Sediment Transport Dynamics Research Articles

Characteristic flow patterns generated by macrozoobenthic structures

A laboratory flume channel, equipped with an acoustic Doppler flow sensor and a bottom scanning laser, was used for detailed, non-intrusive flow measurements (at 2 cm s − 1 and 10 cm s − 1 ) around solitary biogenic structures, combined with high-resolution mapping of the structure shape and position. The structures were replicates of typical macrozoobenthic species commonly found in the Mecklenburg Bight and with a presumed influence on both, the near-bed current regime and sediment transport dynamics: a worm tube, a snail shell, a mussel, a sand mound, a pit, and a cross-stream track furrow. The flow was considerably altered locally by the different protruding structures (worm tube, snail, mussel and mound). They reduced the horizontal approach velocity by 72% to 79% in the wake zone at about 1–2 cm height, and the flow was deflected around the structures with vertical and lateral velocities of up to 10% and 20% of the free-stream velocity respectively in a region adjacent to the structures. The resulting flow separation (at flow Reynolds number of about 4000 and 20,000 respectively) divided an outer deflection region from an inner region with characteristic vortices and the wake region. All protruding structures showed this general pattern, but also produced individual characteristics. Conversely, the depressions (track and pit) only had a weak influence on the local boundary layer flow, combined with a considerable flow reduction within their cavities (between 29% and 53% of the free-stream velocity). A longitudinal vortex formed, below which a stagnant space was found. The average height affected by the structure-related mass flow rate deficit for the two velocities was 1.6 cm and 1.3 cm respectively (80% of height and 64%) for the protruding structures and 0.6 cm and 0.9 cm (90% and 127% of depth) for the depressions. Marine benthic soft-bottom macrozoobenthos species are expected to benefit from the flow modifications they induce, particularly in terms of food particle capture due to altered particle pathways and residence times, but also for the exchange of gases, solutes and spawn. The present results confirm previous studies on flow interaction effects of various biogenic structures, and they add a deeper level of detail for a better understanding of the fine-scale effects.

Dendrogeomorphology – a new tool to study drift-sand dynamics

AbstractA dendrogeomorphological approach is presented, using wood characteristics of native oak(Quercus roburL.) to infer dynamics of aeolian sediment transport in drift-sand areas. Wood samples, taken from oaks in two drift-sand areas, were analysed to study changes in tree-ring pattern and wood anatomy as a consequence of burying or exposure from drift sand.In all cases, the wood of the sampled oaks showed sudden changes in anatomy and tree-ring width due to burial by drift sand or subsequent exposure after erosion of the new soil surface. After aerial stems became covered by drift sand, the wood lost its characteristic ring-porous features, and tree rings became strongly reduced in width with less distinct ring boundaries. Buried stems that became exposed after erosion showed an abrupt increase in ring width and turned distinctly ring porous again. Roots that were exposed also adopted clear ring-porous features, increased in ring width and anatomically resembled aerial stem wood.Using tree-ring analysis, it is possible to precisely date sand deposition and erosion events by detecting the concurrent changes in anatomy of woody structures. This study indicates the high potential of dendrogeomorphology as a tool to study drift-sand dynamics with a high temporal, i.e. annual, resolution for a period going back as long as the maximum age of the trees present (in this study at least 250 years). Since the signals of past deposition and erosion events are conserved in the wood, this is the only method that can be used to reconstruct drift-sand dynamics when the actual landforms are no longer present.

The role of morphology on the displacement of particles in a step–pool river system

Although studies of sediment transport in steep and coarse-grained channels have been more numerous in recent years, the dynamics of sediment transport in step–pool river systems remain poorly understood. This paper investigates displacements of individual clasts through Spruce Creek (Québec, Canada), a classic step–pool channel, and the effects of the channel morphology on the path length of the clasts. Passive integrated transponder tags (PIT) were used to track the displacement of 196 individual particles over a range of discharges including the bankfull stage. Clasts were tracked after five sequences of flood events. The results showed that the distance distributions match a two-parameter Gamma model. Equal mobility transport occurs for the particle size investigated during each sequence of flood events. Mean travel distance of the clasts can be estimated from excess stream power, and the mobility of the clasts is more than an order of magnitude less than the model reported in riffle–pool channels. The dominant morphological length scale of the bed also controls the path length of the clasts. These results confirm some preliminary observations on sediment transport in step–pool channels.

Sediment transfer and accumulation in two contrasting salt marsh/mudflat systems: the Seine estuary (France) and the Medway estuary (UK)

Understanding the dynamics of fine sediment transport across the upper intertidal zone is critical in managing the erosion and accretion of intertidal areas, and in managed realignment/estuarine habitat recreation strategies. This paper examines the transfer of sediments between salt marsh and mudflat environments in two contrasting macrotidal estuaries: the Seine (France) and the Medway (UK), using data collected during two joint field seasons undertaken by the Anglo-French RIMEW project (Rives-Manche Estuary Watch). High-resolution ADCP, Altimeter, OBS and ASM measurements from mudflat and marsh surface environments have been combined with sediment trap data to examine short-term sediment transport processes under spring tide and storm flow conditions. In addition, the longer-term accumulation of sediment in each salt marsh system has been examined via radiometric dating of sediment cores. In the Seine, rapid sediment accumulation and expansion of salt marsh areas, and subsequent loss of open intertidal mudflats, is a major problem, and the data collected here indicate a distinct net landward flux of sediments into the marsh interior. Suspended sediment fluxes are much higher than in the Medway estuary (averaging 0.09 g/m3/s), and vertical accumulation rates at the salt marsh/mudflat boundary exceed 3 cm/y. Suspended sediment data collected during storm surge conditions indicate that significant in-wash of fine sediments into the marsh interior can occur during (and following) these high-magnitude events. In contrast to the Seine, the Medway is undergoing erosion and general loss of salt marsh areas. Suspended sediment fluxes are of the order of 0.03 g/m3/s, and the marsh system here has much lower rates of vertical accretion (sediment accumulation rates are ca. 4 mm/y). Current velocity data for the Medway site indicate higher velocities on the ebb tide than occur on the flood tide, which may be sufficient to remobilise sediments deposited on the previous tide and so force net removal of material from the marsh.

Sediment Dynamics Surrounding a Flood Tidal Delta Adjacent to Reclamation and a Dredged Turning Basin

Field measurements of tidal current velocities are used to infer sediment transport characteristics in the lower section of a large, tidally dominated estuarine system at Whangarei Harbour, New Zealand. Recent (2002) developments at the harbour entrance included a 32.6 ha intertidal reclamation and a 31.8 ha dredged turning basin. Residual distance vectors indicate that the postdevelopment, large-scale pattern of sediment transport dynamics remains consistent. Minor, localised modification of transport potentials has been observed immediately adjacent to the developments, however. These modifications include a slight realignment of current flows near the reclamation wall and some leakage from a previously identified transport loop near the dredged basin. The potential for scour is identified along the eastern margin of the dredged basin, which could act to remove material moving downslope into the basin from its western edge. These data are consistent with numerical model results that predicted minimal consequences resulting from the developments. Lower harbour sediment dynamics are consistent with established patterns for tide-dominated inlets, with separation of the channel into areas of ebb and flood dominance, and typical transport patterns over the flood tidal delta. Broad-scale inlet geomorphology has been maintained, which is consistent with other dredged tide-dominated inlets.

Models of Deltaic and Inner Continental Shelf Landform Evolution

The morphology of passive continental shelves is dictated by the input of sediments from rivers and their redistribution by waves, currents, and gravity-driven flows. The pathways followed by sediments sculpt a landscape whose diversity is rarely matched on Earth's surface. Sediments are released to the shelf from triangularly shaped, elongated, and dendritic deltas. Barrier islands rise from gently sloping areas, tidal channels dissect flats and saltmarshes, fine sediments form broad convex deposits, and shallow submarine valleys convey sediments and water to the deep ocean. This morphological diversity is based on two main building elements: water and sediments. Fluxes of water and sediments are particularly suitable to be modeled with numerical methods based on the continuum hypothesis and hydrodynamics theory. In recent years, a series of models have been developed to explore and understand the formation of shelf landforms from the dynamics of sediment transport. Herein we present an overview of the most recent results on the modeling of deltaic and inner-shelf morphodynamics.

Bedload sediment transport dynamics in a macrotidal embayment, and implications for export to the southern Great Barrier Reef shelf

Keppel Bay is a macrotidal embayment on a tectonically stable, tropical coast, which links the Fitzroy River with the Great Barrier Reef continental shelf. Estuaries and deltas act as conduits between catchments and inner shelf environments. Therefore, understanding sediment transport pathways in these complex systems is essential for the management of ecosystems such as coral-reefs that are potentially vulnerable to enhanced river sediment loads. Furthermore, the morphology and sediment dynamics of subtidal sand ridges and dunes are relatively poorly characterised in macrotidal estuaries, particularly in turbid, episodic systems such as the Fitzroy River and Keppel Bay. Our sedimentological analysis of seabed samples, shear-stress modelling and three-dimensional acoustic imaging reveals that Keppel Bay is a mixed wave- and tide-dominated estuarine system. Areas of sediment starvation and shoreward transport characterise the offshore zone, whereas a complex of both active and relict tidal sand ridges, and associated subaqueous dunes, dominate the relatively protected southern Keppel Bay. Transport within this region is highly dynamic and variable, with ebb-dominated sediment transport through tidal channels into the outer bay where there is a switch to wave-dominated shoreward transport. Ultimately, bedload sediments appear to be reworked back inshore and to the north, and are gradually infilling the bedrock-defined embayment. Our characterisation of the Keppel Bay system provides a detailed example of the physiography of the seaward portion of a tide-dominated system, and shows that sediment transport in these areas is influenced by a variable hydrodynamic regime as well as relict channels and bedrock topography.

Dynamics of suspended sediment transport at field‐scale drain channels of irrigation‐dominated watersheds in the Sonoran Desert, southeastern California

AbstractSuspended sediment is a major source of pollution in irrigation‐dominated watersheds. However, little is known about the process and mechanisms of suspended sediment transport in drain channels directly connected to agricultural fields. This paper explains sediment dynamics using averaged 5 min flow discharge Q (m3 s−1) and suspended sediment concentration C (mg l−1) collected during one crop season in a small catchment containing a first‐order drain channel and its connected six agricultural fields within the Salton Sea watershed. The statistical properties and average trends of Q and C were investigated for both early (i.e. November) and late (i.e. January) stages of a crop season. Further in‐depth analysis on sediment dynamics was performed by selecting two typical single‐field irrigation events and two multiple‐field irrigation events. For each set of irrigation events, the process of suspended sediment transport was revealed by examining hydrograph and sediment graph responses. The mechanisms underlying suspended sediment transport were investigated by analysing the types of corresponding hysteresis loop. Finally, sediment rating curves for both hourly and daily data at early and late stages and for the entire crop season were established to seek possible sediment‐transport predictive model(s). The study suggests that the complicated processes of suspended sediment transport in irrigation‐dominated watersheds require stochastic rather than deterministic forecasting. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sediment transport and resuspension due to combined motion of wave and current in the northern Adriatic Sea during a Bora event in January 2001: A numerical modelling study

The Adriatic Sea general circulation model coupled to a third generation wave model SWAN and a sediment transport model was implemented in the Adriatic Sea to study the dynamics of the sediment transport and resuspension in the northern Adriatic Sea (NAS) during the Bora event in January 2001. The bottom boundary layer (BBL) was resolved by the coupled model with high vertical resolution, and the mechanism of the wave–current interaction in the BBL was also represented in the model. The study found that, during the Bora event of 13–17 January 2001, large waves with significant wave height 2 m and period of 5 s were generated by strong winds in the northwestern shelf of the Adriatic where the direction of wave propagation was orthogonal to the current. The combined motion of the wave and current in the BBL increased the bottom stress over the western Adriatic shelf, resulting in stronger sediment resuspension there. Combining stronger bottom resuspension and strong upward vertical flux of resuspended sediments due to turbulent mixing, the model predicted that sediment concentration near the Po River was much higher than that predicted by the model run without wave forcing. The study also shows that wave–current interaction in the BBL reduced the western Adriatic Coastal Currents (WACCs) in the shallower north. It is concluded that wave forcing significantly changed the sediment distributions and increased the total horizontal fluxes over the western shelf. These results signified wave effect on sediment flux and distribution in the NAS, and suggested that waves cannot be neglected in the study of dynamics of sediment transport and resuspension in the shallow coastal seas. By including the tidal forcing in the coupled model, we also examined the effect of tides on the sediment transport dynamics in the NAS.

Anomalous rainfall and associated atmospheric circulation in the northeast Spanish Mediterranean area and its relationship to sediment fluidization events in a lake

Changes in the dynamics of sediment transport in a Mediterranean lake (sediment fluidization events) are linked to atmospheric circulations patterns (trough monthly precipitation). In the basins of Lake Banyoles, located in the northeast of Spain, water enters mainly through subterranean springs, and associated fluctuations in the vertical migration of sediment distribution (fluidization events) present episodic behavior as a result of episodic rainfall in the area. The initiation of the fluidization events takes place when the monthly rainfall is ∼2.7 times greater than the mean monthly rainfall of the rainiest months in the area, especially in spring (April and May), October, and December. The duration of these events is found to be well correlated with the accumulated rainfall of the preceding 10 months before the process initiation. The rainfall, in turn, is mainly associated with six atmospheric circulation patterns among the 19 fundamental circulations that emerged in an earlier study focused on significant rainfall days in Mediterranean Spain. Among them, accentuated surface lows over the northeast of Spain, general northeasterly winds by low pressure centered to the east of Balearic Islands and short baroclinic waves over the Iberian Peninsula, with easterly flows over the northeastern coast of Spain, are found the most relevant atmospheric circulations that drive heavy rainfall events.

Modelling sediment transport from bare rilled hillslopes by areally averaged transport equations

Treating the dynamics of sediment transport as two-dimensional on interrill-areas and as one-dimensional in rill sections, areally averaged sheet sediment transport equations are developed. The two-dimensional sheet sediment transport equation is averaged over an individual interrill-area width and then along the interrill-area length to obtain local-scale areally averaged interrill-area sheet sediment transport equation (local-scale areal averaging). Similarly, the cross-sectionally-averaged rill sediment transport equation is averaged along an individual rill length to obtain local-scale areally averaged rill sediment transport equation (local-scale areal averaging). In order to minimize computational effort and economize on the number of model parameters, the local-scale areally averaged equations are then averaged over a whole hillslope section (large-scale areal averaging). These equations constitute the areally averaged model. The expectations of the terms containing more than one variable are obtained by the method of regular perturbation. In the large-scale areal averaging it is assumed that all the randomness in the state variable is due to the randomness in the parameters of the process. Comparison of the results obtained from the areally averaged model with those of the point-scale model indicates that the areally averaged model uses far less data and yet it performs as well as the point-scale model. The results of the developed model indicate that on a rilled-surface most of the sediment loads comes from rill sections. The developed model is successfully tested against experimental data obtained from a bare rilled hillslope. It predicted measured runoff and sediment rates with mean absolute errors of 11.07 l/min and 0.382 kg/s, respectively.

Directional Kriging: A Proposal to Determine Sediment Transport

Abstract Since the beginning of the 1980s, several methods for the study of sediment transport dynamics have emerged that are based on the distribution of granulometric parameters. These studies are limited to current sediments of three basic environments: fluvial, coastal, and estuary, for which the objective is to determine the direction of global transport and delineate specific areas of deposition, erosion, or equilibrium. These studies show a growing demand for planning mechanisms that find sailing areas that take advantage of wave energy in estuaries. This work is related, specifically, to sedimentary transport for aqueous flow in estuaries and near-coast areas. In this paper, we present an alternative analysis of sediment transport dynamics that is based on a 2D interpolation procedure that takes into account the vectorial kriging methodology, which considers the spatial characterisation of a directional stochastic process in the interpolation of the vector azimuth. For example, to study sediment t...

Characteristics of suspended sediment material transport in the Ishikari Bay in snowmelt season

The present paper aims at studies of the suspended sediment transport in inner Ishikari Bay in snowmelt season using a numerical approach and field observation data. The sediment transport and bottom boundary layer models are coupled into the Princeton Ocean Model to compute suspended sediment concentration in the system. The following findings have been deduced: (1) The suspended sediment transport in the study area in snowmelt season is dominated by the sediment discharge from the Ishikari River. The effect of sediment resuspension due to wave current interaction is limited to a very shallow area along the coast. (2) A comparison between observed and computed suspended sediment concentrations shows that the model can reproduce reasonably well the general features of the dynamics of suspended sediment transport in Ishikari Bay in snowmelt season. (3) The suspended sediment matter (SSM) from the Ishikari River is mainly transported northward. The vertical structure of SSM concentration displays a slow sinking of sediment matter supplied to the water column from the surface i.e. high sediment concentration is seen in surface layers and it gradually deceases in the lower layers. (4) After two months of simulation, net erosion occurs in a narrow area nearshore. The average erosion depth in this area is 0.16 mm. Net deposition locates in a wider area north of the inner bay. The average deposition depth in this area is 0.04 mm.

Coupled model of surface water flow, sediment transport and morphological evolution

This paper presents a mathematical model coupling water flow and sediment transport dynamics that enables calculating the changing surface morphology through time and space. The model is based on the shallow water equations for flow, conservation of sediment concentration, and empirical functions for bed friction, substrate erosion and deposition. The sediment transport model is a non-capacity formulation whereby erosion and deposition are treated independently and influence the sediment flux by exchanging mass across the bottom boundary of the flow. The resulting hyperbolic system is solved using a finite volume, Godunov-type method with a first-order approximate Riemann solver. The model can be applied both to short time scales, where the flow, sediment transport and morphological evolution are strongly coupled and the rate of bed evolution is comparable to the rate of flow evolution, or to relatively long time scales, where the time scale of bed evolution associated with erosion and/or deposition is slow relative to the response of the flow to the changing surface and, therefore, the classical quasi-steady approximation can be invoked. The model is verified by comparing computed results with documented solutions. The developed model can be used to investigate a variety of problems involving coupled flow and sediment transport including channel initiation and drainage basin evolution associated with overland flow and morphological changes induced by extreme events such as tsunami.

The orientation of helical flow in curved channels

AbstractThe planform patterns of meandering submarine channels and subaerial fluvial bends show many similarities that have given rise to strong analogies concerning the fluid dynamics of these channel types. Existing models of helical motion in open‐channel bends depict flow that is characterized by surface flow towards the outer bank, and basal flow towards the inner bank. This paper investigates and compares, through an analytical model and physical experiment, flows within fluvial meanders, and submarine channel bends that contain density‐driven gravity currents. The results indicate that the sense of helical motion can be reversed in submarine bends that contain density currents when compared with fluvial bends, and that the orientation of the helical flow is dependent on the vertical distribution of downstream velocity. Specifically, the sense of helical motion is reversed in bends when the maximum downstream velocity is near the bed, resulting in near‐bed flow towards the outer bank. These findings suggest that the dynamics of sediment transport and deposition in curved channels with such velocity profiles will be fundamentally different to those currently assumed from sinuous open‐channels.

238U– 234U– 230Th disequilibria and timescale of sedimentary transfers in rivers: Clues from the Gangetic plain rivers

This study uses 238U– 234U– 230Th disequilibria in river sediments in order to constrain the transfer times of sediments in alluvial plains of rivers from Himalaya and the Gangetic plain. From the observed distributions we infer sediment transfer times of about 100 ka in the Gangetic plain for rivers taking their source in the Himalayan chain, and longer transfer of about 160–250 ka for foothill-fed rivers. This difference is probably related to the difference in the sediment transport dynamics of these two types of rivers.

River flow and associated transport of sediments and solutes through a highly urbanised catchment, Bradford, West Yorkshire

The hydrological characteristics of catchments become drastically modified in response to urbanisation. The total contributions and dynamics of runoff, suspended sediment and solutes may change significantly and have important implications downstream where they may affect flooding, instream ecological habitat, water quality and siltation of river channels and lakes. Although an appreciation of the likely hydrological changes is crucial for effective catchment management they are still poorly understood. In this paper we present data from a network of river monitoring stations throughout the heavily urbanised Bradford catchment, West Yorkshire. Sites are upstream, within and downstream of the highly urbanised central part of the catchment. Flow, turbidity (calibrated to suspended sediment concentration) and specific conductance (surrogate for solute concentration), logged at 15-min intervals, are presented for a 12-month period (June 2000 to June 2001). The total amounts and dynamics of flow, solute and suspended sediment transport were investigated. Estimated total flow and suspended sediment transport for the monitoring period were found to be high in response to the high total rainfall. Flow and sediment transport regimes were extremely ‘flashy’ throughout the catchment and became increasingly flashy in a downstream direction. Suspended sediment discharged from the Bradford subcatchment makes an important contribution to downstream sediment transport on the river Aire at Beal. Data suggest that the urbanised part of the Bradford catchment is extremely important in contributing solutes to the Beck (river). Although flow and sediment are also contributed to the Bradford Beck in the urbanised part of the catchment the data suggest that significant amounts may enter the combined sewer system and bypass the river. Understanding the spatial and temporal variations of flow and the transport of suspended sediment and solutes in rivers in urbanized subcatchments is crucial to their effective management and monitoring. Furthermore, this knowledge may be extremely important to the management and monitoring of downstream rivers in large scale mixed catchments.

U–Pb zircon ages as a sediment mixing tracer in the Nepal Himalaya

This paper presents a new approach to quantify sediment mixing based on the mixing of U–Pb zircon age distributions within sediment. Two statistical techniques are presented to determine the proportion in which two known age distributions combine to create a known mixed age distribution. These techniques are then used to determine relative erosion rates between adjacent drainage basins above and below the Main Central Thrust (MCT) in the central Nepal Himalaya. The MCT region is coincident with an abrupt north–south change in geomorphic character and mineral cooling ages that are thought to represent an erosional response to higher rock uplift rates north of the MCT zone. However, it is unclear whether the ongoing deformation responsible for the differential uplift rates is: (1) focused on the MCT; (2) at depth along a crustal scale ramp; or (3) along newly mapped thrust faults south of the MCT. Our study explores this issue by comparing modern erosion rates with longer-term erosion rates determined from mineral cooling ages. Zircons were separated from modern river sand and dated by LA-MC-ICPMS before the measured isotopic ratios and ages were used in 1-d and 2-d mixing calculations. The 1-d technique creates probability density functions of zircon ages for each sample and then uses both an iterative and inverse approach to estimate mixing between samples. In contrast, the 2-d technique estimates mixing between probability “fields” defined by the measured 238U/ 206Pb and 207Pb/ 206Pb ratios. Given a finite mixture with perfect sample representation, both techniques produce perfect mixing estimates across a range of mixing proportions. Modeling results demonstrate that given imperfect subsample representation of the complex parent age distribution, differing degrees of subsample smoothing may be required to achieve an accurate mixing estimate. Using mixing of zircon ages as a quantitative proxy for sediment mixing requires a correction for the concentration of zircon in the river sediment. Two new methods for establishing zircon concentration in river sediment are presented demonstrating the existence of 2- to 5-fold differences in zircon concentration between adjacent drainages. Relative erosion rates are estimated by determining the zircon mixing ratio between adjacent drainages which are then normalized by the ratio of zircon concentrations and the ratio of drainage areas. Results show ∼ 3 times higher modern erosion rates south of the MCT in the northernmost Lesser Himalaya. Future applications of this new technique may include reach-scale sediment transport dynamics, improved sedimentary basin analysis, and better interpretation of foreland mineral cooling ages.

The effect of sediment stratification on tidal dynamics and sediment transport patterns

The western tip of southwest Korea is characterized by a tidally dominated, turbid, coastal environment. There are well‐developed tidal flats along the coast and around islands, together with offshore sand ridges several tens of kilometers long in the west. The effects of bottom boundary layer (BBL) sediment stratification on sediment‐transport and tidal dynamics in this environment were examined using a sediment transport model coupled with a three‐dimensional tidal hydrodynamic model. Model experiments using two scenarios, with and without the effect of sediment‐induced stratification, showed that BBL sediment‐stratification influenced the spatial distribution and reduced the magnitude of net sedimentation. The presence of a sediment‐stratified BBL also led to a reduction in suspended sediment fluxes and an increase in the vertical gradient of sediment concentrations in the water column. These variations occurred because sediment‐induced BBL stratification leads to not only a reduction in bottom shear stress but also a decrease in buoyancy production of turbulent kinetic energy and an associated dampening of turbulence. The significant reductions in turbulence and bottom shear stress result in changes to the vertical‐current structure of the M2 tide, including alteration of the tidal ellipse configuration and an increase in vertical shears of the tidal current amplitude and phase. These reductions also lead to a slight increase in tidal amplitudes due to the decreased tidal‐energy dissipation. The model results indicate that feedback between the sediment‐transport dynamics and hydrodynamics is an important factor in modeling sediment transport dynamics in tidally dominated, turbid, coastal environments. Such environments include the west coast of Korea and the Yellow Sea. A suitable approach to simulating the effects of this feedback may be the use of a modified bottom‐drag coefficient as a stability function, together with the inclusion of the effect of sediment stratification on the hydrodynamics.

River discharge, sediment transport and exchange in the Tana Estuary, Kenya

This study focuses on sediment transport and exchange dynamics in the 27 km 2 Tana Estuary located at Kipini in the north Kenya coast. The estuary is drained by the Tana River, which contributes more than 50% of the total river discharges into the Kenyan sector of the Indian Ocean. The study involved measurement of river discharges, estuarine flood–ebb tidal discharges, total and particulate organic suspended sediment concentrations (TSSC, POSC) and fluxes, tidal water elevation, current velocities, temperature and salinity. The study was conducted between February 2001 and November 2003. The results of the study showed that the Tana River discharge ranged between 60 and 750 m 3 s −1. The maximum river discharges during the Southeast and Northeast monsoons were 750 and 350 m 3 s −1, respectively. The peak river discharges occurred in May and November. The total daily sediment load of the Tana River varied from 2796 tons day −1 during the dry season to 24,322 tons day −1 during the rainy season. The annual total sediment load is 6.8 × 10 6 tons yr −1, which is, however, smaller than that before the damming of the river in the Upper Tana Basin. Because of river discharge and occurrence of a wide mangrove wetland, the estuary is mainly ebb tide dominant. The peak ebb tide currents (0.87 m s −1) were 30% larger than the peak flood tide currents (0.65 m s −1). During spring tide, the estuary was partially well mixed. However, in neap tide, the estuary was stratified in the middle zone. The turbidity maximum zone with TSSC > 1.5 g l −1 was generated in spring tide by wave stirring of frontwater zone bed sediments and trapping of fine sediments at the toe of the salt wedge. The peak TSSC ranging from 1.5 to 5.0 g l −1 occurred at low tide due to river supply of sediment and resuspension of channel bed sediments by wind waves, particularly at the last stages of ebb tide and early stages of flood tide. Due to the influx of oceanic water into the estuary at flood tide TSSC decreased to <0.2 g l −1 at high tide in the frontwater zone and was larger in the backwater zones of the estuary. The estuary exports sediments at a rate ranging from 0.02 to 0.08 kg m −2 tidal cycle −1. The net export of sediments causes a net denudation of the estuary at a rate ranging from 0.08 to 0.04 mm tidal cycle −1.