High Sediment Concentrations Research Articles

Differences in sediment provenance from rainfall and snowmelt erosion in the Mollisol region of Northeast China

AbstractDifferences in erosion patterns inevitably lead to different soil loss processes. However, the differences in sediment sources between rainfall and snowmelt erosion are not well studied. To address this gap, a study was conducted in a small agricultural catchment (3.5 km2) using the fingerprinting technique to quantify the various sources contributing to sediment, as well as determine the magnitude of sediment total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK) and soil organic matter (SOM) loads from three sources (cultivated land, unpaved roads and gullies) during the rainy season and spring thawing period. Sediment sources from 17 rainfall erosion and seven snowmelt erosion events of varying magnitudes were compared. The Collins and Bayesian mixing models, coupled with geochemical tracers (Cs, V, Cd, Pb and Ag), were applied to assess the contribution proportion of individual sediment sources to suspended sediment. According to the results obtained from the Bayesian mixing model with higher accuracy, cultivated land, unpaved roads and gullies contributed 60.3% (load‐weighted mean contribution [LMC] = 82.8%), 11.0% (LMC = 6.5%) and 28.7% (LMC = 10.7%) of the sediment in the rainy season, respectively. Cultivated land was the dominant sediment source for rainfall erosion, with high rainfall erosivity and sediment concentration. However, for snowmelt erosion, gullies were the primary sediment source (LMC = 66.2%), followed by cultivated land (LMC = 19.8%) and unpaved roads (load‐weighted = 14.0%). Meanwhile, in the spring thawing period, the contributions of unpaved roads to sediment were higher than in the rainy season. During the rainy season, the greatest contributions of TN, TP, TK and SOM were observed from cultivated land, with respective LMC values of 94.2%, 89.4%, 81.1% and 94.8%. With the increase of sediment contribution from gullies in the spring thawing period, its LMC of TN, TP, TK and SOM increased to 42.6%, 58.3%, 65.0% and 38.0%, respectively. The results of the study could be useful for understanding the processes of soil erosion, clarifying the driving mechanism of compound erosion, developing the compound erosion prediction model and optimizing the spatial configuration of erosion control measures.

Deltaic marsh accretion under episodic sediment supply controlled by river regulations and storms: Implications for coastal wetlands restoration in the Yellow River Delta

Sediment supply has long been recognized as a critical factor affecting salt marsh evolutions. Subject to fluctuating river discharges and coastal hydrodynamics, sediment supply to deltaic marshes are episodic rather than continuous. To evaluate the impacts of episodic sediment delivery under river regulations and storm events on deltaic marsh accretion, a 5-month (April 18th to September 4th, 2021) field campaign was conducted at a Spartina alterniflora marsh of the Yellow River Delta, China. Nine storm events and the Water-Sediment Regulation Scheme (WSRS) coinciding with a freshwater diversion were captured. It was found that the two phases of the WSRS differed greatly in their contribution to marsh accretion. During the Water-Regulation Phase (WRP), marsh accretion rates showed little difference with pre-WRP periods. However, the subsequent Sediment-Regulation Phase (SRP) contributed to ∼15 % of annual accretion within only 4 days, suggesting the SRP was more effective in nourishing deltaic marshes with sediment. Further analyses indicated that the higher accretion during SRP was attributed to both higher sediment concentrations and more favorable sediment pathways, influenced by delta-scale river-tide interactions. Observations also showed that storm events contributed to half of the marsh accretion during the non-WSRS period when the fluvial sediment supply was very low. During storms, wave-induced intertidal resuspension acted as the major sediment sources. Under favorable conditions (onshore wind, high water levels, high waves), tidal-averaged sediment delivery to marshes underwent as much as fifty-fold increase compared with the calm period. The observed marsh dynamics suggested that marsh sedimentations depended on not only the seaward sediment concentrations, but also the sediment transport pathways. For deltaic marsh restoration practices, we proposed that marsh-orientated schemes which align river regulations with favorable meteorological and hydrodynamic conditions, could potentially make better use of fluvial sediment for deltaic marsh nourishment.

Sources of suspended sediments in salt marsh creeks: Field measurements in China and the Netherlands

Marsh creeks are perceived as important conduits for transporting water and sediment between mudflats and marshes. In order to advance the understanding of the transport mechanisms in creeks, the source and ultimate sink of sediment which moves between mudflats and marshes through creek channels need further investigation. Therefore, two field campaigns were conducted in two intertidal systems with varying sediment availability. The water depth, flow velocity, suspended sediment concentration, and bed level change were measured simultaneously in a marsh creek and on the adjacent mudflat in Chongming Island (China) and in Paulina Saltmarsh (the Netherlands). Paulina Saltmarsh is much smaller, more frequently flooded, and has lower sediment concentration than Chongming. These contrasting conditions allow for a comparison of transport mechanisms and functioning of the creek. Both systems first show that the high suspended sediment concentration (SSC) measured in marsh creeks is mainly the consequence of sediment advection rather than local erosion. In addition, erosion in marsh creeks is usually limited during ebb tides, reducing the export of sediment through these creeks. However, differences have been observed between two systems. The measured SSC was highly asymmetric between flood and ebb tides in Chongming. Large peaks in SSC during the flood period can be observed for most tidal cycles. The marsh creeks in Chongming therefore function as conduits for sediment import. Additionally, there are distinct overbank and underbank tides in Chongming. Sediment was trapped and retained in creeks during underbank tides, which can then be eroded and transported to the marsh during subsequent overbank tides. We also observed that mudflats in Chongming quickly recovered after erosion. These mechanisms have not been observed in Paulina Saltmarsh, where net sediment export via the marsh creek was observed due to a lack of abundant sediment in suspension during flood tides. Furthermore, the remaining bed surface of mudflats after an erosion event was stronger than before, limiting further erosion in Paulina Saltmarsh. These findings from the two systems indicate that the role of creeks in sediment import/export depends on the availability of sediment from mudflats, shedding light on nourishment strategies for salt marshes.

Determining sediment deposition dynamics influenced by check dams in a semi‐arid mountainous watershed

AbstractSemi‐arid environments are characterized by infrequent large magnitude rainfalls that produce flash flood events with high sediment concentration. Control structures such as check dams are widely used in this environment for mitigation. However, their impact on the overall sediment balance of watersheds, particularly those severely affected by anthropogenic activity, is sparsely documented. This study used topographic measurements, sediment analysis, and fallout isotope techniques to assess the effectiveness and service life of 18 rock and masonry check dams that were constructed in the 1930s for controlling sediment fluxes in an 11 ha mountainous watershed in southern Arizona. All of the dams are currently filled with sediment resulting in reduction of local channel gradients by 35 to 71% to between 0.04 and 0.28 depending on location within the reach. Sedimentation occurred over multiple decades at a relatively slow average rate of 0.59 t ha−1 y−1 indicating low instantaneous retention efficiency. The smaller headwater dams were filled soon after construction; however, their share of the overall storage capacity was minor. Although evaluation of 137Cs was an effective method for dating sediment, the 210Pb dating method was not satisfactory because of sediment sorting effects and complex deposition patterns. The abundance of similar control structures in the region points to the opportunity to better understand the process impacts of check dams over multiple decades to inform planning and design of their use in future mitigation projects.

Puget Sound sediment cleanup remedy effectiveness retrospective.

The monitoring of completed large-scale sediment remediation projects has revealed mixed effectiveness at reducing risks, thus highlighting uncertainties regarding whether and which remedial measures are necessary to achieve protective goals. To support valid statements about changes over time and the overall effectiveness of sediment remedial action, robust pre- and postremediation monitoring is required with sufficient time points, reference sites, and biological metrics. The five completed Puget Sound sediment remediation case studies reviewed here (Bellingham Bay, St. Paul Waterway, Eagle Harbor, Hylebos Waterway, and Sinclair Inlet) employed particularly robust remedy effectiveness monitoring programs that spanned decades, revealing common lessons for improving remediation outcomes. First, although sediment remediation can play an important role in reducing contaminant exposure in areas with higher sediment concentrations, at lower levels, sediment links with fish tissue concentrations diminish. As water column exposure from diverse sources becomes predominant, remediating sediments with lower concentrations yields proportionately less risk reduction. Second, timely monitoring of effective source controls achieving substantial (i.e., >80%) contaminant source load reductions as well as large-scale capping projects have revealed rapid changes in Puget Sound surface sediment concentrations and biological recovery metrics with an average recovery half-time of 1.6 ± 0.8 years. The weight of evidence suggests that natural recovery of Puget Sound surface sediments is significantly accelerated by exchange across the sediment-water interface from benthic organism feeding behaviors, porewater flux, and tide-generated currents. As a result, effective source controls in Puget Sound have rapidly improved surface sediment quality and achieved more significant risk reductions than broadscale sediment remediation. Going forward, comprehensive Puget Sound source control efforts that incorporate robust monitoring in an adaptive management framework are the best way to achieve protective remediation objectives. These lessons may apply more broadly across similar complex urban aquatic ecosystems. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1355-1365. © 2024 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Formation mechanism of drift-moat contourite systems revealed by in-situ observations in the South China Sea

Contourite drifts are ubiquitous sedimentary features in the world′s oceans, and their formation are usually ascribed to sedimentation from contour currents. However, in-situ observations of contour currents and their associated sedimentary processes were inadequate. Here, we present mooring observation results from a drift-moat contourite system in the South China Sea to gain insight into its sediment dynamics and formation mechanism. We found that quasi-persistent contour currents develop in the moat, on and below the drift, yet subject to diverse physical oceanographic processes. High suspended sediment concentrations observed on the drift mainly occur in winter, induced by high levels of sediments transported by contour currents from Taiwan. In the moat, however, high suspended sediment concentrations are mostly caused by erosion of the moat wall during periods of strong tidal currents and low shear variance. Such results underscore the complexity of current patterns and sedimentary processes across various topographic units in the drift-moat contourite system. A novel formation mechanism of the contourite drift is thereby proposed, wherein sediment transport by contour currents brings materials for constructing the drift, while its formation is driven by near-critical reflection and upslope transport of sediments by tidal currents.

Near seafloor methane flux in the world's largest human-induced dead zone is regulated by sediment accumulation rate

The vast oxygen-depleted area of the central Baltic Sea is the largest human-induced dead zone in the world with 70,000 km2 or approximately three times the second largest one in the Gulf of Mexico. Methane occurs in high concentrations in bottom waters (3200 nM) and sediments (30 mM), and its dynamics is better constrained for the water column, but still poorly understood on sediments. Here we show that sediment accumulation rate plays a major role in regulating the quantity of organic matter and its residence time in the sulphate reduction and methanogenesis zones and, therefore, affects methane generation, consumption, and diffusive flux in sediments near the seafloor (< 1 m). High fluxes found in high sediment accumulation rate areas and competition for substrate (organoclastic sulphate reduction vs. anaerobic oxidation of methane with sulphate), compromise the ability of the thin microbial filter to consume and prevent methane diffusion through the seafloor.

Total and Bioaccesible Metal Concentrations in Surficial Sediment Affected by a Mining Spill: Case of Sonora River, Northwest of Mexico

ABSTRACT Metals and metalloids are persistent contaminants that are associated with many anthropogenic activities and mining in particular. On August 6, 2014, approximately 40,000 m3 of toxic acid mining waste was spilled from the Buena Vista del Cobre Copper Mine. The spill affected 220 km of the Sonora River Basin (SRB) over a surface area of ~ 30,000 km2. This study evaluated the total and bioaccessible concentrations of six metals and their enrichment in surficial sediments in spill and no-spill sites in the SRB. All metal concentrations showed significant seasonal and spatial variation (p < .05) in surficial sediments, with a general distribution of Al > Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb. The total and bioaccessible concentrations of the elements in this study were similar between spill and no-spill sites. Variations in element levels were associated with re-suspension and advection related with rain run-off, and the element concentrations were associated with the high natural concentrations in surficial sediments found throughout the SRB (considering the predominant soil types). The enrichment factor (EF) indicated minor to moderate-severe enrichment of Fe and Mn, minor to severe enrichment of Pb and Zn, and moderate-severe to very severe enrichment of Cu. The bioaccessible percentages of metals with respect to the total concentrations varied from 0.23 to 69.9%. The Sediment Quality Guidelines criteria indicated that adverse effects on biota that are mainly due to Cu levels are potentially present. Chronic exposure to metals may produce intermediate and long-term effects on the metabolic responses of biota.

Derivation of a 2D PCCU-AENO method for nonconservative problems

In this paper, we introduce a methodology to design genuinely two-dimensional (2D) second-order well-balanced path-conservative central-upwind (PCCU) schemes. The scheme studies dam-break with high sediment concentration over abrupt moving topography quickly spatially variable even in the presence of the resonance. This study is possible via a 2D hyperbolic sediment transport model (including arbitrarily sloping sediment beds and associated energy and entropy) in new generalized Shallow Water equations derived with associated energy and entropy in this work. We expose some properties of the model and we establish an existence result of global weak solutions. In addition, we show the convergence of a sequence of solutions of the proposed new model. The second-order accuracy of the PCCU scheme is achieved using a new extension AENO (Averaging Essentially Non-Oscillatory) reconstruction developed in the 2D version of this work. We prove that the derived 2D scheme is well-balanced, positivity-preserving and steady states capturing. Several dam break tests are made to show the ability and the superb performances of the proposed numerical modeling. The proposed method can help to address many engineering problems.

Physical and numerical modeling of a landslide dam breach and flood routing process

Landslide dams are common hazards in mountainous regions, and outburst floods following dam breaches significantly impact people and infrastructure along rivers. The breaching processes associated with landslide dams and the interactions of outburst floods with channel terrain are very complex. The lack of event-based observations hampers the understanding of the mechanisms underlying these processes. Here, we combine a large-scale field experiment conducted on a natural river channel with a 3D numerical simulation. The numerical model was calibrated by a flume test and validated by experimental data from the large-scale physical model, demonstrating that it can accurately simulate the breaching process of landslide dams. The results show that the channel terrain controls the spatial and temporal distribution of the flow velocity and depth of the breach flood. The area of high flow velocity is mainly located in the block-confined narrow channel. In addition, outburst floods with high sediment concentrations led to extensive deposition in the downstream channels. The deposition thickness generally decreases in the flow direction and is affected by the channel topography. The measured changes in the particle size distribution of bed sediment before and after the dam breach support our findings. Moreover, the effect of upstream inflow on breach discharge was also investigated. It was found that the increasing inflow rate significantly accelerated the breaching process and increased the peak discharge. Our study enhances the understanding of the breach mechanism and reveals the connection between the hydrodynamic processes and geomorphic effects of breach floods, which can provide insight into the risk assessment of landslide dam hazards.

Sediment-Nitrogen (N) connectivity: suspended sediments in streams as N exporters and reactors for denitrification and assimilatory N uptake during storms

Nitrogen (N) pollution in riverine ecosystems has substantial environmental, economic, and policy consequences. Various riverine N removal processes include permanent dissimilatory sinks such as denitrification (Uden) and temporary assimilatory sink such as microbial N uptake (Uassim). Both processes have been extensively evaluated in benthic sediments but only sparsely in the water column, particularly for storm flows producing high suspended sediment (SS) concentrations. Stormflows also increase the sediment bound N (Sed-N) export, and in turn, the overall N exports from watersheds. The balance between N removal by Uden and Uassim vs. Sed-N export has not been studied and is a key knowledge gap. We assessed the magnitude of Uden and Uassim against stormflow Sed-N exports for multiple storm events of varying magnitude and across two drainage areas (750 ha and 15,330 ha) in a mixed landuse mid-Atlantic US watershed. We asked: How do the Uden and Uassim sinks compare with Sed-N exports and how do these N fluxes vary across the drainage areas for sampled storms on the rising and falling limbs of the discharge hydrograph? Mean Uden and Uassim as % of the Sed-N exports ranged between 0.1–40% and 0.6–22%, respectively. Storm event Uassim fluxes were generally slightly lower than the corresponding Uden fluxes. Similarly, comparable but slightly higher Uden fluxes were observed for the second order vs. the fourth order stream, while Uassim fluxes were slightly higher in the fourth-order stream. Both of these N sinks were higher on the falling vs. rising limbs of the hydrograph. This suggests that while the N sinks are not trivial, sediment bound N exports during large stormflows will likely overshadow any gains in N removal by SS associated denitrification. Understanding these N source-sink dynamics for storm events is critical for accurate watershed nutrient modeling and for better pollution mitigation strategies for downstream aquatic ecosystems. These results are especially important within the context of climate change as extreme hydrological events including storms are becoming more and more frequent.

Coarse-grained submarine channels: from confined to unconfined flows in the Colombian Caribbean (late Eocene)

Submarine channel mouth settings are hardly preserved in the stratigraphic record. Although they are still poorly known with respect to other segments of turbidite systems, conceptual models are being refined in the light of new discoveries in modern and ancient examples. Still, some questions such as the transition between expansion zones and the traditional Channel-Lobe Transition Zone (CLTZ) remains open in ancient systems. Upper Eocene deposits of the Colombian Caribbean (San Jacinto Fold Belt) are interpreted here as a fan-delta-fed, submarine, coarse-grained channel-lobe system. It displays a well-preserved channel inception stage in the shelf break represented by sigmoidal to lens-shaped gravels, and planar cross-stratified pebbly sandstones (foreset and backset) interpreted as cyclic steps in an expansion zone. In a later stage, a classical channel-levee complex was developed, represented by channel fill elements showing sharp- and erosional-based, fining-upward sequences that are meters thick, having basal massive matrix-supported pebble conglomerates (hard—extrabasinal—clasts, rip-up clasts, coastal bioclasts), vertically evolving to liquefied massive to planar-laminated coarse-grained sandstones with phytodetrital carbonaceous laminae. They are interpreted as concentrated flow deposits (high-density turbidites) coming from continental areas or from coastal systems (i.e., delta reworking). Undifferentiated channel belt thin-bedded turbidites associated with levees and terraces deposits are related to these confined systems. The channel-lobe transition zone is characterized by debrites from cohesionless debris flow in a channel-mouth bar setting, representing bypass processes that developed distally into low-angle, planar cross- and sigmoidally-stratified (upstream antidune) pebble-size to coarse-grained sandstones that fill low-angle scours (cut-and-fill structures) in an antidune field setting with supercritical conditions. When the currents lose channel confinement, the setting is characterized by changes from Froude supercritical to subcritical flow conditions in an inner lobe to lobe off-axis environment. Large seasonal fluctuations in precipitation favor high sediment concentrations, promoting the formation of volumetrically significant fan deltas and coarse-grained submarine channels with high erosive capacity; therefore, their record helps refine interpretations of depositional processes, providing criteria for recognizing areas of the turbiditic systems that are hardly preserved. The particular aggradational conditions for the preservation and stratigraphic characterization of the rare exhumed submarine channel mouth systems make it possible to decipher sediment dispersal patterns and thus connect the models proposed here, from supercritical systems to the traditional models of turbiditic systems.

The Role of Glacier Erosion in Riverine Particulate Organic Carbon Export

AbstractBiospheric particulate organic carbon (POCbio) burial and rock petrogenic particulate organic carbon (POCpetro) oxidation are opposing long‐term controls on the global carbon cycle, sequestering and releasing carbon, respectively. Here, we examine how watershed glacierization impacts the POC source by assessing the concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C and Δ14C) of POC exported from four watersheds with 0%–49% glacier coverage across a melt season in Southeast Alaska. We used two mixing models (age‐weight percent and dual carbon isotope) to calculate concentrations of POCbio and POCpetro within the bulk POC pool. The fraction POCpetro contribution was highest in the heavily glacierized watershed (age‐weight percent: 0.39 ± 0.05; dual isotope: 0.42 (0.37–0.47)), demonstrating a glacial source of POCpetro to fjords. POCpetro was mobilized via glacier melt and subglacial flow, while POCbio was largely flushed from the non‐glacierized landscape by rain. Flow normalized POCbio concentrations exceeded POCpetro concentrations for all streams, but surprisingly were highest in the heavily glacierized watershed (mean: 0.70 mgL−1; range 0.16–1.41 mgL−1), suggesting that glacier rivers can contribute substantial POCbio to coastal waters. Further, the most heavily glacierized watershed had the highest sediment concentration (207 mgL−1; 7–708 mgL−1), and thus may facilitate long‐term POCbio protection via sediment burial in glacier‐dominated fjords. Our results suggest that continuing glacial retreat will decrease POC concentrations and increase POCbio:POCpetro exported from currently glacierized watersheds. Glacier retreat may thus decrease carbon storage in marine sediments and provide a positive feedback mechanism to climate change that is sensitive to future changes in POCpetro oxidation.

Spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements contaminations and risk indices of water and sediments in the Darband and Samana streams, Pakistan.

This study examined potentially toxic elements (PTE) of water and sediments in the Darband and Samana streams of Hangu District. Darband and Samana streams are the main fluvial ecosystems of Hangu District, Pakistan, directly or indirectly affecting more than 0.52 Million people. Water and sediment samples were collected and analyzed for PTE utilizing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Water characteristics of Darband and Samana streams were noted within the WHO drinking water guidelines, except for Turbidity and sulfate. Most water characteristics showed higher values in the Samana stream than in the Darband stream. Similarly, most ofPTE showed higher concentrations in sediments collected from the Samana stream than the Darband stream. For ecological risk evaluation, several pollution indices were employed to assess the eco-toxicological consequences. The highest contamination factor (CF)value of 15and 20 were exhibited by molybdenum (Mo) in the Samana and Darband streams showing very high contamination. Similarly, the pollution load index (PLI) showed that 24% of the sediment samples were polluted (PLI > 1). Furthermore, a high ecological risk in a range of 160 < ERI < 320 was observed for Mo, while a low ecological risk ERI < 40 was by As for the Darband and Samana streams sediments. Statistical techniques revealed that various anthropogenic sources primarily contaminated in water and sediment. Therefore, this study recommends regular monitoring PTE contaminations in the area to avoid any health hazards in the future.

Wave-supported fluid mud and sediment vertical mixing under winter storm

Data from 5 monthly field observations of the modern Yellow River delta demonstrate the formation of the fluid mud layer (FML) above the seabed under continuous storms and the sediment resuspension and vertical mixing over the FML. It was observed that the storm wave-related oscillatory flows during winter were mainly in energetic regime (400<ReΔ<1200). The high concentration sediment is trapped in a thin layer stably stratified above the seabed due to the formation of the wave-supported fluid mud (WSFM) layer. Above the WSFM, the total velocity spectral flux E(f) at z=0.7 m is decreased by approximately 14%∼22%, indicating a significantly decreased sediment carrying capacity of the flow. To explore detailed flow and sediment dynamics within the WSFM, a series of experiments in a wide wave flume with WSFM generated were carried out. The velocity and sediment concentration profiles measured over the water depth suggested that the sediment was confined in a thin FML even in high ReΔ regimes (ReΔ>480), and the behavior of FML can transition between a laminar to turbulent with varying wave orbital velocity and Rib. Laminar fluid mud dominates when uw<45 cm/s and ReΔ<518, resulting in exceptionally high viscous dissipation of wave energy. This can explain the observed significant decrease of E(f) during the onset of storm wave recession. Once the fluid mud layer forms, stronger flow with uw>45 cm/s (Rib<0.2) can disturb the interfacial wave of the fluid mud and the flow above it, which cause strong entrainment of the fluid mud layer and sediment mixing into the water column.

Potential ecological risk assessment of microplastics in coastal sediments: Their metal accumulation and interaction with sedimentary metal concentration

Metal pollution in sediments has long been recognized, while sediments are also a long-term sink for microplastics (MPs). MPs may also adsorb environmental pollutants, including metals, as well as leaching polymer components and chemicals used during production. A comprehensive survey of 21 locations around Qatari coastline investigated abundance of MPs in high-shore intertidal sediments and concentration of metals both on MPs and sediment particles. MPs abundance ranged from 3 to 156 MPs particles·kg−1 (12–624 MPs particles·m−2) with polyethylene being the most abundant (27.4 %). MPs showed physical morphologies, with 76 % displayed signs of chemical degradation as confirmed by the carbonyl absorption peak profile, possibly due to exposure to harsh environmental conditions on the Arabian Gulf shores. Most metals analyzed were found at higher concentrations in sediments than the same metals adsorbed to MPs. The average metal concentration ranged from 0.26 (Cd) to 3122.62 μg∙g−1 (Sr) in sediments while 0.22 (Mo) to 30.26 μg∙g−1 (Sr) in MPs. The calculated metal Pollution Load Index (Sed PLI, range 0.57–2.38) for sediments indicates unpolluted to moderately polluted levels, while the Potential Ecological Risk Index (Sed PERI, range 6.9–2220) indicates a relatively considerable ecological risk for metal pollution in sediments in some of the coastal areas surveyed. PLI values calculated for metals associated with MPs (MPs PLI, range 1.1–7.5), suggests relatively moderate pollution, while the PERI for metals in MPs (MPs PERI, range 25.2–1811) has similar ecological risk in terms of metal pollutants in MPs as for sediments. This may be effective in providing relative spatial indices of pollution load and risk for metals associated with MPs, which could potentially inform establishment of an appropriate assessment framework, where MPs are increasingly abundant in coastal sediments. However, this does not account for the relatively lower abundance of MPs compared to sediments.

Controls on upstream-migrating bed forms in sandy submarine channels

Abstract Submarine channels parallel river channels in their ability to transport sediment. However, in contrast to rivers, sediment transport and bed-form development in submarine channels are less well understood. Many steep (&amp;gt;1°), sandy submarine channels are dominated by upstream-migrating bed forms. The flow conditions required to form these upstream-migrating bed forms remain debated because the interactions between turbidity currents and active bed forms are difficult to measure directly. Consequently, we used a depth-resolved numerical model to test the role of flow parameters that are hypothesized to control the formation of upstream-migrating bed forms in submarine channels. While our modeling results confirmed the importance of previously identified flow parameters (e.g., densiometric Froude number), we found that basal sediment concentration in turbidity currents is the strongest predictor of upstream-migrating bed-form formation. Our model shows how locally steep gradients enable high sediment concentrations (average &amp;gt;5 vol%) in the basal parts of flows, which allow the development of cyclic step instabilities and their associated bed forms. This new insight explains the previously puzzling observation that upstream-migrating bed forms are abundant in proximal, steep, sandy reaches of submarine channels, while their occurrence becomes more intermittent downslope.

Retrieval of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Arabian Gulf water of arid region by Sentinel-2 data

Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in water increases temperature and turbidity, limits the photosynthesis of aquatic plants, and reduces biologically available oxygen. It is important to study SSC in the coastal waters of the Arabian Gulf. Thus, this study mapped the SSC of coastal water between Al Arish and Al Ghariyah in northern Qatar using the spectral bands of the MultiSpectral Imager (MSI) of Sentinel-2 by calculating the Normalized Difference Suspended Sediment Index and Normalized Suspended Material Index. The results are studied using the Normalized Difference Turbidity Index and Modified Normalized Difference Water Index. The mapping of SSC in the water using NDSSI showed the presence of a high concentration of suspended sediments between Al Arish and Al Mafjar and a low concentration between Al Mafjar and Al Ghariyah. The mapping of NSMI showed values between 0.012 (clear water) and 0.430 (more suspended material) for the occurrence of suspended materials and supported the results of NDSSI. The study of turbidity using an NDTI image showed turbidity index values ranging from −0.44 (clear water) to 0.12 (high turbidity) and confirmed the occurrence and distribution of suspended sediments and materials in the water. The MNDWI image was able to discriminate clear water with bright pixels from silty sand and mud flats. The relationships between NDSSI, NSMI, and NDTI were correlated with in-situ measurements and studied to find suitable indices to map SSC. Regression analyses showed the strongest relationship between NSMI and NDTI (R2 = 0.95) next to NDSSI and NDTI, where NDTI had the strongest effect on NDSSI (R2 = 0.86). The satellite data results were evaluated by studying the physical parameters and spatial distribution of suspended sediments in the surface and bottom waters. In addition, the grain size distributions, mineral identification, and chemical element concentrations in the bottom sediment samples were studied.

Semi-analytical modeling of sediment-laden open-channel flows with the effects of stratification, hindered settling, and eddy viscosities.

This study proposes semi-analytical models for simultaneous distribution of fluid velocity and suspended sediment concentration in an open-channel turbulent flow using three kinds of eddy viscosities. Apart from the classical parabolic eddy viscosity which is based on a log-law velocity profile, we consider two recently proposed eddy viscosities based on the concept of velocity and length scales. To deal with the flows with high sediment concentration, several turbulent features such as the hindered settling mechanism and the stratification effect are incorporated in the model. The governing system of highly nonlinear differential equations is solved using the homotopy analysis method (HAM), which produces solutions in the form of convergent series. Numerical and theoretical convergence analyses are provided for all three types of eddy viscosities. The effects of parameters on the derived models are discussed physically. Experimental data on both dilute and non-dilute flows are considered to verify the HAM-based solutions. The effects of the stratification correction factor (β) and the turbulent Schmidt number (α) reveal that they should be determined optimally for applicability of the proposed models in terms of accurate prediction with data. This optimal procedure required further investigation of these parameters, and, thus, an analysis of β and α is carried out, which linked them with the particle diameter through particle settling velocity, reference fluid velocity, and reference sediment concentration by proposing regression equations. Furthermore, using the optimal values of the parameters, the proposed models corresponding to the eddy viscosities based on the exponentially decreasing turbulent kinetic energy function and von Karman's similarity hypothesis are seen to be superior to the model corresponding to a parabolic eddy viscosity. Finally, a comment on the HAM is made where it is observed that the method can remove the numerical singularity of the governing equations at the water surface, which arises because of the consideration of vanishing eddy viscosity thereat.

Temporal sediment source tracing during storm events in the black soil region, Northeast China

Sediment fingerprinting technology is widely used to differentiate sediment sources. However, despite its long-recognized benefits, there it has been seldom applied to assess the variability of sediment sources during storm events. In this study, sediment fingerprinting is used for four storm events to determine the dynamic changes in sediment sources throughout them in the black soil region in Northeast China. Three potential sediment sources—cultivated land, unpaved roads, and gullies—were effectively differentiated using four geochemical tracers (As, Be, Cs, and Cu), with an accuracy of 100%. The relative sediment contribution from each source was determined using linear and Bayesian mixing models. The mean absolute fit (MAF) values of the linear mixing model (MAFmean = 0.976–0.949) were higher than those of the Bayesian mixing model (MAFmean = 0.921–0.992), indicating that the first performed better. Cultivated land was the primary source of the sediment load, accounting for 59.03% of it (load-weighted mean = 68.29%), followed by the gullies (37.15%, load-weighted mean = 28.09%), and unpaved roads (3.90%, load-weighted mean = 3.69%) for the four storm events. In addition, a high variability in sediment source contribution was observed during the storm events. Cultivated land was the dominant sediment source during storm events with higher sediment concentrations (logarithmic function, r2 = 0.878, p < 0.01), discharge (linear function, r2 = 0.452, p < 0.05), and sediment flux (logarithmic function, r2 = 0.857, p < 0.01), whereas the reverse was observed for gullies. Contrastingly, the contribution of sediment from unpaved roads remained relatively stable during rainfall events. This provides a potential means to assess dynamic changes in sediment contributions from different erosion units. Moreover, it provides data support for exploring soil erosion mechanisms and effective erosion control in the black soil region in Northeast China.