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Knowing the amount of sediment transported in rivers is important in river and hydraulic engineering. In essence, sediment transport process is very complex, whose direct measurement is not only challenging but also costly. In this regard, several equations have been developed to estimate sediment discharge, while their estimations may be an order of magnitudes different from one another under specific circumstances. In a bid to improve the estimation of sediment transport, this study proposed a new data-driven equation based on 543 reliable field measurements at 25 rivers using the Modified honey bee mating optimization (MHBMO) algorithm. The data include mean flow velocity, water surface slope, mean flow depth, median particle size, water surface width, suspended load, and bed load measured in the field. The performance of the new equation was compared to those of Yang, Engelund and Hansen, Shen and Hung, and Ackers and White using 6 metrics. Moreover, another nature-inspired optimization algorithm, i.e., genetic algorithm (GA) was employed to enhance the comparison. Based on the results, the MHBMO-based equation outperformed other estimation models and served as the best method in the ranking analysis. For instance, it improves the determination coefficient of Yang's equation, which is one of the widely-used equations recommended by the United States Bureau of Reclamation by 15.2%. Despite being ranked the second, the GA-based equation was only marginally less precise than the MHBMO-based model. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis indicates that the sediment load is mostly sensitive to mean flow depth. Finally, it is postulated that applications of nature-inspired algorithms can help to improve the estimation of sediment transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Sediment bed surfaces exist widely in natural rivers, and many aspects in river dynamics are closely relevant to bed surface roughness, such as flow structure, river resistance and sediment transport. As two important parameters for quantifying bed surface roughness, how average particle size and non-uniformity affect bed surface structure is unknown. Therefore, nine groups of sediment samples with different average particle sizes or different non-uniformities were firstly prepared by screening dry natural sediments. Then, the prepared sediment samples were used to manually pave nine groups of bed surfaces, and the high-precise bed surface digital elevations were obtained by a handheld 3D laser scanner. Finally, the effects exerted by the average particle size and non-uniformity on the bed surface fractal properties were discussed. The results showed that there is only a scale-free range in a profile or a two-dimensional specific direction of a bed surface with normal-distributed particle gradation. The averaged scale-free upper limit in the two-dimensional specific directions and that related to many profiles are less affected by the non-uniformity, but more affected by the average particle size. For the bed surfaces with the same non-uniformity, when the average particle size is smaller than 15 mm, the larger the average particle size is, the smaller the fractal dimension is, but the larger the scale coefficient is; when the average particle size is larger than 15 mm, the larger the average particle size is, the larger the fractal dimension and the scale coefficient are, while for the bed surfaces with the same average particle size, the non-uniformity has no significant effects on the fractal dimension and the scale coefficient. The averaged scale coefficient in the two-dimensional specific directions of an isotropic bed surface and that related to many profiles are approximately equal, but the averaged fractal dimension in the two-dimensional specific directions is obviously larger than that plus 1 related to many profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manuscript presents the results of an aggradation experiment performed in a laboratory channel with supercritical flow. The channel was fed with a stationary sediment load exceeding the transport capacity of the flow in the initial condition, thus inducing sediment aggradation and an increase of the bed slope. The experiment is part of a laboratory campaign mimicking sediment overloading in mountain rivers, a process that can determine increased hydraulic risk levels at key spots. A crucial issue in measuring sediment aggradation is the definition and determination of the bed elevation, this issue being quite relevant in experiments with a relatively large transport capacity, where a thick bed-load layer exists and hinders the possibility to determine with confidence a reference bed elevation. The determination of the bed elevation, in turn, impacts the quantification of a number of properties, including the initial sediment transport capacity of the flow, temporal scales of the aggradation process, water depth and Froude number. The manuscript presents a sensitivity analysis of the results to two extreme definitions for the bed elevation: the first one locates the bed at the upper edge of the bed-load layer, while the second one at the lower edge of the bed-load layer where the particles do not move. The presentation of the two alternatives is focused on the experimental methods they use, consistently with the intent of the special issue. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the definition of the bed elevation also has a major impact on numerical models of the process. The experimental results have been reproduced numerically, demonstrating that the calibration parameters returning a best fit are also impacted significantly by how the bed is defined. The preferred definition for analyzing an experimental campaign is locating the bed below the bed-load layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing and operating a harmonized sediment monitoring system along large rivers such as the Danube River is a challenging international task. As an element of such a system, a new monitoring site with state-of-the-art instrumentation is currently under development in the Upper-Hungarian section of the Danube River. The monitoring station will consist of a near-bank optical backscatter sensor and a horizontal acoustic Doppler current profiler (H-ADCP). As previous studies showed, the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) that is continuously measured with near-bank sensors can significantly enhance the temporal resolution of sediment transport monitoring. However, sediment plumes from tributary inflows upstream of the monitoring station can alter the detected near-bank concentrations, eventually biasing the sediment load estimation. Such an influence is likely in the cross-section of the planned monitoring station, therefore, a thorough preliminary analysis of the cross-sectional variation of the SSC was performed, based on expeditionary sediment measurement campaigns. Between 2018 and 2021 24 campaigns were carried out at different hydrological regimes, where physical sediment samplings together with fixed and moving boat ADCP measurements were performed. The cross-sectional variability of SSC and its influence on the sediment load estimations were assessed based on the moving boat ADCP measurements, after calibrating the backscatter signal with more than 500 physical samples. Based on the results, we identified different cross-sectional patterns of the SSC which is apparently governed by: (i) the actual hydrological situation considering both the main river and the tributary, and (ii) the local river morphology. Based on our findings, we suggested a correction method that accounts for the above effects, using which the near-bank SSC can be reliably converted into total suspended sediment load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge and management of hydraulic processes including flow pattern, sediment transport, and flood level prediction in natural rivers require proper understanding of interactions between flood flow and vegetation in floodplains. This study examined the flow structures and turbulence parameters in an asymmetric non-prismatic compound channel with different vegetation densities in divergent floodplain. Due to existence of vegetation, the bed shear stresses in the middle and end of the divergence floodplain decrease 78.5% and 86%, respectively. Also, the depth-averaged velocity in vegetated floodplain diminishing by about 60% and 69%. The results revealed that the production and dissipation of Reynolds shear stresses and the formed shear layer depend on the vortex shedding frequency formed behind each single rod and is very unstable. Finally, some equations were presented to estimate friction factor based on rod Reynolds number, calculate the frequency of the vortices generated behind the elements and the local drag coefficient. [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]

One of the natural disasters caused by river meandering is riverbank erosion, which creates social, economic, and environmental problems in the riparian zone and serves as a source of increasing sedimentation levels in the river. Riverbank erosion and bank failure create a complex cyclical process, such as riverbank retreat, which cannot be easily measured and predicted by any model. The meandering flow along the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river has created riverbank erosion and riverbank retreat conditions in several areas, through which measuring bank stability and erosion is quite complex. As a result, the BSTEM model, integrating with HEC-RAS, has been used in this article to measure riverbank erosion and retreat accurately. Riverbank erosion and retreat data for 2019–2020 have been simulated based on data observed from 2016 to 2018 for accurate measurement. In addition, the total sediment yielded from the river bank has been calibrated and simulated with the help of sediment transport formulation in HEC-RAS, which indicates a gradual increase in river erosion at present (2019–2020). This model is expected to help formulate government policy on protecting riverbank erosion and river restoration in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River morphological dynamics are complex phenomena in natural and environmental flows. In particular, the sediment transport around braid mid-channel bars has not gained enough understanding from previous research. The effect of submergence ratio on the turbulence behavior in the proximity of the bar has been investigated in this study. The spatial distribution of turbulent flow in the proximity of bar has been studied by plotting the depth-averaged two-dimensional contours of turbulent kinetic energy. The high value of TKE has been observed in regions just downstream from the bar. It is due to the vortex shedding occurring in that region. The interaction of sweep and ejection events have been analyzed using the parameter Dominance Function obtained from the ratio of occurrence probability of ejection events to the occurrence probability of sweep events. This outcome indicates that the depth averaged parameter Dominance Function has successfully predicted the high scouring region which makes it an ideal parameter for analyzing the scour phenomena in real-world water management projects. The high scouring zone lies in the close proximity of the bar. This shows that the scouring effect from the bar is limited to its close region. The magnitude of scouring occurring at the upstream region of the bar also increases with the increment of submergence ratio. The relationship of quadrant event inclination angles with the sediment transport occurring in the proximity of bar has been also studied, where an Angle Ratio parameter has been utilized for linking the bed elevation change with the inclination angle. The results indicate that the AR parameter has been successfully tested in this study to show its competence to represent the turbulent burst-induced bed sedimentation and scouring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the use of numerical models for reproducing the evolution of river systems and landscapes is part of the day-by-day research activities of fluvial engineers and geomorphologists. However, despite landscape evolution modelling is based on a rather long tradition, and scientists and practitioners are studying how to schematize the processes involved in the evolution of a landscape since decades, there is still the need for improving the knowledge of the physical mechanisms and their numerical coding. Updating past review papers, the present work focuses on the first aspect, discussing six main components of a landscape evolution model, namely continuity of mass, hillslope processes, water flow, erosion and sediment transport, soil properties, vegetation dynamics. The more common schematizations are discussed in a plain language, pointing out the current knowledge and possible open questions to be addressed in the future, towards an improvement of the reliability of such kind of models in describing the evolution of fluvial landscapes and river networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upstream damming greatly altered the flow and sediment regime entering downstream reaches in the Middle Yangtze River, and the bed material in a sand–gravel bed reach coarsened continuously, which had a significant influence on the sediment transport and bed evolution. In order to study the riverbed armoring, the sediment exchange process (SEP) among bed material, bed load and suspended load in a sand–gravel bed river is firstly clarified, and then, the three-state transition probability model (Markov chain) is proposed in this study, with the hiding-exposure effect of non-uniform sediment being considered. Finally, the equilibrium equation of sediment quantity in an active layer is presented to calculate the grain size distribution of bed material. In this model, the influences of flow and sediment conditions, riverbed erosion and deposition on the SEP are discussed. The results show that the composition of surface bed material at the Zhicheng station became obviously coarse, and the median grain size (d50) of surface bed material increased from 0.230 to 0.424 mm in 2003–2017, with an upward increasing trend. The proposed probabilistic model was validated against field measurements of bed material, and calculated results show reasonable agreement with the measured data at Zhicheng. Accordingly, the probabilistic model can be used to predict the riverbed armoring and to investigate the non-equilibrium transport of non-uniform sediment in a sand–gravel bed river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sheds light on the formulation of a new equilibrium local scour depth equation around a pier. The total bed materials removed from the scour hole due to the force exerted by the flowing fluid after colliding with the pier in the flow field are estimated. At the equilibrium condition, the shape of the scour hole around the pier may take any form, viz. linear, circular, parabolic, triangular, or combination of different shapes. To consider that, two functions are assumed at the stoss and the lee sides of the pier. The total volume of bed materials removed from the scour hole of an arbitrary shape at the stoss and the lee sides of the pier is obtained by integrating the two functions. The equilibrium scour depth is formed by applying the energy balance theorem. An example problem is illustrated and the results are compared with the equations presented by Melville and Coleman (Bridge scour. Water Resources Publication, Colorado, 2000) and HEC-18 (Richardson and Davis in Evaluating scour at bridges, HEC-18. Technical report no. FHWA NHI, 2001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooding events are rising across European watercourses because of changing climatic conditions and anthropogenic pressure. To deal with these events, the European Floods Directive requires the development of flood risk management plans regularly updated every 6 years, where areas affected by flood risk and relative management strategies should be identified. Along the Directive, sediment transport and morphological changes in freshwater environments like rivers are only marginally considered, leading to a possibly wrong estimate of the impact of floods in the case of watercourses in which sediment transport represents a fundamental component. Using the Secchia River in Italy as a case study, the paper compares two numerical simulations performed with the freeware iRIC suite, imposing the same boundary conditions but comparing fixed and mobile bed. The obtained results pinpoint the importance of considering sediment transport in drawing flooding scenarios for alluvial sandy rivers. As suggested by this example, for the incoming revisions of the flood risk management plans, forecasted by 2021, water managers should account for the dynamic behaviour of surface watercourses, considering sediments not only as a driver of pollutants but also as a key aspect that shapes the environment and should be considered in modelling future scenarios and drawing associated management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of an experimental study on the countermeasure of scour depth at circular piers are presented. Experiments were conducted for pier scour with and without a splitter plate under a steady, uniform clear-water flow condition. The results of pier scour without splitter plate were used as a reference. Different combinations of lengths and thicknesses of splitter plates were tested attaching each of them to a pier at the upstream vertical plane of symmetry. Two different median sediment sizes ( d = 0.96 and 1.8 mm) were considered as bed sediment. The experimental results show that the scour depth consistently decreases with an increase in splitter plate length, while the scour depth remains independent of splitter plate thickness. In addition, temporal evolution of scour depth at piers with and without a splitter plate is observed. The best combination is found to be with a splitter plate thickness of b/5 and a length of 2 b. Here, b denotes the pier diameter. An empirical formula for the estimation of equilibrium scour depth at piers with splitter plates is obtained from a multiple linear regression analysis of the experimental data. The flow fields for various combinations of circular piers with and without splitter plate including plain bed and equilibrium scour conditions were measured by using an acoustic Doppler velocimeter. The turbulent flow fields for various configurations are investigated by plotting the velocity vectors and the turbulent kinetic energy contours on vertical and horizontal planes. The splitter plate attached to the pier deflects the approach flow and thus weakens the strength of the downflow and the horseshoe vortex, being instrumental in reducing the equilibrium scour depth at piers. The proposed method of pier scour countermeasure is easy to install and cost effective as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The installation of free falling jet grade control structures has become a popular choice for river bed stabilization. However, the formation and development of scour downstream of the structure may lead to failure of the structure itself. The current approaches to scour depth prediction are generally based on studies conducted with the absence of upward seepage. In the present study, the effects of upward seepage on the scour depth were investigated. A total of 78 tests without and with the application of upward seepage were carried out using three different sediment sizes, three different tailwater depths, four different flow discharges, and four different upward seepage flow discharge rates. In some tests, the three-dimensional components of the flow velocity within the scour hole were measured for both the cases with and without upward seepage. The scour depth measured for the no-seepage results compared well with the most accurate relationship found in the literature. It was found that generally the upward seepage reduced the downward velocity components near the bed, which led to a decrease in the maximum scour depth. A maximum scour depth reduction of 49% was found for a minimum tailwater depth, small sediment size, and high flow discharge. A decay of the downward velocity vector within the jet impingement was found due to the upward seepage flow velocity. The well known equation of D'Agostino and Ferro was modified to account for the effect of upward seepage, which satisfactorily predicted the experimental scour depth, with a reasonable average error of 10.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental and theoretical identification of hydrodynamic equilibrium for sediment transport and bed response to wave motion are considered. The comparison between calculations and the results of laboratory experiments indicates the linear relation between sediment transport rate and the thickness zm of bed layer in which sediments are in apparent rectilinear motion. This linear relationship allows to use the first order 'upwind' numerical scheme of FDM ensuring an accurate solution of equation for changes in bed morphology. However, it is necessary to carry out a decomposition of the sediment transport into transport in onshore direction during wave crest and offshore direction during wave trough. Further, the shape of bed erosion in response to sediment transport coincides with the trapezoid envelope or with part of it, when some sediments still remain within it. Bed erosion area is equal to the one of a rectangle with thickness zm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results of a field investigation conducted to examine the bed sediment, riverbed morphology and flow structure over dunes in natural and regulated channels. Field measurements using an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) have been carried out on two parts of lowland Wilga River in Poland. It is shown that the bedforms with a low angle of lee side develop more frequently than asymmetrical dunes with high lee-side angles, which are mostly associated with the occurrence of local scours and river meanders. Wavenumber analysis of bed elevation confirms the existence of scaling region in the longitudinal wavenumber spectrum, with '−3' scaling exponents for the natural and regulated channels as well. Moreover, the results of flow velocity field are presented in the form of a 2-D streamwise-vertical vector field, showing several similarities to previous laboratory and field investigations conducted on much deeper rivers than the Wilga. The experimental campaign and methods used to obtain the results are also presented briefly. In addition, a short database of fluvial dunes statistics is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents theoretical analyses and experimental results of seepage effects, especially downward seepage, on the initiation of cohesionless sediment particles. The theoretical analysis examines how the additional seepage force acts to modify the critical shear stress for sediment entrainment. Laboratory experiments were conducted using medium sand with diameter of 0.9 mm with downward seepage to quantitatively show suction effects on sediment entrainment. The critical shear stresses with different suction rates were calculated using the experimental results. The measured data together with published results provide an overall view on seepage effects on the initiation of cohesionless sediment transport. Depending on whether seepage is in the form of injection or suction, it will either increase or decrease the critical shear stress. The result reveals that the ratio of drag force at the threshold condition with seepage to that without seepage is dependent on the ratio of the hydraulic gradient with seepage to its value at the quick condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flux of sediments over a line perpendicular to the main flow direction was measured during experiments of weak one-dimensional bed load. The standard definition of solid discharge through a boundary is a straightforward issue, yet the dependence of resulting values on the spatial and temporal scales used as a support for measurement is not. In this work, first- and second-order statistics of sediment transport rates were analyzed as scale-dependent quantities. The spatial scales used were significantly larger than the particle size, while the temporal scales covered a two-orders-of-magnitude range enabling the physical time scales of the single particles to be appreciated. In addition, the relationship between sediment fluxes, process intermittency and particle interarrival times was investigated. Proper knowledge of the scale-dependence of statistical properties of sediment transport fluxes may allow for adequate design of measuring campaigns (both in the laboratory and field) and for sound interpretation of data from multiple sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent investigations on the dynamics of the turbulent horseshoe vortex system (THV) around cylindrical piers have shown that the rich coherent dynamics of the vortical structures is dominated by low-frequency bimodal fluctuations of the velocity field. In spite of these advances, many questions remain regarding the changes of the flow and sediment transport dynamics as scour progresses. In this investigation we carry out laboratory experiments to register the development of the scour hole around a cylindrical pier in a fine-sand bed ( d = 0.36 mm). We use the bathymetry measured in the experiment to simulate the flow field employing the detached-eddy simulation approach (DES), which has shown to resolve most of the turbulent stresses around surface-mounted obstacles. From these simulations we compare the dynamics of the THV to the flat-bed case, and analyze the effects on particle transport and sediment flux using the Lagrangian particle model of Escauriaza and Sotiropoulos (2011b) to study the impact of the changes of the flow on the sediment dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3D Lagrangian model of the saltation of solid spherical particles on the bed of an open channel flow, accounting for turbulence-induced mechanisms, is proposed and employed as the key tool of the study. The differences between conventional 2D models and a proposed 3D saltation model are discussed and the advantages of the 3D model are highlighted. Particularly, the 3D model includes a special procedure allowing generation of 3D flow velocity fields. This procedure is based on the assumption that the spectra of streamwise, vertical and transverse velocity components are known at any distance from the bed. The 3D model was used to identify and quantify effects of turbulence on particle entrainment and saltation. The analysis of particle trajectories focused on their diffusive nature, clarifying: (i) the effect of particle mobility parameter; (ii) the effect of bed topography; and (iii) the effect of turbulence. Specifically, the results of numerical simulations describing the abovementioned effects on the change in time of the variance are presented. In addition, the change in time of the skewness and kurtosis, which are likely to reflect the turbulence influence on the spread of particles, are also shown. Two different diffusion regimes (local and intermediate) for each of the investigated flow conditions are confidently identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is devoted to quantify the near-bed turbulence parameters in mobile-bed flows with bed-load transport. A reduction in near-bed velocity fluctuations due to the decrease of flow velocity relative to particle velocity of the transporting particles results in an excessive near-bed damping in Reynolds shear stress (RSS) distributions. The bed particles are associated with the momentum provided from the flow to maintain their motion overcoming the bed resistance. It leads to a reduction in RSS magnitude over the entire flow depth. In the logarithmic law, the von Kármán coefficient decreases in presence of bed-load transport. The turbulent kinetic energy budget reveals that for the bed-load transport, the pressure energy diffusion rate near the bed changes sharply to a negative magnitude, implying a gain in turbulence production. According to the quadrant analysis, sweep events in mobile-bed flows are the principal mechanism of bed-load transport. The universal probability density functions for turbulence parameters given by Bose and Dey have been successfully applied in mobile-bed flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this coupled experimental and numerical study is to provide insight into the mean and turbulent flow fields within an array of fully submerged, isolated, immobile boulders. Our study showed that the velocity defect law performed well for describing the mean flow around the boulder within the array. A prerequisite, however, was to accurately estimate the spatial variability of u* around the boulder, which was achieved via the boundary characteristics method. The u* exhibited considerable spatial variability within the array and form roughness was shown to be up to 2 times larger than the skin roughness in the boulder near-wake region. Because the boulders bear a significant amount of the flow shear, the available bed shear stress for entrainment of the mobile sediment, τ, near the boulders was roughly 50% lower than the ambient τ. The τ variability induced by the boulders could lead to a threefold overestimation of the sediment transport rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretically-based methodology is presented for the determination of bed load transport from high-resolution measurements of bed surface elevations for steady-state or developing dunes. The methodology is based on the general form of the Exner equation for sediment continuity and requires information on the distribution of sediment volume concentration as well as the migration velocity of bed layers. In order to determine layer speeds, a new method based on cross-correlation analysis of elevation slices is proposed. The methodology is tested using artificially-created data as well as data from a physical model and from a flume study of developing bed forms. The analyses show the applicability of the method to determine bed load transport without the need to introduce assumptions about the form of the migrating surface. It is shown that predicted transport rates match measured or theoretical transport rates for steadily moving bed forms of an arbitrary shape. The method can also be used to predict transport rates over deforming bed forms, with the reasons for potential deviations between predicted and measured or theoretical transport rates for deforming bed forms identified and discussed. It is further shown that a simplified bulk-surface approach, that is relatively straightforward to apply and in which it is assumed that bed-layer velocity is constant with depth, gives results that are comparable to analyses based on determined bed-layer velocity variation with depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of river bedform variability and complexity is important for sediment transport modeling as well as for characterization of river morphology. Alluvial bedforms are shown to exhibit highly nonlinear dynamics across a range of scales, affect local bed roughness, and vary with local hydraulic, hydrologic, and geomorphic properties. This paper examines sediment sorting on the crest and trough of gravel bedforms and relates it to bed elevation statistics. The data analysed here are the spatial and temporal series of bed elevation, grain size distribution of surface and subsurface bed materials, and sediment transport rates from flume experiments. We describe surface topography through bedform variability in height and wavelength and multiscale analysis of bed elevations as a function of discharge. We further relate bedform migration to preferential distribution of coarse and fine sediments on the troughs and crests, respectively, measuring directly surface and subsurface grain size distributions, and indirectly the small scale roughness variations as estimated from high resolution topographic scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Editor of Acta Geophysica and the Guest Editors wish to dedicate this Topical Issue on Sediment Transport Mechanics to the memory of Stephen Coleman, who died recently. During his career, Stephen had made an outstanding scientific contribution to the topic of Sediment Transport. The level of his contribution is demonstrated in the paper by Aberle, Coleman, and Nikora included in this issue, on which he started working before becoming aware of the illness that led to his untimely death. For scholars and colleagues Stephen remains an example of intellectual honesty and scientific insight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results are presented for a long-duration sediment transport experiment with a plane bed. High-frequency time series of sediment concentration, sediment velocity and solid discharge per unit width were measured using image analysis of video records. A range of transport intensities from a single experiment has been analysed considering transport at different distances from the sidewalls as an independent variable. First and second order temporal statistics of the spatially-averaged values of the transport parameters are presented, which are in agreement with previous studies. A refined statistical analysis of the sediment concentration dynamics, reflecting bed load process, is also given. The characteristic scales of the sediment concentration dynamics are evaluated and analyzed in conjunction with those of the near-bed and bulk flow fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sediment transport process on a flat bed was investigated experimentally, with reference to the relationship between the average solid discharge and the concentration and velocity of the moving grains. The instantaneous values of the quantities were measured and, therefore, it was possible to quantify the contribution of the temporal fluctuations of concentration and velocity to the resulting average sediment transport rate. Recognizing that the sediment transport process is an episodic phenomenon, an intermittency factor was defined and its contribution to the solid discharge, typically implicit in earlier formulations of the sediment flux, was highlighted. Conceptual analyses of the spatial scale dependence of the quantities were also made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]