• Title/Summary/Keyword: sediment transport processes

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Transportation and Deposition of Modern Sediments in the Southern Yellow Sea

  • Shi, Xuefa;Chen, Zhihua;Cheng, Zhenbo;Cai, Deling;Bu, Wenrui;Wang, Kunshan;Wei, Jianwei;Yi, Hi-Il
    • Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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    • v.39 no.1
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    • pp.57-71
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    • 2004
  • Based on the data obtained under the China-Korea joint project (1997-2001) and historic observations, the distribution, transportation and sedimentation of sediment in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) are discussed, and the controversial formation mechanism of muddy sediments is also explored. The sediment transport trend analysis indicates that the net transport direction of sediment in the central SYS (a fine-grained sediment deposited area) points to $123.4^{\circ}E,\;35.1^{\circ}N$, which is a possible sedimentation center in the central SYS. The sediment transport pattern is verified by the distribution of total suspended matter (TSM) concentration and ${\delta}^{13}C$ values of particulate organic carbon (POC), the latter indicates that the bottom water plays a more important role than the surface water in transporting the terrigenous material to the central deep-water area of the SYS, and the Yellow Sea circulation is an important control factor for the sediment transport pattern in the SYS. The carbon isotope signals of organic matter in sediments indicate that the Shandong subaqueous delta has high sedimentation rate and the deposited sediments originate mainly from the modern Yellow River. The terrigenous sediments in deep-water area of the SYS originate mainly from the old Yellow River and the modern Yellow River, and only a small portion originates from the modern Yangtze River. The analytical results of TSM and stable carbon isotopes are further confirmed by another independent tracer of sediment source, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Five light mineral provinces in the SYS can be identified and they indicate inhomogeneity in sources and sedimentary environment. The modern shelf sedimentary processes in the SYS are controlled by shelf dynamic factors. The muddy depositional systems are produced in the shelf low-energy environments, which are controlled by some meso-scale cyclonic eddies (cold eddies) in the central SYS and the area southwest of the Cheju Island. On the contrary, an anticyclonic muddy depositional system (warm eddy sediment) appears in the southeast of the SYS (the area northwest of the Cheju Island). In this study, we give the cyclonic and anticyclonic eddy sedimentation patterns.

Impacts of wave and tidal forcing on 3D nearshore processes on natural beaches. Part I: Flow and turbulence fields

  • Bakhtyar, R.;Dastgheib, A.;Roelvink, D.;Barry, D.A.
    • Ocean Systems Engineering
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.23-60
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    • 2016
  • The major objective of this study was to develop further understanding of 3D nearshore hydrodynamics under a variety of wave and tidal forcing conditions. The main tool used was a comprehensive 3D numerical model - combining the flow module of Delft3D with the WAVE solver of XBeach - of nearshore hydro- and morphodynamics that can simulate flow, sediment transport, and morphological evolution. Surf-swash zone hydrodynamics were modeled using the 3D Navier-Stokes equations, combined with various turbulence models (${\kappa}-{\varepsilon}$, ${\kappa}-L$, ATM and H-LES). Sediment transport and resulting foreshore profile changes were approximated using different sediment transport relations that consider both bed- and suspended-load transport of non-cohesive sediments. The numerical set-up was tested against field data, with good agreement found. Different numerical experiments under a range of bed characteristics and incident wave and tidal conditions were run to test the model's capability to reproduce 3D flow, wave propagation, sediment transport and morphodynamics in the nearshore at the field scale. The results were interpreted according to existing understanding of surf and swash zone processes. Our numerical experiments confirm that the angle between the crest line of the approaching wave and the shoreline defines the direction and strength of the longshore current, while the longshore current velocity varies across the nearshore zone. The model simulates the undertow, hydraulic cell and rip-current patterns generated by radiation stresses and longshore variability in wave heights. Numerical results show that a non-uniform seabed is crucial for generation of rip currents in the nearshore (when bed slope is uniform, rips are not generated). Increasing the wave height increases the peaks of eddy viscosity and TKE (turbulent kinetic energy), while increasing the tidal amplitude reduces these peaks. Wave and tide interaction has most striking effects on the foreshore profile with the formation of the intertidal bar. High values of eddy viscosity, TKE and wave set-up are spread offshore for coarser grain sizes. Beach profile steepness modifies the nearshore circulation pattern, significantly enhancing the vertical component of the flow. The local recirculation within the longshore current in the inshore region causes a transient offshore shift and strengthening of the longshore current. Overall, the analysis shows that, with reasonable hypotheses, it is possible to simulate the nearshore hydrodynamics subjected to oceanic forcing, consistent with existing understanding of this area. Part II of this work presents 3D nearshore morphodynamics induced by the tides and waves.

An automatic rotating annular flume for cohesive sediment erosion experiments: Calibration and preliminary results

  • Steven Figueroa;Minwoo Son
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2023.05a
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    • pp.319-319
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    • 2023
  • Flows of water in the environment (e.g. in a river or estuary) generally occur in complex conditions. This complexity can hinder a general understanding of flows and their related sedimentary processes, such as erosion and deposition. To gain insight in simplified, controlled conditions, hydraulic flumes are a popular type of laboratory research equipment. Linear flumes use pumps to recirculation water. This isn't appropriate for the investigation of cohesive sediments as pumps can break fragile cohesive sediment flocs. To overcome this limitation, the rotating annular flume (RAF) was developed. While not having pumps, a side-effect is that unwanted secondary circulations can occur. To counteract this, the top and bottom lid rotate in opposite directions. Furthermore, a larger flume is considered better as it has less curvature and secondary circulation. While only a few RAFs exist, they are important for theoretical research which often underlies numerical models. Many of the first-generation of RAFs have come into disrepair. As new measurement techniques and models become available, there is still a need to research cohesive sediment erosion and deposition in facilities such as a RAF. New RAFs also can have the advantage of being automatic instead of manually operated, thus improving data quality. To further advance our understanding of cohesive sediment erosion and deposition processes, a large, automatic RAF (1.72 m radius, 0.495 m channel depth, 0.275 m channel width) has been constructed at the Hydraulic Laboratory at Chungnam National University (CNU), Korea. The RAF has the ability to simulate both unidirectional (river) and bidirectional (tide) flows with supporting instrumentation for measuring turbulence, bed shear stress, suspended sediment concentraiton, floc size, bed level, and bed density. Here we present the current status and future prospect of the CNU RAF. In the future, calibration of the rotation rate with bed shear stress and experiments with unidirectional and bidirectional flow using cohesive kaolinite are expected. Preliminary results indicate that the CNU RAF is a valuable tool for fundamental cohesive sediment transport research.

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A Study on Relationship between Point Load Strength Index and Abrasion Rate of Sediment Particle (퇴적물 입자의 점하중강도지수와 마식율의 관계에 대한 연구)

  • Kim, Jong-Yeon
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.43 no.6
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    • pp.808-823
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    • 2008
  • Sediment abrasion in rivers is caused by the interaction between bedrock channel bed and sediment particles transported through the river. Abrasion rate of sediment particles in rivers is controlled by two major factors; Sediment transport conditions including hydraulic conditions form the erosive forces and physical and chemical strengths of the particles form a resistance force against abrasion and other erosional processes. Physical experiments were performed to find the role of each variable on sediment abrasion process. Total 266 sediment particles were used in this experiment. All sediment particles were divided into 11 independent sediment groups with sediment particle size and sediment loads. Each sediment groups were abraded in tumbling mill for up to 8 hours. Changes in weight were recorded by run and total: 2,128 cases of abrasion rate were recoded. Physical strength of rock particles was measured with point load strength index. It is found that sediment abrasion rate has a negative functional relationship point load strength index ($I_{a(50)}$) ($R^2=0.22$). It was suggested that physical strength of sediment particles set the "maximum possible abrasion rate'. As sediment flux increases, abrasion rates of sediment particles with similar point load strength index were changed. It could be concluded that not only physical characteristics of sediment particles, but also sediment transport conditions control sediment abrasion rates.

A well-balanced PCCU-AENO scheme for a sediment transport model

  • Ndengna, Arno Roland Ngatcha;Njifenjou, Abdou
    • Ocean Systems Engineering
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.359-384
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    • 2022
  • We develop in this work a new well-balanced preserving-positivity path-conservative central-upwind scheme for Saint-Venant-Exner (SVE) model. The SVE system (SVEs) under some considerations, is a nonconservative hyperbolic system of nonlinear partial differential equations. This model is widely used in coastal engineering to simulate the interaction of fluid flow with sediment beds. It is well known that SVEs requires a robust treatment of nonconservative terms. Some efficient numerical schemes have been proposed to overcome the difficulties related to these terms. However, the main drawbacks of these schemes are what follows: (i) Lack of robustness, (ii) Generation of non-physical diffusions, (iii) Presence of instabilities within numerical solutions. This collection of drawbacks weakens the efficiency of most numerical methods proposed in the literature. To overcome these drawbacks a reformulation of the central-upwind scheme for SVEs (CU-SVEs for short) in a path-conservative version is presented in this work. We first develop a finite-volume method of the first order and then extend it to the second order via the averaging essentially non oscillatory (AENO) framework. Our numerical approach is shown to be well-balanced positivity-preserving and shock-capturing. The resulting scheme could be seen as a predictor-corrector method. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed scheme are assessed through a carefully selected suite of tests.

Response of estuary flow and sediment transport according to different estuarine dam locations and freshwater discharge intervals

  • Steven Figueroa;Minwoo Son
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2023.05a
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    • pp.519-519
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    • 2023
  • Estuarine dams are a recent and global phenomenon. While estuarine dams can provide the benefit of improved freshwater resources, they can also alter estuarine processes. Due to the wide range of estuarine types and estuarine dam configurations, the effect of estuarine dams on estuaries is not well understood in general. To develop a systematic understanding of the effect of estuarine dam location and freshwater discharge interval on a range of estuarine types (strongly stratified, partially mixed, periodically stratified, and well-mixed), this study used a coupled hydrodynamic-sediment dynamic numerical model (COAWST) and compared flow, sediment transport, and morphological conditions in the pre- and post-dam estuaries. For each estuarine type, scenarios with dam locations at 20, 55 and 90 km from the mouth and discharge intervals of a discharge every 0.5, 3, and 7 days were investigated. The results were analyzed in terms of change in tide, river discharge, estuarine classification, and sediment flux mechanism. The estuarine dam location primarily affected the tide-dominated estuaries, and the resonance length was an important length scale affecting the tidal currents and Stokes return flow. When the location was less than the resonance length, the tidal currents and Stokes return flow were most reduced due to the loss of tidal prism, the dead-end channel, and the shift from mixed to standing tides. The discharge interval primarily affected the river-dominated estuaries, and the tidal cycle period was an important time scale. When the interval was greater than the tidal cycle period, notable seaward discharge pulses and freshwater fronts occurred. Dams located near the mouth with large discharge interval differed the most from their pre-dam condition based on the estuarine classification. Greater discharge intervals, associated with large discharge magnitudes, resulted in scour and seaward sediment flux in the river-dominated estuaries, and the dam located near the resonance length resulted in the greatest landward tidal pumping sediment flux and deposition in the tide-dominated estuaries.

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The Transport of Radionuclides Released From Nuclear Facilities and Nuclear Wastes in the Marine Environment at Oceanic Scales

  • Perianez, Raul
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.321-338
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    • 2022
  • The transport of radionuclides at oceanic scales can be assessed using a Lagrangian model. In this review an application of such a model to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans is described. The transport model, which is fed with water currents provided by global ocean circulation models, includes advection by three-dimensional currents, turbulent mixing, radioactive decay and adsorption/release of radionuclides between water and bed sediments. Adsorption/release processes are described by means of a dynamic model based upon kinetic transfer coefficients. A stochastic method is used to solve turbulent mixing, decay and water/sediment interactions. The main results of these oceanic radionuclide transport studies are summarized in this paper. Particularly, the potential leakage of 137Cs from dumped nuclear wastes in the north Atlantic region was studied. Furthermore, hypothetical accidents, similar in magnitude to the Fukushima accident, were simulated for nuclear power plants located around the Indian Ocean coastlines. Finally, the transport of radionuclides resulting from the release of stored water, which was used to cool reactors after the Fukushima accident, was analyzed in the Pacific Ocean.

Experimental Study on the Adjustment Processes of a Series of Mining Pits in the Dredged Channels (준설하천에서 직렬로 배열된 웅덩이의 적응에 관한 실험적 연구)

  • Jang, Chang-Lae;Lee, Gi-Ha
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.44 no.4
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    • pp.385-395
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    • 2011
  • The adjustment processes and responses of a series of mining pits by sand or gravel mining were investigated by laboratory experiments. The filling processes of the two pits were affected by the bars developed in the upstream of the channel. However, the bars were not developed and the bed was degradated in the downstream of the pits due to little sediment flow, which was trapped in the pits. The submerged angle of repose in the pits was nearly constant when the pits were being filled. After the filling processes of the pits were finished, the pit was speedily filled with sediment, and the bed was aggradated and migrated with speed. However, the angle of repose decreased. As the distance between the upstream pit and the downstream pit increased, the bed of the pit downstream was tailcutted and degradated. The migration speed of the pit decreased. However, the dimensionless pit depth increased as the distance between the pits increased. The dimensionless pit depth increased with time.

Study on the Settling Process of Cohesive Sediment (점착성 퇴적물의 침강특성에 관한 연구)

  • Sin, Dong-Su;Bae, Gi-Seong
    • Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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    • v.12 no.2 s.28
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    • pp.111-120
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    • 1998
  • Laboratory settling experiments (column, recirculating flume) were conducted for further understanding of the physical processes of cohesive sediment transport. \In still water experiments, the growth rate of flocculation is dependent upon the initial suspended concentration. Consequently, the settling velocity increases with concentration of flees. In flocculation settling regime, the exponent n in the settling velocity, $w_s=kC^n$, for Nakdong estuary mud was obtained empirically. The exponents were found to be 1.33, and 1.06 for the initial suspended concentrations of 1 g/i and 3 g/t, respectively. In flowing water, experiments for the median settling velocity with Nakdong mud in a recirculating flume were conducted. Settling velocity was found to depend much more strongly on the current velocity than initial concentrations. The temporal variation of suspended concentration increases as current velocity decreases.

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Some heavy metal concentration of surface sediments from the southwestern coast of Korea (서남해안 연근해저 퇴적물의 중금속 함량 및 분포)

  • 전수경;조영길
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.11 no.12
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    • pp.1299-1305
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    • 2002
  • Thirty sediment samples of the <63${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ fraction collected from the southwestern coast of Korea were analysed for their heavy metal (Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Zn and Pb) concentration. The results show that sediment texture plays a controlling role on the total metal concentrations and their spatial distribution. A single lM HCl extraction procedure was used in order to assess the environmental risk of heavy metals in bottom sediments. The non-residual fraction was the most abundant pool for Mn and Pb in most samples, which means that this metals are highly avaliable in these sediments. Cr, Ni, Fe, Co, Zn and Cu were mainly associated with the residual fraction, suggesting that their concentrations are controlled significantly by transport processes with the fine particles as carriers from diffuse pollution source. Concentration enrichment ratios(CER) were calculated from the non-residual contents and their values allowed us to classify the sediments according to their environmental risk.