roughness, sediment augmentation – are either inappropriate or only feasible following flow mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wu, T. and Qin, J., 2020. Influence of flow and sediment transport processes on sedimentation in groyne fields. In: Malvárez, G. and Navas, F. (eds.), Global Coastal Issues of 2020. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 95, pp. 304-308. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Groynes have been widely used to prevent coastal erosion worldwide. Various depositional patterns have been found in groyne fields, which are affected by flow and sediment transport processes. For a groyne field dominated by a single large gyre and sediment being mainly transported in the form of suspended load, the sediment deposition pattern is consistent with the gyre structure. For groyne fields showing complex flow structures or bedload-dominant sediment transport processes, the relationship between the deposition patterns and flow and sediment transport processes remains unclear. In this study, the deposition patterns of groyne fields formed by different flow and sediment transport processes were analysed based on flume experiments. The sediment deposition patterns as well as the bedload transport process in groyne fields were accurately measured. The distribution of flow characteristics was simulated using the Horizontal Large Eddy Simulation (HLES) of the Delft3d model. The results confirmed that the deposition patterns were affected by flow structures and sediment transport processes. For suspended sediment-dominated situations, the deposition patterns were consistent with the gyre structures. For bedload-dominated conditions, sediment deposition occurred where the bed shear stress fell below the critical shear stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment transport in sewer systems is an important issue of interest to engineering practice. Several models have been developed in the past to predict a threshold velocity or shear stress resulting in self-cleansing flow conditions in a sewer pipe. These models, however, could still be improved. This paper develops three new self-cleansing models using the Evolutionary Polynomial Regression-Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (EPR-MOGA) methodology applied to new experimental data collected on a 242 mm diameter acrylic pipe. The three new models are validated and compared to the literature models using both new and previously published data sets. The results obtained demonstrate that three new models have improved prediction accuracy when compared to the literature ones. The key feature of the new models is the inclusion of pipe slope as a significant explanatory factor in estimating the threshold self-cleansing velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports a high-resolution experimental study focused on statistical properties of particle trajectories starting with detachment from the bed. This local range of particle motion can either be considered to start from a collision with the bed of an already mobile particle, or from the entrainment of a previously immobile particle. Both approaches are investigated and compared based on the particle diffusion concept. From the point of entrainment, local particle diffusion in all three coordinate directions displays an exponent significantly greater than that of ballistic diffusion. In contrast, particle motion after collision with the bed demonstrates ballistic diffusion in all three coordinate directions. The results highlight clear differences between the diffusion of an already mobile particle and one starting from a position of rest. These differences are attributed to variations in physical mechanisms acting at the initial phase of particle motion after detachment from the bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding bedload transport fluctuations in rivers is crucial for complementing the existing knowledge on sediment transport theory. In this contribution, we use a natural-scale laboratory flume to analyse bedload transport fluctuations in non-uniform sand under normal flow conditions. Based on the significance of downward seepage, we incorporate the seepage effect on bedload transport over a non-uniform sand bed channel. The weight of the dry material was measured, and the volumetric transport rate per unit width (bedload transport rate) was estimated. An important observation is that the bedload transport rate initially rapidly increases with time and reaches a maximum value. Based on experimental data, we propose an empirical expression to estimate temporal bedload transport. In addition, an empirical model for bedload transport is proposed by incorporating downward seepage among other variables. The performance of several existing bedload transport formulae was also taken into account by the experimental datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study was aimed at untangling the relative impacts of successive phases of human modifications on changes in bedload transport along a 430 km-long river reach: the Rhône River from Motz dam to the sea. We used a 1D hydraulic model to solve for water lines across a range of discharges and all along the reach. Next, using grain sizes measured in the channel, we estimate flow competence and mean annual bedload transport capacities using the Recking (2013) bedload transport equation. In addition, we used the Generalized Threshold Model to estimate the relative fine and coarse fractions of the load. Bedload transport estimates were carried out under present-day hydraulic conditions and compared to estimates based on model runs simulating an unimpeded flow regime and using grain sizes measured in bars as a proxy for conditions prior to armouring. Our results show that present-day bedload transport along the Rhône is significantly fragmented by multiple closely spaced dams. Mean annual bedload capacity varies between 2500 and 16,300 m3/year over all the reaches, with an average of 4700 m3/year. Results of the GTM analysis suggest that this load is composed of 89% fines. We find bed sediment mobility to be very low in most reaches, and that potentially mobile sediments are finer than the median grain size in the riverbed even at high flows. Our results suggest that bedload capacities were 25–35 times higher prior to bed armouring and flow modifications; dams had an impact 2–3 times more important on transport capacities than channel embankments, and bed armouring was foremost a response to channel embankments. Based on an analysis of the ratio of sediment yields to transport capacities, we propose a conceptual scheme illustrating how bedload supply, channel morphology, and surface texture coevolved in the Rhône over the past century and half. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Mean annual bedload capacity is 4700 m3/year with strong intra-reach variability. • Bed mobility is very low and the majority of transported sediments are fines. • Bedload transport rates were up to 35 times higher prior to embankments and dams. • Dams had an impact 2–3 greater than changes in grain-size on BL transport capacities. • The effects of successive dams show strong overlap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processes of sediment entrainment, transport, and deposition over bedforms are highly dynamic and temporally and spatially variable. Obtaining measurements to understand these processes has led to ongoing developments in instrumentation for studying near-bed sediment dynamics, with the outputs applied to the development and assessment of sediment transport modelling. In the present study results are reported from three acoustic systems deployed to make observations of bedforms, bedload, suspended concentration and horizontal and vertical velocity components. To evaluate the instruments a series of near-bed boundary layer measurements were collected in a large scale flume facility over a rippled bed of medium sand under regular waves. The observations were conducted as part of Joint Research Activities within the EU funded Hydralab project. The suite of acoustic instruments consisted of a Bedform And Suspended Sediment Imager, BASSI, a three dimensional acoustic ripple profiler, 3D-ARP, and three Acoustic Concentration and Velocity Profilers, ACVP's. Here results are reported from the deployment of the instruments, to illustrate the ongoing developments in acoustics and the expanding capability of the application of acoustics to the study of near-bed flow and sediment dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a comprehensive one-dimensional two-phase flow model for sediment transport under sheet-flow conditions is presented. The model is based on the dense granular flow rheology for the intergranular stresses and on a mixing length model for the Reynolds shear stress. A drift velocity model is introduced to represent the vertical dispersion effects. Recent experimental data are used to improve the mixing length model and the numerical model is validated for four configurations. The model is further assessed by comparing the dependence of the sediment transport rate and the sheet layer thickness on the Shields number. The good agreement with experimental data confirms the capability of the model formulation to reproduce unidirectional sheet-flows. The agreement with the latest kinetic theory of granular flows based model demonstrate that the dense granular flow rheology can be used as an alternative approach to kinetic theory in two-phase flow models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment transport from mountainous to lowland areas is considered one of the most important geomorphological processes. In the present study, variations in transported sediment loads and dissolved loads have been studied over 3 years (2008–2011) for two forested catchments located in the Lesser Himalayan region of India. Seasonal and annual suspended sediment flux was strongly influenced by amounts of rainfall and streamflow. On average, 93% of annual load was produced during the monsoon, of which 62–78% occurred in only five peak events. Sediment production by the degraded forest catchment (Bansigad) was 1.9-fold (suspended sediment load) to 5.9-fold (bedload) higher than the densely forested catchment (Arnigad). The dissolved organic matter potentially influences total dissolved solids in the stream. Heavy rainfall triggers both stream discharge and landslides, which lead to higher bedload transport. Total denudation rates for Arnigad and Bansigad were estimated at 0.68 and 1.02 mm year−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sediment transport and soil erosion can be determined by a variety of field and modelling approaches. Computer based soil erosion and landscape evolution models (LEMs) offer the potential to be reliable assessment and prediction tools. An advantage of such models is that they provide both erosion and deposition patterns as well as total catchment sediment output. However, before use, like all models they require calibration and validation. In recent years LEMs have been used for a variety of both natural and disturbed landscape assessment. However, these models have not been evaluated for their reliability in steep forested catchments. Here, the SIBERIA LEM is calibrated and evaluated for its reliability for two steep forested catchments in south-eastern Australia. The model is independently calibrated using two methods. Firstly, hydrology and sediment transport parameters are inferred from catchment geomorphology and soil properties and secondly from catchment sediment transport and discharge data. The results demonstrate that both calibration methods provide similar parameters and reliable modelled sediment transport output. A sensitivity study of the input parameters demonstrates the model’s sensitivity to correct parameterisation and also how the model could be used to assess potential timber harvesting as well as the removal of vegetation by fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During floods, the bedload transport of steep headwaters can exceed the hydraulic transport capacity of milder downstream reaches where settlements are often situated. Therefore, sediment retention barriers are typically installed upstream of such sensible areas. These barriers trigger bedload trapping via two control mechanisms, either hydraulic or mechanical. Both deposition controls, pertaining to instream sediment trapping structures, are analyzed experimentally in this study. Bedload trapping by hydraulically controlled barriers is prone to sediment flushing, i.e., the remobilization of formerly deposited sediment, in particular when the barrier is simultaneously under- and overflown. In this case, the remobilization rate is close to the bedload transport capacity of the nonconstricted channel. Mechanical deposition control by screens is in turn sensible to the grain size. Thus, both deposition control concepts may fail, and bedload may be transported downstream at a rate corresponding to the transport capacity of headwaters, thereby endangering urban areas. This study shows that the combination of both deposition control concepts is suitable for improving the control of bedload retention. With this combination, undesired sediment flushing of upstream deposits in the channel caused by insufficient hydraulic control is prevented. Furthermore, the uncertainty related to the estimation of the representative grain size in the design of mechanical control barriers is reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many rivers in the Mediterranean region are regulated for urban and agricultural purposes. Reservoir presence and operation results in flow alteration and sediment discontinuity, altering the longitudinal structure of the fluvial system. This study presents a 3-year sediment budget of a highly dammed Mediterranean river (the Muga, southern Pyrenees), which has experienced flow regulation since the 1969 owing to a 61-hm 3 reservoir. Flow discharge and suspended sediment concentration were monitored immediately upstream and downstream from the reservoir, whereas bedload transport was estimated by means of bedload formulae and estimated from regional data. Results show how the dam modifies river flow, reducing the magnitude of floods and shortening its duration. At the same time, duration of low flows increases. The downstream flow regime follows reservoir releases that are mostly driven by the irrigation needs in the lowlands. Likewise, suspended sediment and bedload transport are shown to be notably affected by the dam. Sediment transport upstream was mainly associated with floods and was therefore concentrated in short periods of time (i.e., > 90% of the sediment load occurred in < 1% of the time). Downstream from the dam, sediments were transported more constantly (i.e., 90% of the load was carried during 50% of the time). Total sediment load upstream from the dam equalled 23,074 t, while downstream it was < 1000 t. Upstream, sediment load was equally distributed between suspension and bedload (i.e., 10,278 and 12,796 t respectively), whereas suspension dominated sediment transport downstream. More than 95% of the sediments transported from the upstream basins were trapped in the reservoir, a fact that explains the sediment deficit and the river bed armouring observed downstream. Overall, the dam disrupted the natural water and sediment fluxes, generating a highly modified environment downstream. Below the dam, the whole ecosystem shifted to stable conditions owing to the reduction of water and sediment loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two centuries, rivers worldwide have been affected by human interventions, including dams, river training, and gravel mining. Such actions have often involved river fragmentation and sediment starvation. In this regard, gravel augmentation is an increasingly common restoration practice for mitigating sediment starvation in gravel-bed rivers. However, uncertainties remain on how to better implement and design such operations. This is the case for the Rhône River at Péage-de-Roussillon, France, where 6885 m3 of gravels were augmented in 2017. This work raised some concerns from river managers about the potential threat posed to a downstream reservoir from the arrival of the sediment, and explains why they were interested in the timeframe of sediment propagation, and travel distances and velocities of the augmented sediment. To answer these questions, we propose a modelling framework for simulating the long-term downstream propagation of a pulse of augmented sediment, with this framework being based on a combination of particle tracking data collected in the field and bedload transport capacity estimates. This workflow allowed us to successfully model propagation of gravels along the study reach, and provided useful information on how the sediment wave would behave over the long term. We believe that the methodology proposed in this study has much potential for exploring and investigating the kinematics of sediment wave propagation in gravel-bed rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stream sediment loads (both bedload and suspended sediment) are problematic to measure due to the time and equipment needed. There is a dearth of such data sets globally let alone for Australia. However, such data are needed to quantify sediment transport type and rates, landscape evolution, effect of human disturbance as well as patterns and temporal response. Here we present the findings from 8 steepslope forested catchments dominated by headwater streams (size range 15–100 ha) in south-eastern Australia where both bedload and suspended load have been measured over multiple years. The results demonstrate that suspended load is the dominant component and there is no consistent suspended to bedload ratio for the catchments. The suspended sediment to bedload ratio appears to be catchment specific. There was no relationship between total load (or bedload/suspended load) and average catchment slope, stream length, shape or any geomorphic descriptor. However catchment total load was found to be significantly related to catchment area. Of the 8 catchments examined here, 6 had been harvested for timber in previous decades (with large areas of forest removed) while 2 catchments had minimal disturbance (Control catchments). There was no difference in sediment loads from the harvested and Control catchments. The results demonstrate that although land disturbance had previously occurred the management practices employed in each catchment were effective in the long term. This provides confidence that the forest harvesting and subsequent management do not produce detrimental effects in the medium to long term. An assessment of erosion rates and likely soil production rates suggests that the catchments are eroding soil at the rate it is being produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Einstein's integrals constitute one of the salient developments in theoretical sediment mechanics. An analysis of the accuracy and computational efficiency of proposed methods for the calculation of the Einstein's integrals is presented. First, the accuracy of those techniques is determined using comparisons against highly accurate numerical results. For an infinite series solution, a study of accuracy versus number of terms in the partial sum is performed. Then, the central processing unit (CPU) times of the procedures are determined and compared over a full set of Rouse numbers and relative bedload-layer thicknesses. Finally, parallel versions of the methods are presented, and their parallel efficiency is assessed. Based on the criteria of accuracy, CPU time, and parallelization efficiency, it is concluded that the method by Guo and Julien, with modifications by Srivastava, is overall more efficient for implementation in sediment-transport codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of sediment transport comes largely from studies conducted on well-sorted sand-bed and poorly sorted gravel-bed channels. The aim of this study is to evaluate cross-channel patterns of transport rate and grain size in a poorly sorted sand-bed channel. Transport observations were collected from the San Antonio River using a Helley-Smith sampler during flows from 0.02 to 1.1 times bankfull capacity. Resulting transport rates and grain size distributions were pooled to describe eight sections across a channel transect that includes the lower bank and compared to local boundary material. Maximum transport rates are concentrated in the central zone of the streambed regardless of flow level, but gravels and coarse sands are conveyed preferentially on one side of the bed. Grain size distributions change relatively little with flow and approximate the local bed material supply. The size distributions associated with smaller transport rates near the channel margin become finer and more closely approximate the size characteristics of bank material at higher flows. Results extend patterns of differential routing of grain sizes to channel banks and establish the relative fluxes between the bed and bank environments. The small gravel content in poorly sorted sand beds requires further attention because it can contribute to cross-channel variation in sediment fluxes, limit the development of sandy bedforms, and influence the quality of streambed habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine eight steep slope forested headwater catchments (15–100 ha). • Bedload organic carbon (OC), soil carbon and dissolved OC was measured. • OC in the bedload was found to be significantly related to catchment area. • Dissolved OC export in stream water declined with catchment area. • There was no difference in OC export from the harvested and non-harvest catchments. Qualitative and quantitative understandings of the origin, transport and fate of organic carbon (OC) in forest systems is needed to advance our understanding of biogeochemical cycling as well as catchment management and forest harvesting. Here we present the findings from eight steep slope forested catchments dominated by headwater streams (size range 15–100 ha) in south eastern Australia where bedload, organic carbon in bedload, hillslope soil carbon together with dissolved organic carbon has been measured over multiple years. OC in the bedload was found to be significantly related to catchment area (p < 0.02). Dissolved organic carbon export in stream water declined with catchment area. Combined bedload organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon export was significantly related to catchment area. There was no significant difference between hillslope soil organic carbon and bedload organic carbon concentration. When corrected for area, OC export by bedload was not significantly different to that of dissolved OC export. Using the environmental tracer 137Cs it was found that there was no significant difference in tracer concentration between bedload and hillslope soil. This suggests a direct link between hillslope and channel and delivery of organic carbon to the channel. Of the eight catchments examined here, six had been harvested for timber in previous decades (with area of forest removed ranging from 25 to 60%) while two catchments had minimal disturbance (Control catchments- no harvest). There was no difference in organic carbon export from the harvested and Control catchments. The results demonstrate that although land disturbance had previously occurred the management practices employed in each catchment were effective in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine eight steep slope forested headwater catchments (15–100 ha). • Bedload organic carbon (OC), soil carbon and dissolved OC was measured. • OC in the bedload was found to be significantly related to catchment area. • Dissolved OC export in stream water declined with catchment area. • There was no difference in OC export from the harvested and non-harvest catchments. Qualitative and quantitative understandings of the origin, transport and fate of organic carbon (OC) in forest systems is needed to advance our understanding of biogeochemical cycling as well as catchment management and forest harvesting. Here we present the findings from eight steep slope forested catchments dominated by headwater streams (size range 15–100 ha) in south eastern Australia where bedload, organic carbon in bedload, hillslope soil carbon together with dissolved organic carbon has been measured over multiple years. OC in the bedload was found to be significantly related to catchment area (p < 0.02). Dissolved organic carbon export in stream water declined with catchment area. Combined bedload organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon export was significantly related to catchment area. There was no significant difference between hillslope soil organic carbon and bedload organic carbon concentration. When corrected for area, OC export by bedload was not significantly different to that of dissolved OC export. Using the environmental tracer 137Cs it was found that there was no significant difference in tracer concentration between bedload and hillslope soil. This suggests a direct link between hillslope and channel and delivery of organic carbon to the channel. Of the eight catchments examined here, six had been harvested for timber in previous decades (with area of forest removed ranging from 25 to 60%) while two catchments had minimal disturbance (Control catchments- no harvest). There was no difference in organic carbon export from the harvested and Control catchments. The results demonstrate that although land disturbance had previously occurred the management practices employed in each catchment were effective in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of velocity and suspended sediment concentration data from field measurements at Pearl Beach in New South Wales, Australia, reveals the existence of onshore currents in the close vicinity of the rippled bed, whereas the velocity is offshore directed farther up in the water column. This might be caused by wave-induced streaming beneath irregular waves over ripples. To test this hypothesis, a simple one-dimensional vertical bottom boundary layer model capable of capturing streaming was applied, yielding a qualitatively fair agreement between the predicted and measured mean velocity and suspended sediment concentration profiles, although the predicted suspended sediment concentration was 1 order of magnitude smaller. Overall, these model results support the hypothesis of the mean near-bed onshore velocity caused by wave-induced streaming over ripples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The confluence of the regulated Toltén River and its tributary the unregulated Allipén (south of Chile) has proved dynamic in the last decade. Daily bedload measurements with a Helley–Smith sampler, bed surveys, and grain-size distributions of the two rivers are obtained from a field campaign that lasts 3 months in high-flow season. The goals are to quantify total bedload and to understand the balance between tributary and main river and the bedload distribution in space and texture. The bedload transport varies 200-fold, with a maximum of 5000 t/day. The discharge varies five-fold, with a maximum of 900 m 3 /s. Two-thirds of the total bedload volume are transported through the deeper area of the cross section and gravel is predominant (64%). Average bedload volumes in the confluence seem unbalanced in favour of the tributary. Main river bedload transport is predominantly at below-capacity conditions, while the tributary bedload transport is at-capacity conditions. This is deemed the main reason of inaccuracy of the bedload predictors. The roles of entrainment into suspension, helical flow, partial transport, and mobile armour are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Elwha River restoration project, in Washington State, includes the largest dam-removal project in United States history to date. Starting September 2011, two nearly century-old dams that collectively contained 21 ± 3 million m 3 of sediment were removed over the course of three years with a top-down deconstruction strategy designed to meter the release of a portion of the dam-trapped sediment. Gauging with sediment-surrogate technologies during the first two years downstream from the project measured 8,200,000 ± 3,400,000 tonnes of transported sediment, with 1,100,000 and 7,100,000 t moving in years 1 and 2, respectively, representing 3 and 20 times the Elwha River annual sediment load of 340,000 ± 80,000 t/y. During the study period, the discharge in the Elwha River was greater than normal (107% in year 1 and 108% in year 2); however, the magnitudes of the peak-flow events during the study period were relatively benign with the largest discharge of 292 m 3 /s (73% of the 2-year annual peak-flow event) early in the project when both extant reservoirs still retained sediment. Despite the muted peak flows, sediment transport was large, with measured suspended-sediment concentrations during the study period ranging from 44 to 16,300 mg/L and gauged bedload transport as large as 24,700 t/d. Five distinct sediment-release periods were identified when sediment loads were notably increased (when lateral erosion in the former reservoirs was active) or reduced (when reservoir retention or seasonal low flows and cessation of lateral erosion reduced sediment transport). Total suspended-sediment load was 930,000 t in year 1 and 5,400,000 t in year 2. Of the total 6,300,000 ± 3,200,000 t of suspended-sediment load, 3,400,000 t consisted of silt and clay and 2,900,000 t was sand. Gauged bedload on the lower Elwha River in year 2 of the project was 450,000 ± 360,000 t. Bedload was not quantified in year 1, but qualitative observations using bedload-surrogate instruments indicated detectable bedload starting just after full removal of the downstream dam. Using comparative studies from other sediment-laden rivers, the total ungauged fraction of < 2-mm bedload was estimated to be on the order of 1.5 Mt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present a probabilistic/deterministic model for the evaluation of the sediment transport rate in a stream. Starting from Einstein’s theory, the approach was obtained by trying to overcome some of the intrinsic limitations. The approach is based on two distinct probability functions, one relevant to the detachment of grains and the second relevant to the length of particle jumps. The sediment transport rate is obtained by integrating the distribution of the ranges of the particle jumps multiplied by the average particle velocity. The relationship for the average ranges of particle jumps is an opportune combination of the Einstein and Yalin expressions. The final formulation was calibrated by means of a large number of experimental data and also by comparison with some of the most widely-used empirical formulas. The results show a better agreement between theory and experiments than do the other theories analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment-laden flows are a complex solid-fluid interaction process. This study presents a multimode morphodynamic model system combined with shallow water theory and a nonequilibrium assumption for sediment transport. The model system aims to simulate the morphological change caused by sediment-laden flows with various sediment transport modes. It involves three modules: a hydrodynamic module, a sediment transport module, and a morphological evolution module. The hydrodynamic model is governed by modified shallow water equations considering the interaction effects of flow and sediment. A flexible sediment transport model is presented that incorporates a weight coefficient. The model can adaptively choose an appropriate transport mode according to local, real-time flow conditions. Bedload, suspended load, and total mixed sediment load are all involved. The model is solved by a second-order Godunov-type finite-volume method that is robust and accurate. Validation is demonstrated through a series of test cases. The results indicate that the model can attain good agreement with measured data, thereby demonstrating the capabilities of the multimode morphodynamic model system in predicting sediment-laden flows and resulting morphological change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we used a bedload transport data set collected at North Fork Caspar Creek, California, to examine temporal variation in sediment transport rate over a 7-year period. Using a hierarchical mixed-effects model, we examined across and within-event variation to determine whether the bedload-shear stress relation trends over time. The relation between bedload transport and shear stress was modeled using log(Qb)α+β*log(τ)+ε, where α and β are constants and ε is an error term. Depending on the length of observation, α and β can vary over several orders of magnitude, making modeling of transport based on flow challenging and highly inaccurate. We found a higher order yearly relation between bedload and shear stress, indicating systematic changes to the system over time. In the absence of significant additions to the system, α decreases roughly linearly over time, while β does not show any trend. From the systematic decline in α, we infer changes to sediment availability in the stream over time. Mixed-effects models have the potential to be a useful predictive tool in fluvial geomorphology, as they are more powerful at detecting trends in sediment transport rates than individual linear regressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various forms of mass balance equations are commonly used in sediment transport studies and applications. However, the quantities involved in such equations are not always clearly defined, with sediment flux (or solid discharge) as a typical example. Starting with the fundamental definitions, this paper provides a general and consistent framework for integral (Eulerian) mass balances and gives scale-consistent definitions for instantaneous and time-averaged variables. In particular, alternative expressions for the instantaneous and averaged solid discharge are proposed and compared with the existing formulations. Conceptual developments of this study are illustrated using sediment transport data from laboratory experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Highlights: [•] We tested the effect of sediment transport on velocity measurement by acoustic Doppler. [•] Analysis was based on field observations and flume experiments in Spain, Israel and the UK. [•] Flow velocity was slightly underestimated with high suspended sediment concentrations. [•] Flow velocity was significantly underestimated in the presence of coarse bedload particles. [•] Starflow was found to be a valuable tool for discharge determination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bed-load sediment transport is important yet difficult to measure in large, sand-bed rivers. Prior work established in theory and validated in a flume study a method known as integrated section surface difference over time version 2 (ISSDOTv2), which computes bed-load transport using sequential three dimensional (3D) bathymetric profiles. The same work identified a source of systemic error leading to an underprediction of computed transport rates. This paper demonstrates how the systemic error can be removed from ISSDOTv2 calculations to produce a more accurate dune transport value. This is demonstrated by analytic and geometric examples, and with field data from the Missouri River at Kansas City. The results of these analyses indicate that field data do exhibit the systematic error and that it is possible to extrapolate a corrected dune bed-load transport rate from field data obtained at different measurement intervals. Additionally, error bounds on this corrected value can be set. Independent validation of the resulting transport rate was not attempted due to the unreliability of physical measurements for bed-load transport in large sand-bed rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sediment transport and storage in mountain stream channels are closely dependent on hillslope activities and bank erosion. This paper analyses bedload measured in 13 mountain streams (989 values with slope higher than 5%) in an attempt to investigate how much the sediment supply condition impacts bedload transport rates. First, the sediment supply condition of each stream was evaluated qualitatively using information available in the original studies. In the second step, the data set was analysed by comparing bedload transport rates considering a Shields stress ratio and by comparing transport rate efficiency with consideration of a dimensionless stream power. The two analyses indicate higher sediment transport rates for the streams identified as “connected” to an active source. The consequences for bedload transport prediction are discussed with a nonthreshold bedload equation. Even though predicting the exact sediment supply condition and the associated transport rate is not yet possible, this study suggests that defining an envelope delimiting minimum and maximum transport for a given river reach should be possible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We demonstrate that alluvial channel response to regulation depends on the characteristic mode of sediment transport in a channel and, thus, for a channel in supply-transport equilibrium, on the caliber of sediment mantling the channel bed, as well as changes in characteristic water discharge and sediment load. We find that regulated, coarse gravel- and cobble-bed alluvial rivers dominated by bedload transport are predicted and observed to preserve the value of a dimensionless ratio of characteristic water discharge, channel slope, width, and size of sedimentary particles mantling the bed associated with the critical conditions required for the onset of significant sediment transport. The covariant geomorphic adjustment of such rivers to regulation is independent of the degree of sediment impoundment, although the nature and rate of changes in any specific characteristic appear to be sensitive to changes in sediment supply. In contrast, covariant geomorphic changes in sand- and fine gravel-bed alluvial rivers dominated by weak suspension transport are predicted and observed to be dependent on the degree of sediment impoundment and commensurate with the change in the sediment concentration of characteristic, formative flows. In both cases, specific geomorphic characteristics of alluvial rivers exhibit varied responses to regulation in different rivers, but across all rivers a systematic covariation in channel slope, width, and grain size is observed that, for a given mode of sediment transport, preserves a characteristic value of the Shields number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed description of how recently-developed sediment dynamics formulations are incorporated into the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code is presented. The new approach is an extension of previous models and accounts for multiple sediment size classes, has a unified treatment of suspended load and bedload, and appropriately replicates bed armouring. The resulting flow, transport, and sediment dynamics model is an improvement to previous models because it may directly incorporate site-specific data, while maintaining a physically consistent, unified treatment of bedload and suspended load. Experimental data from a noncohesive sediment erosion experiment in a straight channel help validate the numerical model. In this simulation, unknown parameters representing the active layer thickness and the erosion rates of the two largest sediment size classes when they are newly deposited are identified from the available data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The partitioning of the total sediment load of a river into suspended load and bedload is an important problem in fluvial geomorphology, sedimentation engineering and sedimentology. Bedload transport rates are notoriously hard to measure and, at many sites, only suspended load data are available. Often the bedload fraction is estimated with ‘rule of thumb’ methods such as Maddock’s Table, which are inadequately field-tested. Here, the partitioning of sediment load for the Pitzbach is discussed, an Austrian mountain stream for which high temporal resolution data on both bedload and suspended load are available. The available data show large scatter on all scales. The fraction of the total load transported in suspension may vary between zero and one at the Pitzbach, while its average decreases with rising discharge (i.e. bedload transport is more important during floods). Existing data on short-term and long-term partitioning is reviewed and an empirical equation to estimate bedload transport rates from measured suspended load transport rates is suggested. The partitioning averaged over a flood can vary strongly from event to event. Similar variations may occur in the year-to-year averages. Using published simultaneous short-term field measurements of bedload and suspended load transport rates, Maddock’s Table is reviewed and updated. Long-term average partitioning could be a function of the catchment geology, the fraction of the catchment covered by glaciers and the extent of forest, but the available data are insufficient to draw final conclusions. At a given drainage area, scatter is large, but the data show a minimal fraction of sediment transported in suspended load, which increases with increasing drainage area and with decreasing rock strength for gravel-bed rivers, whereby in large catchments the bedload fraction is insignificant at ca 1%. For sand-bed rivers, the bedload fraction may be substantial (30% to 50%) even for large catchments. However, available data are scarce and of varying quality. Long-term partitioning varies widely among catchments and the available data are currently not sufficient to discriminate control parameters effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The three-dimensional numerical model COHERENS (COupled Hydrodynamical-Ecological model for REgioNal and Shelf seas) has been adapted to compute the rates of transport as bedload and suspended load of heterogeneous bottom sediments induced by the dominant M2 tide in the English Channel. A pre-processing of an extensive surficial sediments dataset has been performed to determine the seabed composition (grain-size distribution or presence of rocks) at the computational grid nodes. Maximum bedload and suspended load transport rates over the tidal cycle as well as the contributions of the 10 different sedimentary classes to the mean transports are computed. Highest sediment transport rates occur in fine sediments areas located in the surroundings of high shear stresses areas. Medium sand is found to be predominant in bedload, while suspension load implies mainly silts in the inner shoreface and both fine and medium sands in the outer shoreface. The offshore residual bedload transport pathways are orientated westerly in the western part of the Channel and easterly in the eastern part defining a “parting” zone which runs from the Isle of Wight to the Cotentin Peninsula. An offshore “bedload convergence” occurs in the southwest of the Dover Strait; a narrow transport pathway bypassing it along the French coastline. These features reproduce those predicted by and provide higher resolution features like inshore headland-induced gyres, particularly along the English coastline. The new predicted general pattern of residual suspended load transport is very similar to the bedload pattern. Differences arise in the central “divergence” zone which exhibits a “Y” shape with two branches ending on both sides of the Isle of Wight, in the Baie de Seine characterized by a central “convergence” and along the English coastline studded with many headland-induced recirculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Short-term channel dynamics of mountain stream reaches in the southern North Island of New Zealand were assessed over two successive 3-month periods using morphological budgeting. Response to floods varies between reaches, even when the catchments were located close to each other and had similar characteristics. The reaches on the Central Volcanic Plateau experienced least morphological change, while streams with steep catchments and migrating planform in the Tararua and Ruahine Ranges showed frequent channel adjustments. Channel response is conditioned by intrinsic variables rendering reaches responsive or robust to the effects of floods, and this is likely to reflect the degree of connectivity between slopes and channels, and reaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigates sediment mobility in a large gravel-bed river (Tagliamento River, northeastern Italy). Field data were used to identify the morphological effectiveness of a range of flows (floods with recurrence interval <1 to 3.5 year) and for a detailed analysis of the partial transport condition. The analyses were carried out on three cross sections where a number of areas representative of different morphological units (main and secondary channels, low and high bars, islands) were painted. Grain size of the painted area was measured using a photographic method. Monitoring of bed mobility during the study period supplied new photographs of the painted areas, measurements of size and travel distance of the mobilized particles, and estimate of flow depth after each flood event. Our analyses have shown that with dimensionless shear stress around 0.073 (17 N m− 2), the morphological effect over the painted areas was primarily partial transport; while with stresses >0.1 (25 N m− 2), the bed experienced full mobility, i.e., all the painted particles were transported or totally buried. Full sediment mobility was observed on lower morphological units (i.e., main and secondary channels) under floods with very high frequency (RI <1 y), whereas on the low bars full mobility occurred under floods with a recurrence interval slightly >1 year. Instead, fine deposition and partial transport conditions were observed on the higher bars even after the largest of the monitored floods (RI =3.5 y). The analysis of the partial transport condition relies on more than 3500 measurements of particle travel distance (travel distances range from a few centimetres up to 22 m). The transported particles were generally finer than the painted sediments, and the analysis of the sediment transport ratio revealed that partial transport occurred under equal-mobility conditions for particles finer than 32 mm and under size-selective mobility for coarser fractions. This appears to be corroborated (for D <32 mm) by the insensitiveness of particle transport distance to particle sizes, even if the exponent (≈1) of the relationship between the dimensionless shear stress and the maximum transported diameter would suggest that all fractions are transported under equal-mobility conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The grain-size fractions in the bedload transported over the five heterogeneous sediment beds of different values of bed roughness were computed from the flume experiments. The existence of an entrapment factor associated with the sorting observed from the bed to active layer was modeled based on the modified critical shear stress to estimate the grain-size fractions in the transport layer under given hydraulic conditions. The efficiency of these models was tested with the observed data. Subsequently, the patterns of observed grain-size distributions in the transport layer were tested to identify the distributions developed in the active layer due to sorting using three probability density functions (pdf), such as, log-normal, log-hyperbolic and log-skew-Laplace. Tests indicated that a log-skew-Laplace distribution fitted best for 49%, a log-hyperbolic for 31%, and a log-normal for 20% out of forty-five bedload samples collected under unidirectional flow with changes in flow discharge and bed roughness. The results of this study would be useful to specify the grain-size distributions in the bedload formed under different hydrodynamic conditions in various sedimentary environments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The upper Columbia River, British Columbia, Canada, shows typical anastomosing morphology — multiple interconnected channels that enclose floodbasins — and lateral channel stability. We analysed field data on hydraulic and sedimentary processes and show that the anastomosing morphology of the upper Columbia River is caused by sediment (bedload) transport inefficiency, in combination with very limited potential for lateral bank erosion because of very low specific stream power (≤2.3 W/m2) and cohesive silty banks. In a diagram of channel type in relation to flow energy and median grain size of the bed material, data points for the straight upper Columbia River channels cluster separately from the data points for braided and meandering channels. Measurements and calculations indicate that bedload transport in the anastomosing reach of the upper Columbia River decreases downstream. Because of lateral channel stability no lateral storage capacity for bedload is created. Therefore, the surplus of bedload leads to channel bed aggradation, which outpaces levee accretion and causes avulsions because of loss of channel flow capacity. This avulsion mechanism applies only to the main channel of the system, which transports 87% of the water and >90% of the sediment in the cross-valley transect studied. Because of very low sediment transport capacity, the morphological evolution of most secondary channels is slow. Measurements and calculations indicate that much more bedload is sequestered in the relatively steep upper anastomosing reach of the upper Columbia River than in the relatively gentle lower anastomosing reach. With anastomosing morphology and related processes (e.g., crevassing) being best developed in the upper reach, this confirms the notion of upstream rather than downstream control of upper Columbia River anastomosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The enduring legacy of the Yalin equation of bedload transport is evaluated. The derivation of the equation includes three innovative aspects: (i) a rigorous use of dimensional analysis to simplify the formulation; (ii) a consideration of the randomness of grain placement rather than turbulence, resulting in a definable threshold of motion; and (iii) the introduction of a physically based, dynamic model of grain saltation into a bedload transport theory. The original relation remains useful today. In addition, the treatment of saltation has inspired an innovative line of research that continues to evolve today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the model proposed by the authors to analyze the time-evolution of bedforms growing on the surface of an initially flat sand bed, the present study explores associated features of the bedform growth processes, including (i) mechanisms of growth, (ii) evolution of the bedform-induced drag, (iii) transition to antidunes, and (iv) non-equilibrium bedload sediment transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Coarse sediment transport processes in steep headwater streams may vary between bedload and debris flows events, depending on basin geomorphology and sediment supply. This paper compares two small catchments (drainage area 4–5km2) located in the Eastern Italian Alps where the dominant sediment transport processes differ substantially, i.e., debris flows in the Moscardo Torrent and bedload events in the Rio Cordon. The two basins were selected because they provided the unique opportunity to analyze long-term data of debris flow and bedload volumes, respectively. The two basins are compared in terms of peak discharge, event duration, and magnitude–frequency characteristics of transported sediment volumes. Additional bedload data from two more Alpine experimental basins are also considered. The results show that, for comparable recurrence intervals, debris flow volumes are 2–3 orders of magnitude larger than bedload volumes. This contrasting sediment transfer activity can be attributed to different basin and channel morphologies, which are analyzed in terms of sediment supply conditions, longitudinal profiles and slope–area curves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The relative importance of snowmelt versus rain-generated floods on sediment transport in arctic streams is largely unknown because studies documenting either event-type are rare. An August 2002 precipitation event produced the largest discharge level (snowmelt or rain) over the previous ten-year period of hydrologic and geomorphologic monitoring in the Upper Kuparuk River, Alaska providing an opportunity to document the geomorphologic response to of an arctic stream to an extreme event. In this study we document the geomorphologic response and estimate the bedload transport rate using the virtual velocity method. This flood mobilized virtually the entire bed, with the exception of random boulders greater than 0.5 m. The channel cross-section and water edge survey data illustrate the considerable morphologic response generated by the flood. The magnitude of this response resulted in only a 13% tracer rock recovery rate. The total bedload transport was estimated to be 870 m³ of bed material through the study cross sections. Channel morphology, and therefore habitat, is maintained by large and infrequent summer rain events. These events, particularly when they occur in the late summer months, when active layer depth is at its greatest, have the potential to generate orders of magnitude more bedload transport than a snowmelt runoff event. It is unclear, however, if the lack of significant bedload transport during snowmelt is due to protection by bedfast ice or if flows are insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our ability to predict beach erosion above the still water level (SWL) is still not satisfactory due to the lack of adequate technology to accurately measure the sediment concentration and velocity in very shallow water, including the swash zone where the beach face is intermittently covered with water and exposed to the atmosphere. A simple procedure is proposed here to improve our predictive capability for the particular case of scarping erosion caused by wind-generated waves above the SWL. If the slope at the steep scarp is larger than the limiting slope of the internal sediment friction, the steep face is assumed to be eroded due to the computed offshore sediment transport at the toe of the scarp. The bedload and suspended sediment transport at the toe of the scarp was computed using a time-averaged model that includes the steep bottom slope effect. The model was validated against a novel experiment in a multidirectional wave basin, where scarping was reproduced. The water level was raised in four steps to reproduce the shoreface erosion, berm overwash and berm erosion, successively. Horizontal and tilted berms were tested against similar normal incident irregular waves to compare the performance of the profile without and with ponding, respectively. For the tilted case, ponding appeared when the tilted berm was overtopped. No ponding was observed for the horizontal berm test even when the berm was overtopped. The predictability was estimated using the Brier skill score (BSS). The predictability of the scarping was good (BSS ≥ 0.6) for the horizontal berm test and fair (BSS ≥ 0.4) for the tilted berm test. This decrease in the predictability may be related to the ponding, which is not included in the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The greatest change in particle roundness, sphericity, and size in most fluvial systems generally occurs in the initial first few kilometers of sediment transport. Observations in natural settings and laboratory experiments have shown that changes, such as increased grain rounding and decreased size due to particle breakage, wear, and attrition, tend to be progressive along the dispersal path. In marked contrast, this study records highly variable and poorly developed particle-texture trends downslope along short (<5 km) channels that extend directly from a high-relief carbonate source area down to the shore of Lake Annecy in the western Alps, SE France. The observed inconsistent patterns are measured in both a region-wide analysis using all collected samples and also in a more specific survey of samples in six different channels incised on the steep, topographically irregular mountain flanks that border the lake. The major factor responsible for the irregular downslope patterns of roundness, sphericity, and size in the Annecy study area is the lateral introduction of sediment into the fluvial channels along dispersal paths. Episodic failure of mechanically unstable sediments and their transport down steep valley walls bring less-abraded sediment of variable shape and size along the dispersal paths. The valley wall sediment influx factor warrants further examination to better interpret sedimentation processes in dissected, high-gradient terrains that border coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The boundary layer flow and the net sediment transport beneath asymmetrical waves have been examined by a turbulence boundary layer model in conjunction with a diffusion model for suspended sediments based on the linearized boundary layer equations with horizontally uniform forcing. The turbulence closure is provided by a high Reynolds number k–ε model. The flow model and sediment transport model have been verified against existing laboratory measurements for sheet flow conditions. Overall, these comparisons show that the mean (wave-averaged) velocity profile, sediment flux and total sediment transport (including mean bedload transport) are well predicted by the present model. A further investigation of the boundary layer structure shows the mechanisms causing the near-bed backflow (opposing the drift direction of the outer wave velocity). The effect of roughness and asymmetry on the mean boundary layer flow and sediment transport beneath asymmetrical waves have been investigated. The wave friction factor, the mean bedload transport and the mean velocity profiles are given for a wide range of near-bed wave excursion to bed roughness ratios. Moreover, for asymmetrical waves with the same mean drift velocity, but with different asymmetry, the wave with strongest asymmetry induces the largest mean sediment transport. This demonstrates the importance of wave asymmetry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Formulae for bedload transport of sediments in conditions characteristic of coastal waters are developed from principles of physics. They cover driving forces of: current alone, current plus symmetrical waves, current plus asymmetrical waves, asymmetrical waves alone, and integrated longshore transport. In each case the transport is given as one or more analytical functions of the basic input variables. The formulae are tested against laboratory and field data, and give predictions that lie within a factor of 2 of the measured values for between 47% and 91% of the data, depending on the driving force. The formulae are suited to practical application in coastal waters, especially for transport of coarse materials such as shingle, and also for the bedload component of transport of sand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]