Search

Port Fourchon Junction is located within Chevron's Fourchon Terminal, just south of Port Fourchon and is operated by Shell Pipeline Company LP. This manifold metering station is a critical junction for the Mars Corridor oil, as oil production from Mars (MC-807), Ursa (MC-809), Titan (MC-941), Who Dat (MC-547), Medusa (MC-582), and Olympus (MC-807B) flows through this station via a 24" pipeline. Port Fourchon is at the edge of the Mississippi delta facing the sea, one of the world's most vulnerable low-elevation coastal zones. It is highly exposed to storm surge and wave-induced inundation under hurricanes which regularly visit the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, it experiences one of the largest rates of subsidence in the world, which combined with sea level rise, will increase the site vulnerability in the coming decades. This study assesses present and future scenarios of subsidence and sea level rise under extreme metocean conditions induced by hurricanes and their impact on Port Fourchon Junction. Local effects such as the differential settlement of the barrier beach have been also considered. Using results from the numerical model XBeach, a set of different present and future scenarios are modelled under extreme metocean conditions. These conditions and the subsequent design parameters calculated, are not obtained through traditional extreme value analysis methods, instead, they are estimated through the influence of boundary conditions forced with the corresponding return period values of the parameters. Boundary conditions for the simulations are extracted from Grand Isle and Port Fourchon sea level observations, and from FEMA and the Water Institute of the Gulf simulations. Port Fourchon site should be subject to flooding for 10-year return period conditions based on Grand Isle observations. For 5-6 years return period conditions some degree of milder partial flood should also be expected. This is well captured by the model. While the highest inundating level is mostly dependent on winds, waves and surge acting together, surge is the single most critical parameter that defines the asset's base inundation level. Design future conditions based on surge extreme from FEMA simulations are recommended over surge extremes derived from Grand Isle observations. The barrier beach and the breakwaters play a key factor in sheltering site from waves and surge. Even when submerged under extreme high return period conditions they dissipate the waves ensuring that the maximum water level (wave crest elevation) on site is lower than would otherwise be without them. It is then important to maintain them fit for purpose during the entire lifespan of the asset. Both Grand Isle and Port Fourchon subsidence scenarios yield similar results. Based on the importance of Port Fourchon Junction facilities, the design criteria obtained, and the higher subsidence level observed at Port Fourchon (compared to Grand Isle), it is recommended that a 1000-year return period and future scenario based on FEMA surge level and Port Fourchon Relative Sea Level Rise (RSLR) is adopted for design. The subsidence associated to this scenario is 9.8 mm/year. The sea level rise associated to this scenario is 2 mm/year.

This paper describes the continuous improvement efforts to manage the integrity status of the Southern North Sea subsea pipeline system in the context of free spanning. The dynamic free-spanning threat is typically attributed to a mobile seabed. Current and wave action are constantly moving and eroding sediment by means of sand wave migration and scouring. It can lead to a fluctuation in span characteristics with respect to span length, span height and location over time. It makes pipeline integrity demonstration and spans remediation challenges. Focus areas include (1) identifying regions where operational pipelines are susceptible to critical span formation (2) understanding the broader context of seabed mobility, supported by several years of multibeam echo sound and met ocean data (3) risk-ranking & criticality of span formation (4) developing simplified calculation tool that allows fatigue damage to be estimated and accumulated for every location along the pipeline, conservatively (5) optimising and incorporating risk/event-based survey requirements (6) identification of suitable remediation solutions and developing a decision flow chart to facilitate selection of fit for purpose remediation solutions, with respect to span configuration and the surrounding seabed features. The outcome has improved the robustness of span management, reduced “reactive” span remediation activities, and allowed application of sound technical theory to allocate pipeline traffic light integrity status regarding the observed free spans.

Helical strakes can suppress vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs) in pipelines spans and risers. Pure in-line (IL) VIV is more of a concern for pipelines than for risers. To make it possible to assess the effectiveness of partial strake coverage for this case, an important gap in the hydrodynamic data for strakes is filled by the reported IL forced-vibration tests. Therein, a strake-covered rigid cylinder undergoes harmonic purely IL motion while subject to a uniform “flow” created by towing the test rig along SINTEF Ocean's towing tank. These tests cover a range of frequencies, and amplitudes of the harmonic motion to generate added-mass and excitation functions are derived from the in-phase and 90 deg out-of-phase components of the hydrodynamic force on the pipe, respectively. Using these excitation- and added-mass functions in VIVANA together with those from experiments on bare pipe by Aronsen (2007 “An Experimental Investigation of In-Line and Combined In-Line and Cross-Flow Vortex Induced Vibrations,” Ph.D. thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.), the IL VIV response of partially strake-covered pipeline spans is calculated. It is found that as little as 10% strake coverage at the optimal location effectively suppresses pure IL VIV.

Tropical cyclones impose stresses on narrow and shallow continental shelves. The interaction of strong wind- and wave-induced currents with the local topography near the shore gives rise to complex flow and sediment transport patterns. Considerable uncertainty remains on the initiation mechanisms of turbidity currents, particularly in coastal oceanic settings subject to extreme weather events. Here we use state-of-the-art numerical models to investigate the implications of tropical cyclone-induced coastal circulation patterns for the generation of turbidity currents. In our simulations tropical cyclones induce megarip currents associated with shoreline curvature and rotation of incoming wave directions. These currents flush water and sediment towards submarine canyons, ultimately triggering turbidity currents into deep waters. Evidence of sediment-laden underflows, which resulted in subsea pipeline displacements, supports our hypothesis that tropical cyclone-induced megarip currents can trigger turbidity currents offshore from tropical river deltas. Intense rip currents caused by tropical cyclones can drive sediment-laden turbidity flows down submarine canyons, according to numerical simulations. Shoreline shape, bathymetry and incoming wave direction are key factors controlling this phenomenon.

When narrow continental shelves are stressed by extreme weather events, nearshore currents dominate the coastal circulation leading to complex flow patterns that can result in previously unforeseen cross-shelf exchange of water and sediment. Here we present a series of detailed studies carried out to investigate the nature of turbidity currents that impacted upon a submarine pipeline offshore Philippines, nearby tropical river deltas, after the landfall of intense typhoons. These rivers debouch into a shelf only a few hundreds of meters wide that is interrupted by steeper continental slopes carved by multiple submarine canyons. Turbidity currents were detected through regular pipeline monitoring, which showed lateral displacements and sea-floor erosion where the pipeline crosses some of these canyons. Seabed assessments indicated signatures of the occurrence of turbidity currents as opposed to landslides or ground motion due to earthquakes. Particularly, the submarine canyons were covered with regular sediment patterns that indicated the passage of deep-water turbulent flows, suggesting the local occurrence of turbidity currents. Meteorological data pointed at river floods and meteocean conditions, and associated fluvial sediment delivery and coastal sediment transport, as the most likely leading mechanisms for the triggering of turbidity currents. Hydrological modelling and related sediment transport calculations show these rivers were not capable to debouch into the sea with sediment concentrations high enough to generate hyperpycnal flows. Nevertheless, river plumes played an active role as source of sediment available on the shelf. Conversely, the role of the coastal circulation was found to be crucial for the triggering of turbidity currents. Our simulations show the development of exceptional rip currents (megarips) that flush out water and sediment from the inner shelf in the cross-shore direction towards the canyons’ heads, ultimately triggering turbidity currents into deep ocean waters. Such extreme nearshore circulations require the passage of intense typhoons in proximity to the trigger area inducing shore-normal incoming waves at peak conditions that in association with shoreline concavity at the river deltas favour the formation of erosional megarips, whose dynamics strongly depends on typhoon's approach latitude. The turbidity current modelling confirmed such an interpretation, matching field observations in the form of pipeline displacements. These evidences support our hypothesis that typhoon-induced megarip circulations could be responsible for the triggering of turbidity currents in submarine canyon systems offshore tropical river deltas. This newly identified mechanism has wide implications on the threatening of seafloor infrastructures and the assessment of frequency and duration of turbidity currents.

Intense turbidity currents occur in the Malaylay Submarine Canyon off the northern coast of Mindoro Island in the Philippines. They start in very shallow waters at the shelf break and reach deeper waters where a gas pipeline is located. The pipeline was displaced by a turbidity current in 2006 and its rock berm damaged by another 10 years later. Here we propose that they are triggered near the mouth of the Malaylay and Baco rivers by direct sediment resuspension in the shallow shelf and transport to the canyon heads by typhoon-induced waves and currents. We show these rivers are unlikely to generate hyperpycnal flows and trigger turbidity currents by themselves. Characteristic signatures of turbidity currents, in the form of bed shear stress obtained by numerical simulations, match observed erosion/deposition and rock berm damage patterns recorded by repeat bathymetric surveys before and after typhoon Nock-ten in December 2016. Our analysis predicts a larger turbidity current triggered by typhoon Durian in 2006; and reveals the reason for the lack of any significant turbidity current associated with typhoon Melor in December 2015. Key factors to assess turbidity current initiation are typhoon proximity, strength, and synchronicity of typhoon induced waves and currents. Using data from a 66-year hindcast we estimate a ~8-year return period of typhoons with capacity to trigger large turbidity currents.

Excitation and added mass functions determined from forced vibration tests of a rigid cylinder undergoing harmonic motion in the flow are used in the semi-empirical software VIVANA to predict the VIV response of pipelines. An advantage of this approach, as opposed to the more-commonly-used response function approach, is that it can account for changing conditions along the length of the pipe, like changing current velocity, seabed proximity, and/or pipe diameter. This makes it useful for pipelines as well as for risers when such changes occur. Further, for pipelines, travelling wave effects play less of a role than for risers, so the VIVANA approach can be simplified by assuming the phase angle of the harmonic response is constant along the span. The interactions between cross-flow and in-line response that complicate the prediction of cross-flow VIV by the excitation function approach, do not arise for pure inline VIV. For the latter case, using the pure in-line forced vibration test data of Aronsen (2007), it is found that both VIVANA approach and simplified ‘SIVANA’ approach thereof predict VIV amplitudes consistent with experiments on flexible pipe (Ormen Lange umbilical VIV tests), and the DNVGL-RP-F105 response function for a range of structural and soil damping values. In a companion paper, this approach is applied partially strake-covered pipeline spans, to show that a relatively small fraction of well-placed strake coverage is enough to suppress in-line VIV.

A series of experiments is performed in which a strake-covered rigid cylinder undergoes harmonic purely in-line motion while subject to a uniform “flow” created by towing the test rig along SINTEF Ocean’s towing tank. These tests are performed for a range of frequencies and amplitudes of the harmonic motion, to generate added-mass and excitation functions are derived from the in-phase and 90° out-of-phase components of the hydrodynamic force on the pipe, respectively. Using these excitation- and added-mass functions in VIVANA together with those from experiments on bare pipe by Aronsen (2007), the in-line VIV response of partially strake-covered pipeline spans is calculated. It is found that as little as 10% strake coverage at the optimal location effectively suppresses pure in-line VIV. Further advantages of strakes rather than intermediate supports to suppress in-line VIV include: strakes are not affected by the scour which can lower an intermediate support (in addition to creating the span in the first place). Further they do not prevent self-lowering of the pipeline or act as a point of concentration of VIV damage as the spans to each side of the intermediate support grow again.

The capacity of turbidity currents to carry sand and coarser sediment from shallow to deep regions in the submarine environment has attracted the attention of researchers from different disciplines. Yet not only are field measurements of oceanic turbidity currents a rare achievement, but also the data that have been collected consist mostly of velocity records with very limited or no suspended sediment concentration or grain size distribution data. This work focuses on two turbidity currents measured in Monterey Canyon in 2002 with emphasis on suspended sediment from unique samples collected within the body of these currents. It is shown that concentration and grain size of the suspended material, primarily controlled by the source of the gravity flows and their interaction with bed material, play a significant role in shaping the characteristics of the turbidity currents as they travel down the canyon. Before the flows reach their normal or quasi-steady state, which is defined by bed slope, bed roughness, and suspended grain size, they might pass through a preliminary adjustment stage where they are subject to capacity-driven deposition, and release heavy material in excess. Flows composed of fine (silt/ clay) sediments tend to be thicker than those with sands. The measured velocity and concentration data confirm that flow patterns differ between the front and body of turbidity currents and that, even after reaching normal state, the flow regime can be radically disrupted by abrupt changes in canyon morphology.

A series of large-scale experiments on nonchannelized, depositional turbidity currents show the evolution and complex stratigraphy of channel-lobe systems developed updip and downdip of a break in slope. Two different sets of experimental turbidity currents with different sediment concentrations were run. The results provided a comparative picture of the gross structure of the fans, with information on their surfaces, growth sequences, and times of activity of the incised channels and lobed features. In particular, data analysis focused on: (a) velocity and suspended-sediment concentration of the flows themselves; (b) time and spatial sequences of channel and lobe construction and modification, and (c) spatial trends in grain-size distribution along the deposit. Significantly, the floor geometry employed in this study allowed investigation of adjustments in deep-sea fan deposition associated with natural changes in bed slope. We show here that the break in slope played a very important role in governing channel aggradation and lobe architecture over the deposit. More specifically, the slope break tended to break up the formation of long channels and enhance the formation of lobate features. A comparison with field submarine lobe analogs demonstrates that the morphodynamics and stratigraphy associated with lobed fans can indeed be modeled, within limits, at laboratory scale. Fil: Fernandez, Rocio Luz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra; Argentina Fil: Cantelli, Alessandro. Shell International Exploration and Production; Estados Unidos Fil: Pirmez, Carlos. Shell International Exploration and Production; Estados Unidos. Shell International Exploration and Production; Países Bajos Fil: Sequeiros, Octavio. Shell International Exploration and Production; Países Bajos Fil: Parker, Gary. University of Illinois at Urbana; Estados Unidos

The flow of deep-sea turbidity currents in meandering channels has been of considerable recent interest. Here we focus on the secondary flow associated with a subaqueous bottom current in a meandering channel. For simplicity, a saline bottom current may be used as a surrogate for a turbidity current driven by a dilute suspension of fine-grained sediment that does not easily settle out. In the case of open channel flow, i.e. rivers, the classical Rozovskiian paradigm is often invoked to explain secondary flow in meandering channels. This paradigm indicates that the near-bottom secondary flow in a bend is directed inward, i.e. toward the inner bank. It has recently been suggested based on experimental and theoretical considerations, however, that this pattern is reversed in the case of subaqueous bottom flows in meandering channels, so that the near-bottom secondary flow is directed outward (reversed secondary flow), towards the outer bank. Experimental results presented here, on the other hand, indicate near-bottom secondary flows that have the same direction as observed in a river (normal secondary flow). The implication is an apparent contradiction between experimental results. We use theory, experiments and reconstructions of case studies from fieldscale flows to resolve this apparent contradiction based on the densimetric Froude number of the flow. We find three ranges of densimetric Froude number, such that a) in an upper regime, secondary flow is reversed, b) in a middle regime, it is normal and c) in a lower regime, it is reversed. We apply our results at field scale to previous studies on channel-forming turbidity currents in the Amazon submarine canyon-fan system (Amazon Channel) and the Monterey canyon and a saline underflow in the Black Sea flowing from the Bosphorus. Our analysis indicates that secondary flow should be normal throughout most of the Amazon submarine fan reach, lower-regime reversed in the case of the Black Sea underflow, and upperregime reversed in the case of the Monterey canyon. The theoretical analysis predicts both normal and reversed regimes in the Amazon submarine canyon reach.

As a river-carrying sediment mixture aggrade, it creates a stratigraphic signature that records this evolution. This stratigraphy is characterized by the vertical/horizontal variation of substrate grain size distribution. If a river degrades, it mines this stratigraphy, and transfers the sediment so accessed farther downstream. Although several numerical models tracking the creation/consumption of stratigraphy are available, none has been tested against experiments under plane bed regime conditions. Here nine physical experiments modelling the creation/consumption of stratigraphy are described. These are compared with nine corresponding numerical experiments using a model that tracks stratigraphy. The results justify the numerical model, and in particular the scheme to track stratigraphy. This scheme can be used at field scale to characterize e.g. the response of a river to an increased/decreased sediment supply. The numerical model shows a discrepancy with the experiments, however, whenever a distinct de...

Turbidity currents in the ocean are driven by suspended sediment. Yet results from surveys of the modern sea floor and turbidite outcrops indicate that they are capable of transporting as bedload and depositing particles as coarse as cobble sizes. While bedload cannot drive turbidity currents, it can strongly influence the nature of the deposits they emplace. This paper reports on the first set of experiments which focus on bedload transport of granular material by density underflows. These underflows include saline density flows, hybrid saline/turbidity currents and a pure turbidity current. The use of dissolved salt is a surrogate for suspended mud which is so fine that it does not settle out readily. Thus, all the currents can be considered to be model turbidity currents. The data cover four bed conditions: plane bed, dunes, upstream-migrating antidunes and downstream-migrating antidunes. The bedload transport relation obtained from the data is very similar to those obtained for open-channel flows and, in fact, is fitted well by an existing relation determined for open-channel flows. In the case of dunes and downstream-migrating antidunes, for which flow separation on the lee sides was observed, form drag falls in a range that is similar to that due to dunes in sand-bed rivers. This form drag can be removed from the total bed shear stress using an existing relation developed for rivers. Once this form drag is subtracted, the bedload data for these cases collapse to follow the same relation as for plane beds and upstream-migrating antidunes, for which no flow separation was observed. A relation for flow resistance developed for open-channel flows agrees well with the data when adapted to density underflows. Comparison of the data with a regime diagram for field-scale sand-bed rivers at bankfull flow and field-scale measurements of turbidity currents at Monterey Submarine Canyon, together with Shields number and densimetric Froude number similarity analyses, provide strong evidence that the experimental relations apply at field scale as well.

Turbidity currents in the ocean and lakes are driven by suspended sediment. The vertical profiles of velocity and excess density are shaped by the interaction between the current and the bed as well as between the current and the ambient water above. We present results of a set of 74 experiments that focus on the characteristics of velocity and fractional excess density profiles of saline density and turbidity currents flowing over a mobile bed. The gravity flows include saline density flows, hybrid saline/turbidity currents and a pure turbidity current. The use of dissolved salt is a surrogate for suspended mud that is so fine that it does not settle out readily. Thus, all the currents can be considered to be model turbidity currents. The data cover both Froude-subcritical and Froude-supercritical regimes. Depending on flow conditions, the bed remains flat or bed forms develop over time, which in turn affect vertical profiles. For plane bed experiments, subcritical flow profiles have velocity peaks located higher up in the flow, and display a sharper interface at the top of the current, than their supercritical counterparts. The latter have excess density profiles that decline exponentially upward from the bed, whereas subcritical flows show profiles with a region near the bed where excess density varies little. Wherever bed forms are present, they have a significant effect on the profiles. Especially for Froude-supercritical flow, bed forms push the location of peak velocity upward, and render the near-bed fractional excess density more uniform. In the case of subcritical flow, bed forms do not significantly affect fractional excess density profiles; velocity profiles are pushed farther upward from the bed than in the case of a plane bed, but to a lesser extent than for supercritical bed forms. Overall, the relative position of the velocity peak above the bed shows a dependence upon flow regime, being lowered for increasing Froude number Fd. Gradient Richardson numbers Rig in the near-bed region increase with increasing Fd, but are lower than the critical value of 0.25, indicating that near-bed turbulent structures are not notably suppressed. At the top interface, values of Rig are above the critical value for subcritical and mildly supercritical Fd, effectively damping turbulence. However as Fd increases, Rig goes below the critical value. Shape factors calculated from the profiles for use in the depth-averaged equation of motion are evaluated for different flow and bed conditions. Normalized experimental profiles for supercritical currents scale up well with observations of field-scale turbidity currents in the Monterey Canyon, and the range of average bed slopes and Froude numbers also compare favorably with estimated field-scale flow conditions for the Amazon canyon and fan. This suggests that the experimental results can be used to interpret the kinds of flows that are responsible for the shaping of major submarine canyon-fan systems.

Cyclic steps constitute a characteristic bedform of Froude-supercritical shallow flow over an erodible bed. They are long-wave features that are bounded by hydraulic jumps and migrate upstream. They can be seen in alluvial streams, stream in cohesive sediment, bedrock streams, and on the seafloor in response to turbidity currents. Recent progress in the modeling of cyclic steps is summarized. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Association for Hydro-environment Engineering and Research, Asia Pacific Division.

Management of fine sediments presents an important engineering and environmental problem. The active dredging of large volumes of sediments from harbors and reservoirs involves the use of expensive equipments with large operational costs. In several situations, however, passive systems can afford an efficient and low operational cost alternative. This work assesses the feasibility of eroding fine bed sediment by jet discharges and the subsequent transport in suspension by an ensuing turbidity current.A calibrated numerical model is applied to study the flow transport capacity under field conditions. Results show that large amounts of sediment can be eroded from the bed in the near-field region of the jet discharge, and that part of this eroded sediment can be transported in suspension further downstream by turbidity currents. The flow transport capacity depends strongly on the initial conditions of the jet discharge. This work has implications on sediment management by passive methods and presents a simpl...

Sediment management in reservoirs with the help of water jets has motivated this work. Erosion caused by single and multiple submerged circular turbulent wall jets on a noncohesive sediment bed of finite thickness lying on a fixed boundary was studied with the help of laboratory experiments. Different combinations of jet diameter, jet separation, and sediment thickness to jet diameter ratio were tested. Results show a relation between dimensionless parameters characterizing the steady state bed profile and the densimetric particle Froude number F0 given by the velocity at the nozzle and the effective diameter and submerged specific density of the sediment. Evolution of scour with time confirms previous studies where the erosion was found to initially grow with the logarithm of time up to a certain reference time t* . This time, made dimensionless with a time scale tc involving the volume of sediment scoured and the rate of erosion, was also related to the densimetric Froude number. A comparison with studi...

Despite of considerable research activity during the last decades considerable uncertainties still remain in prediction of Vortex Induced Vibrations (VIV) of risers. Model tests of risers subjected to current have been shown to be a useful method for investigation of the VIV behavior of risers with and without suppression devices. In order to get further insight on VIV of risers, an extensive hydrodynamic test program of riser models subjected to vortex-induced vibrations was undertaken during the winter 2010 by Shell Oil Company. The VIV-model test campaign was performed in the MARINTEK Offshore Basin Laboratory. A new test rig was constructed and showed to give good test conditions. Three different 38m long riser models were towed horizontally at different speeds, simulating uniform and linearly varying sheared current. Measurements were made In-Line (IL) and Cross-Flow (CF) of micro bending strains and accelerations along the risers. The test program compromised about 400 tests, which give a rich test material for further studies. In the present paper the test set-up and program are presented and selected results are reported.

This paper addresses a practical problem: “What portion of fairing or strake coverage may be lost or damaged, before the operator must take corrective measures?” This paper explores the effect of lost fairings (the exposure length) on Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV) of flexible cylinders. The source of data is a recent model test, conducted by SHELL Exploration and Production. A 38m long pipe model with varying amounts of fairings was tested. Response as a function of percent exposure length is reported. Unexpected results are also reported: (i) the flexible ribbon fairings used in the experiment did not suppress VIV at speeds above 1 m/s; (ii) Above 1 m/s, a competition was observed between VIV excited in the faired and bare regions of the cylinder, (iii) Unusual traveling wave behavior was documented—waves generated in the bare region periodically changed direction, and exhibited variation in VIV response frequency. The results of these tests showed that (1) the excitation on the bare and faired regions could be identified by frequency, because the faired region exhibited a much lower Strouhal number; (2) as expected, the response to VIV on the bare region increased with exposure length; (3) the response to VIV on the faired region decreased with exposure length.

[1] There is a growing need across different disciplines to develop better predictive tools for flow conditions of density and turbidity currents. Apart from resorting to complex numerical modeling or expensive field measurements, little is known about how to estimate gravity flow parameters from scarce available data and how they relate to each other. This study presents a new method to estimate normal flow conditions of gravity flows from channel morphology based on an extensive data set of laboratory and field measurements. The compilation consists of 78 published works containing 1092 combined measurements of velocity and concentration of gravity flows dating as far back as the early 1950s. Because the available data do not span all ranges of the critical parameters, such as bottom slope, a validated Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS)κ-enumerical model is used to cover the gaps. It is shown that gravity flows fall within a range of Froude numbers spanning 1 order of magnitude centered on unity, as opposed to rivers and open-channel flows which extend to a much wider range. It is also observed that the transition from subcritical to supercritical flow regime occurs around a slope of 1%, with a spread caused by parameters other than the bed slope, like friction and suspended sediment settling velocity. The method is based on a set of equations relating Froude number to bed slope, combined friction, suspended material, and other flow parameters. The applications range from quick estimations of gravity flow conditions to improved numerical modeling and back calculation of missing parameters. A real case scenario of turbidity current estimation from a submarine canyon off the Nigerian coast is provided as an example.

[1] This study focuses on a numerical model of turbidity currents with reversing buoyancy, i.e., flows that are rendered heavier than the ambient water due to the presence of suspended sediment but that as sedimentation progresses become lighter than the ambient water due to a difference in temperature or salinity. The flows considered here may be either pulsed events or continuous flows. It is well known that these flows are subject to a buoyancy reversal. Flows issuing upstream with a sufficient load of suspended sediment are heavier than the ambient water and thus form a bottom underflow. As sediment deposits in the downstream direction, however, the flow gradually loses its density excess, and eventually reverses its buoyancy, detaching upward from the bed. The nature of the sediment deposit emplaced near and downstream of the point of lofting can thus differ significantly from that emplaced upstream. A novel aspect of the work reported here is a mechanistic description of the tendency for the current to sort in the downstream direction a sediment mixture containing a wide range of grain sizes. The numerical model, which is based in the κ − ɛ closure for turbulence, is verified with a unique set of experimental data intended to model sediment sorting associated with turbidity currents created by explosive undersea eruptions. Both cases with nonreversing buoyancy and reversing buoyancy are considered. As such, the model not only provides a detailed description of flows with reversing buoyancy, but also provides a tool to aid sedimentologists in back-calculating the flow emplaced by turbidity currents from the downstream variation in the grain size distribution of the bed deposit.

[1] A self-accelerating current is a particle-driven gravity flow moving on a sloping bottom whose velocity increases in the downstream direction as a result of increasing suspended sediment concentration due to sediment entrainment from the bed. This implies that the net balance between deposition from the current onto the bed and erosion into the flow must be favorable to the latter; thus, a larger mass of particles is being picked up into suspension than is settling out. The self-accelerative stage cannot continue indefinitely. Either the downstream bed slope drops off to the point where self-acceleration cannot be maintained or an autosuspensive stage may be reached where the net balance between deposition and erosion is zero and the channel bed is partially or completely free of alluvium. Once such a state is reached on a constant bed slope, the current can persist indefinitely without any external supply of energy other than the potential energy offered by the slope itself. This paper documents experimental turbidity currents composed of lightweight plastic particles ranging from 20 to 200 μm with a specific density between 1.3 and 1.5. These particles were either noncohesive or slightly cohesive. The experiments were performed in a 15-m long flume with a bottom slope of 0.05. Self-acceleration of the head of the flow was achieved in some of the tests reported here. Measurements of velocity and suspended sediment taken at different stages of head evolution document this self-acceleration. In addition, these measurements are in agreement with previous empirical studies relating to head thickness, concentration, velocity, and water depth. Stratigraphic analysis of the deposit shows the key role bed material plays in determining whether a given turbidity current will or will not accelerate. This factor ties the dynamics of a self-accelerating current to the existence of deposits laid down by antecedent currents. The conditions of the present tests appear to fulfill previous autosuspension criteria relating to flow velocity, particle settling velocity, and bed slope. Densimetric Froude number similarity analysis is used to estimate equivalent parameters for field scale turbidity currents.

Decelerating turbidity currents commonly emplace sedimentary wedges. Here "sedimentary wedge" is used as a generic term for a sediment deposit, the thickness of which gradually decreases in the downdip direction. Examples of sedimentary wedges relevant to the research reported here include a) deposits in submarine minibasins, b) deposits on zones of lower slopes of stepped profiles, and c) deposits on the levees of submarine channels. In the present work, a generic configuration is used to study the flows that emplace sedimentary wedges. These flows consisted of a succession of sustained saline density underflows, which were used as surrogates for turbidity currents driven by fine-grained material (mud) that does not easily settle out. Although the flow naturally decelerated in the downstream direction, deceleration was ensured by the presence of a barrier to the flow at the downstream end of the study reach. The density underflows carried a load of lightweight plastic particles, from which the depositional wedge was constructed. The experiments were not designed to model any specific field configuration. This notwithstanding, the experimental configuration provides an analog for a) decelerating flows into confined minibasins, as well as b) levee-constructing overflows from submarine channels. This paper documents the nature of the flows that emplaced the wedge. The sedimentary wedge itself is documented in a companion paper.