Search

The prediction of river morphology evolution is very complicated, especially in the case of mountain and Piedmont rivers with complex morphologies, steep slopes, and heterogeneous grain sizes. The Lac des Gaves (LDG) reach, located within the Gave de Pau River in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, France, has precisely the complex morphological characteristics mentioned above. This reach has gone through severe sediment extractions for over 50 years, leading to the construction of two weirs for riverbed stabilisation. Two large floods resulted in changes in the LDG's hydromorphological characteristics as it went from a single channel river section to a braided river reach. In this study, a 2D hydromorphological model is developed with the TELEMAC-MASCARET system to reproduce the evolution of the channel following a flood that occurred in 2018. The model's validity is assessed by comparing the simulated topographic evolution to the observed one. The results reveal the challenge to choose well-fitted sediment transport equations and friction laws that would make it possible to reproduce such complex morphology. Although the exact localisation of the multiple channels forming the braided nature of the LDG was challenging to reproduce, our model was able to provide reliable volumetric predictions as it reproduces the filling of the LDG correctly. The influence of the two weirs on the river's current and future morphology is also studied. The aim is to provide decision-makers with more reliable predictions to design suitable restoration measures for the LDG reach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment transport is a key process that affects the morphology and ecological habitat diversity of rivers. As part of a gravel augmentation program to mitigate sediment deficit below a dam, gravel mobility in the Ain River in Eastern France was investigated by tracking of a large amount (n = 1,063) of PIT‐tagged gravels in the field, conducting a probabilistic approach based on published tracer studies, and performing two‐dimensional (2D) numerical modeling of flow and bedload transport. This comparative study highlights the strengths, weaknesses, and complementary aspects of the three approaches to the understanding of river gravel mobility. Thanks to recent technological improvements, PIT‐tagged gravels provide an increasingly reliable and accurate representation of bedload movement in the field, although it remains limited in spatio‐temporal resolution. Based on an exponential distribution, the probabilistic approach correctly reproduces the average trend in travel distances by the different classes of particles over hydrological periods, including one or several significant floods. Furthermore, the 2D numerical modeling accounts for the variability of local hydrodynamic conditions and can simulate realistic displacement distributions for the different classes of particles with high spatio‐temporal resolution. Numerical modeling is a very encouraging approach, which makes our study original because it is the first time that the estimation of mean travel distances, the application of an exponential distribution, and the comparison with a hydrodynamic model are combined. A more effective modeling strategy involves incorporating a probabilistic transport model in the 2D numerical model to reproduce the observed scatter of the individual particle trajectories. Key Points: PIT‐tagged gravels are used to track gravel mobility in the restored Ain RiverThe results of field tracer surveys are compared with probabilistic and two‐dimensional numerical modelingThe three approaches are found to be meaningful and complementary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparsely vegetated badlands are loci of intense erosion that is sufficiently rapid to have observable effects on human timescales. Characterizing and understanding the physical weathering processes in these settings are key to predicting the temporal variability of regolith production and sediment flux, as well as their evolution under changing climate conditions. Here, we study intra‐annual changes of hillslope properties and explore the relationship between sediment production and transport in steep marly badland catchments of the Draix–Bléone Critical Zone Observatory (SE France), where decades‐long monitoring records show rapid morphological changes. There is evidence for seasonal dynamics of these badlands, but characterization and quantification of physical weathering processes have been lacking up to now. We explore this gap by monitoring key regolith parameters including grain‐size distribution (characterized by D50), surface resistance and water content in the regolith layer (surface to ∼10 cm depth) at different locations, through repeated field surveys over a 2.5‐year period. While water content appears to be directly controlled by the last previous rainfall event, the cyclic annual pattern in observed D50 suggests that loose and finely fragmented regolith is mainly produced and accumulates during the winter season, whereas sediment transport is dominant during spring–summer. This dynamic reduces regolith thickness and induces coarsening of hillslope surface material between early spring and autumn. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlights the strong correlation between resistance and D50. We therefore suggest that D50 provides the best proxy of regolith weathering in these marls. The spatial variability of the regolith was analysed through a geophysical profile, highlighting distinct behaviour depending on slope aspect. However, the distribution of slope angles is independent of aspect at the catchment scale. These results corroborate the strong annual dynamics of these catchments, where hillslopes and gullies are drained during spring and early summer high‐intensity precipitation events, inducing high sediment yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional coupled hydrodynamic and morphodynamic numerical model was developed to analyze sediment dynamics in the Rance estuary, in response to the tidal power station (TPS) built near the mouth in the 1960s. The Rance estuary is a relatively small low-discharge steep-sided ria , located along the Brittany coast in northern France, with a maximum spring tidal range of 13.5m. Taking advantage of this significant tidal regime, the first and currently the second largest operational tidal power station in the world was built at the estuary's mouth, with peak output capacity of 240MW. After calibration and validation of the model for present-day conditions, suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and bed level evolution were evaluated at tidal and fortnightly scales for different scenarios, with and without TPS. Peak SSC are reached during spring tides and specifically during the estuary's infilling (flood) stage where both turbines and sluice gates are open. Unbalanced with sediment transport during ebb, sediments are accumulated in the main channel of the upper estuary. Under natural tidal forcing (i.e., without TPS), simulations show that an estuarine turbidity maximum forms in the upper estuary, and sediment deposition is significant. However, sedimentation rates are two times lower than those observed in the presence of the TPS. A possible alternative for reducing sediment accumulation in the upper estuary would be the opening of sluice gates simultaneously with the turbines during falling tide, to enhance ebb currents that would allow particles transport towards the estuary's downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foredunes provide many environmental and ecosystem services including protection from wave erosion and flooding hazards during storm events. While the impact of human interventions on the short-term evolution of coastal dunes is reasonably well understood, less is known about their contemporary influence on current wind and sediment dynamics several decades after implementation. The coastal dunes in Leucate (SE, France) have been anthropogenically constructed and are dominated by offshore wind conditions. Since their construction 20 years ago, a distinct variation in their longshore morphology has developed that is inherited from its original construction. The northern part of the dune has a symmetrical profile with a 28° degree stoss slope, 30° lee slope and a single crest. The southern part is asymmetric, with a gentler stoss slope (12°), 26° lee slope, and a double crest. To explore the potential geomorphic impacts of this distinct difference in morphology, several numerical simulations with varying wind speeds and direction were conducted. We used Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to explore the spatial variations of the near surface wind flow, shear stress and aeolian sediment transport. show that for each scenario, near surface wind speed accelerated toward the dune crest on the windward slope of the dune. The maximum wind speed varied with incident wind direction, the highest speeds occurring when incident wind flow was perpendicular to the dune crest. The double crest in the southern section of the dune affected the wind flow by inducing two consecutive speeds-up zones, with a greater maximum wind speed than on the single crested dune. Wind flow separation was observed where a steep lee slope was present (single crested dune), and only during perpendicular winds. This suggests that the shape of the dune and the direction of the wind are key parameters rather than wind speed. The area affected by reversed separated flow was spatially limited and did not extend beyond the dune toe but was below the threshold for aeolian sediment transport. Elsewhere in the lee of the dune, the wind was only deflected by an order of 15° for the oblique winds (310 and 330°), and less than 10° for the perpendicular wind (290°) on the southern part. In these locations, the shear velocity exceeded the threshold, notably on the southern dune, which coincided with the formation of undulating aeolian deposits in the lee of vegetation on the dune crest. The spatial differences observed in wind flow and aeolian sediment transport processes on this human-made dune were directly inherited from differences in their construction two decades ago. These results demonstrate the importance of the constructed dune profile, due to its potential impact on the long-term evolution of the landscape and the sediment budget of the system. • Dune construction methods impact their morphology even after several decades. • A relatively small coastal dune can lead to airflow separation. • The pattern of wind flow perturbation depends on dune shape and wind direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although geologically constrained sandy beaches are ubiquitous along wave-exposed coasts, there is still a limited understanding of their morphological response, particularly under storm conditions, which is mainly due to a critical lack of nearshore bathymetry observations. This paper examines the potential to derive bathymetries from video imagery under challenging wave conditions in order to investigate headland control on morphological beach response. For this purpose, a video-based linear depth inversion algorithm is applied to three consecutive weeks of frames collected during daylight hours from a single fixed camera located at La Petite Chambre d'Amour beach (Anglet, SW France). Video-derived bathymetries are compared against in situ topo-bathymetric surveys carried out at the beginning and end of the field experiment in order to assess the performance of the bathymetric estimates. The results show that the rates of accretion/erosion within the surf zone are strongly influenced by the headland, whereas the beach morphological response can be classified into three main regimes depending on the angle of wave incidence θ p : (1) under deflection configuration ( θ p > 0 ° ), the alongshore sediment transport was trapped at the updrift side of the headland, promoting sand accretion. (2) Under shadowed configuration ( θ p < 0 ° ), the interruption of the longshore current drove a deficit of sand supply at the downdrift side of the headland, leading to an overall erosion in the surf zone. (3) Under shore-normal configuration ( θ p = 0 ° ), rip channels developed, and up-state beach transition was observed. A comparison between video-derived bathymetries and surveys shows an overall root mean square error (RMSE) around 0.49 to 0.57 m with a bias ranging between −0.36 and −0.29 m. The results show that video-derived bathymetries can provide new insight into the morphological change driven by storm events. The combination of such inferred bathymetry with video-derived surface current data is discussed, showing great potential to address the coupled morphodynamics system under time-varying wave conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dune dynamics and associated sedimentary fluxes have been estimated over a period of a week in the river Seine characterised by limited sediment supply. Distributed into two corridors, typical medium and small dunes associated with fluvial environments have been characterised from multibeam data acquired on four dates, 23-29 March 2021, after a limited peak flood. Dune morphometric parameters have been quantified on cross-dune 1 m spacing of bed elevation profiles and dune migration rates have been calculated by analysing successive multibeam acquisitions. Evidence of limited sediment supply conditions have been recognised from areas uncovered by mobile sediment in the troughs between medium dunes. Under such conditions, bedload transport associated with dune migration has been estimated using three methods: differential bathymetry, dune tracking and the Van Rijn empirical formula using a correction factor accounting for limited sediment supply conditions. The three methods provide similar bedload fluxes (less than an order of magnitude difference), and the small differences are related to input data uncertainties and the capability of these methods to capture sediment transport processes, such as sediment bypassing dunes. Based on field observations, this paper brings new constrains to the relationships between dune morphological parameters, migration rates and sedimentary fluxes and environmental parameters (sediment grain size, flow velocity and water depth) under limited supply conditions in a real river. • Dune morphologies and shapes are constrained by sediment availability • Limited supply of sediment restricts bedload transport associated with dune migration • Differential bathymetry captures a portion of suspended bedload bypassing dunes [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]

Wind waves breaking at an angle with the shoreline force the drifting of littoral sediments, which is known for contributing to the formation and growth of barrier spits. Intriguingly, increased rates of longshore wave power have also been associated with the erosion of some barrier spits on the updrift margin of tidal inlets. Therefore, a numerical experiment was designed and is presented here, which investigates the possible links between the longshore wave power and the shortening of these elongated coastal barriers. Based on a process-based model, the experiment provides new insights into the forces at play in the redistribution of sediments between a sandspit and its adjacent inlet, respectively the Cap Ferret and the Bay of Arcachon's tidal inlet, in SW France. More particularly, model scenarios were defined that show how combined waves and tide create gradients of residual sediment transport responsible for a sediment deficit at the spit – inlet boundary. The deficit was also found to deepen with increasing longshore wave energy, as if the transfer of sediment from the spit to inlet shoals was accelerated. This physically explains the previously observed retreat of the spit's distal end during periods dominated by the positive phase of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in winter. Indeed, according to model results, higher and/or more oblique waves associated with the positive phase of the NAO are expected to increase the transfer and storage of the drifting sediments to and by the inlet shoals, and this at the expense of the spit. While these conclusions remain valid, we noticed that the sensitivity of model results to the bottom friction enhanced the importance of accurately representing the spatio-temporal distribution of bed roughness when investigating the morphodynamic interactions between real-world tidal inlets and their margins. • Residual sediment transport is modelled at a mixed energy tidal inlet. • Waves with tides create transport gradients near the inlet's updrift spit extremity. • Larger or more oblique waves deepen this gradient and reinforce the sand deficit. • Physically sounded explanation to enhanced spit erosion during NAO + winters. • Bed roughness models need to be improved for 2DH inlet-spit morphodynamic modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]