Sediment Sorting Processes Research Articles

Hedgerows enhance the size selectivity of eroded sediment from sloping farmland under simulated rainfall experiment

AbstractThe particle size distribution (PSD) of eroded sediment can effectively reflect changes in erosion processes. Hedgerows provide significant soil and water conservation benefits and influence erosion processes. However, the impact of hedgerows on the PSD of eroded sediment remains unclear. Therefore, three slope conditions (control check, CK; only hedgerow root, R; and whole hedgerow, P) involving the configuration of two slope gradients (15 and 25°) were established, and simulated rainfall experiments were conducted under three rainfall intensities (60, 90, and 120 mm/h). The PSD, sediment sorting process, and sediment particle agglomeration degree under the different slope conditions were compared to evaluate the influence of hedgerows on the size selectivity of eroded sediment during water erosion. Moreover, the direct and indirect effects of hedgerows on the sorting process and sediment particle agglomeration degree were revealed via correlation analysis and partial least squares path modelling (PLS–PM). Compared with those under CK slope conditions, the average clay, fine silt, and coarse silt contents under R slope conditions decreased by 1.37%, 0.06%, and 1.71%, respectively, whereas the sand content increased by 0.46%. Under P slope conditions, the average clay, fine silt, and coarse silt contents increased by 32.61%, 38.71%, and 36.14%, respectively, whereas the average sand content decreased by 47.30%. Under CK slope conditions, sediment sorting occurred primarily during the early stages of rainfall. R slope conditions caused an increase in the duration of early‐stage sediment sorting but caused a reduction in the degree of sorting, whereas P slope conditions exhibited interceptive sorting of sand throughout the rainfall event. Under R slope conditions, more aggregates were dispersed into individual particles due to raindrop impact, whereas under P slope conditions, more fine particles aggregated initially, but loose aggregates were dispersed into individual particles during the later rainfall stages. The enrichment rates of fine silt and coarse silt were positively correlated with slope conditions, whereas they were negatively correlated with the enrichment rate of sand. However, there was no significant relationship between the slope conditions and the aggregation rates of particles of various sizes. PLS–PM indicated that hedgerows directly and indirectly affect sorting processes and sediment particle agglomeration degree by regulating runoff and sediment erosion, and the direct effects exceed the indirect effects. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the influential mechanisms of hedgerows on controlling soil erosion.

Sediment sorting and transport mechanism controlled by both soil properties and hydraulic parameters on hillslopes

Understanding the sediment sorting and transport processes is is crucial for enhancing the understanding of soil erosion mechanisms and improving soil erosion prediction. However, quantitative studies based on the coupling effects of both hydraulic parameters and soil properties are still lacking. In this study, five loessial soils with varying physicochemical properties were collected in the Loess Plateau of China, and simulated rainfall experiments were carried out in a metal box with a slope of 20 degrees under rainfall intensities of 1, 1.5, and 2 mm min−1. Runoff samples were collected to analyze the variation in erosion rates and effective particle size distribution of eroded sediments during the rainfall process. The results showed that the stream power was the optimal parameter to model the erosion rate, and a power function incorporating the clay content and stream power could well predict the erosion rate of different soils. The enrichment ratio indicated the enrichment of fine particles and depletion of coarse particles. And the sediment sorting degree increased with increasing soil clay content. The critical particle size for distinguishing different transport mechanisms varied among soils, with more than 55.46 % of the total sediment transported by suspension/saltation. A linear function and power function including the original soil particle size distribution and stream power were developed to quantify the sediment clay content and the relative contribution of different transport mechanisms. This study could be helpful to improve the soil erosion prediction model and provide basic guidelines for regional soil and water conservation.

Development of a Gilbert-type delta in the kame environment: An example from NE Poland

Pleistocene kame deltas are known mainly from glaciomarginal environments, whereas there are fewer examples of deltas where kames formed within decaying ice sheets. In this article, we describe deposits of a Gilbert-type delta formed inside a glacial system. The delta succession was identified in the upper part of the hill, a glacial landform developed within the southern sector of the Scandinavian ice sheet in NE Poland during the Warthian glaciation. The landform is interpreted as a kame, the sediments of which were accumulated in an elongated ice crevasse oriented perpendicularly to the front of the ice sheet. The kame was formed in several stages. In the main stage of development, the crevasse was filled with a lake into which the delta prograded. The lake subsequently underwent a few phases of shallowing, and even an episode of complete drainage.The main delta unit was identified in the outcrop. It is composed of a delta slope and prodelta sediments. A partly preserved older deltaic unit of the initial phase of delta sedimentation also was found. The steep (22–42°) slope of the delta is dominated by gravel and sand. The gravels were deposited from high-energy grain flows and grain falls. Sands were deposited mainly from traction currents during periods when the delta-supplying system was less active. Aggradation of the prodelta was mainly due to sand deposition from traction underflows. Deposition from turbidity currents occurred sporadically there. We explain this unusual situation by the fact that the gravelly sediments feeding the delta slope were relatively well-sorted and contained only small admixtures of fine sand and silt. The sediment sorting process took place in a system of englacial or supraglacial conduits, where the gravels were depleted of fine-grained particles. The development of the Gilbert-type delta was possible because the glacial lake, at least 6–8 m deep, periodically maintained a relatively constant water level, which allowed the delta to prograde. This process required the existence of a steady outflow of water from the lake, which was then an open hydrological system. In the final stage of kame formation, when the lake was completely drained, gravel accumulated from shallow sheet flows.

Grain Size and Sedimentary Sorting Characteristics of Atmospheric Dust in the Cele Oasis, Southern Margin of Taklimakan Desert

Grain size is a proxy indicator of airflow intensity and also provides a scientific basis for the prevention of dust hazards. However, the variations in grain size characteristics that occur during transport and deposition processes are seldom discussed. Here, atmospheric dust samples were collected before and after deposition in a sand–dust storm for grain size analysis. The results showed that the grain size distributions of the atmospheric dust were unimodal during transportation but always became bimodal after deposition. This indicates that the bimodal grain size distribution of the aeolian deposits was caused by sedimentary sorting. The coarse-grained component, which was between 20 and 200 μm, was mainly deposited during the sand–dust storm. Grain size may indicate the strength of the airflow field. The fine-grained component, which ranged in size from 0.4 to 20 μm, was mainly deposited after the sand–dust storm. This component can remain suspended in the atmosphere for a long period of time. Oasis shelterbelts can be used to reduce the fine-grained component of the dust aerosol through the interception of particles by foliage. The grain size variation found in this study from before to after sand–dust storm deposition deepens our understanding of the sediment sorting process.

Numerical model of local scour considering the unsteady sediment inflow and sediment sorting: Application to scour upstream of slit weir

The current study proposes a novel framework for the numerical model for estimating the temporal scour considering unsteady sediment inflow and the sediment sorting process. The framework was applied to local scour upstream of a slit weir. The scour model is based on an ordinary nonlinear differential equation derived from sediment continuity and scour rate equations. A one-dimensional (1-D) Boussinesq-type model coupled with nonequilibrium sediment transport was incorporated in the scour model to consider unsteady sediment inflow. In addition, a mixing layer approach was incorporated to determine temporal variations in particle size in the scour hole. The proposed framework was validated using scour experiments conducted under conditions that include non-uniform sediment, live-bed scour, and unsteady flow rate. The simulation results showed satisfactory agreement with experimental results for the scour upstream of a slit weir. The proposed model appropriately explained the hysteresis process for flow unsteadiness, refilling process for live-bed scour, and armoring process for non-uniform sediments. In addition, the model framework proposed in the current study is applicable to local scour around other hydraulic structures (e.g., bridge piers) upon establishing the scour rate equation. Therefore, the current study provides a novel approach for modeling temporal scour that is required to consider unsteady sediment inflow and sediment sorting.

Determining the spatio-temporal response of downstream coarse sediment sorting process in the Chel river (North Bengal, India) using cluster analysis

The fluvial transportation efficiency related to rainstorm events is important to understand the variability of sediment sorting process in the channel. The supply limitation of different size of sediment grades in downstream reveals the nature of geomorphological scale of response (spatio-temporal). Pebble count method has been attempted here for determination of d50 (median) particle size associated with frequency distribution of sediment samples from 13 study reaches on the basis of standard sediment grade scale of Wentworth and modified Udden-Wentworth grain scale seasonally. Intra temporal variability (IATV) and inter temporal variability (IETV) results were categorized under hierarchical cluster analysis to view the sediment movement downstream from minimum distance algorithm. On the piedmont, the bed configuration is mostly boulder infested of heavier size class (> 256 mm) and that remains greater than 86% in pre-monsoon condition. It comes out on the basis of random mixing of sediment load (> 2 mm) while transporting as discharge. In Chel basin, the process of sediment load dispersal indicates less heterogeneity in the sediment sorting process towards downstream. The haphazard distribution of very coarse to medium boulders (4096–512 mm) up to reach 6 indicates the limit of channel competency. The paper seeks to know the seasonal variability in the sediment dispersal process i.e. finding the reach wise variability of the sediment mixing process downstream and the sediment supply limits of median particle size.

Sediment Characteristics over Asymmetrical Tidal Sand Waves in the Dutch North Sea

The behavior of asymmetrical bedforms, which include many tidal sand waves, is challenging to understand. They are of particular interest since they are mostly located within areas prone to offshore engineering activities. Most experimental investigations regarding asymmetrical bedforms consider the riverine environment, are limited to a single sand wave or a few scattered ones, and focus only on differences between crest and trough. Hardly any information is available on sediment compositional changes along asymmetrical tidal sand waves, despite their abundance offshore. An asymmetrical sand wave field located off the coast of Texel Island in the North Sea was studied in June and October 2017. A total of 102 sediment samples were collected over two seasons along a single transect that covered five complete sand waves to measure the grain size composition, organic carbon concentration, chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration, and sediment permeability. We found significant variations in these sediment parameters between the sand wave trough, crest, and gentle and steep slopes, including a difference in permeability of more than 2-fold, as well as a difference in median grain size exceeding 65 µm. Based on these characteristics, a sand wave can be divided into two discrete halves: gentle slope + crest and steep slope + trough. Our results indicate a distinct sediment-sorting process along the Texel sand waves, with a significant difference between the two halves of each sand wave. These data could serve as input for process-based modeling of the link between sediment-sorting processes and seabed morphodynamics, necessary to design offshore engineering projects.

Numerical Study of Alternate Bars in Alluvial Channels With Nonuniform Sediment

AbstractRivers typically present heterogeneous bed material, but the effects of sediment nonuniformity on river bar characteristics are still unclear. This work investigates the impact of sediment size heterogeneity on alternate bars with a morphodynamic numerical model. The model is first used to reproduce a laboratory experiment showing alternate bar formation with nonuniform bed material. Subsequently, the influence of sediment size heterogeneity on alternate bars is investigated distinguishing hybrid from free bars, definition based on the presence/absence of morphodynamic forcing, considering the results of nine scenarios. In four of them, a transverse obstacle is used to generate forcing. The computations are carried out with the Telemac‐Mascaret system solving the two‐dimensional shallow‐water equations with a finite element approach, accounting for horizontal and vertical sediment sorting processes. The results show that sediment heterogeneity affects free migrating and hybrid bars in a different way. The difference lies in the presence/absence of a migration front, so that distinct relations between bed topography, bed shear stress, and sediment sorting are obtained. Sediment sorting and associated planform redistribution of bed roughness only slightly modify free migrating bar morphodynamics, whereas hybrid bars are greatly impacted, with decreased amplitude and increased wavelength. Increased sediment size heterogeneity increases the degree of sediment sorting, while the sorting pattern remains the same for both free and hybrid bars. Moreover, it produces averagely higher, longer, and faster free bars, while in the case of hybrid bars their wavelength is increased but no general trend can be determined for their amplitude.

Dispersal pathways in the early Messinian Adriatic foreland and provenance of the Laga Formation (Central Apennines, Italy)

The early Messinian Laga Formation represents a turbidite complex deposited in the Late Neogene foreland basin system of the growing Apenninic chain. While the stratigraphy and physiography of the Laga Basin are well known, the source of its sediments is contentiously claimed to be either recycled Apenninic or primary Alpine. Furthermore, a shift in paleocurrent was proposed as a marker of provenance change around 6Ma. By combining double-dating of detrital zircons (fission-track and U-Pb dating) with compositional analyses, the sedimentary provenance of the lower Laga arenites and differences between the proximal channelized and distal lobe facies are addressed. Due to sediment sorting processes, the lobe facies shows a reduced heavy mineral spectrum relative to the channelized facies. Hence, proximal deposits reflect their hinterland lithologies better than their distal counterpart and should be preferred in provenance analyses. The petrographic composition of the Laga units implies a major metamorphic source combined with an additional dolomite and carbonate source. No compositional difference spanning the shift in paleocurrents is observed, which therefore likely reflects the evolving topography of the foreland due to syn-sedimentary tectonics. Detrital zircon fission-track data reveal youngest age populations at ~16–17Ma and lag times in the range of 9 to 11Ma that can be related to modern fission-track ages observed in the Central Alps. The two major 238U/206Pb age populations, centered at 277.5 and 37.5Ma, represent (post-)Variscan events and the Paleogene magmatic activity in the Central Alps, specifically the Adamello complex. The Central and Southern Alps are thus inferred as the major source for the early Messinian Laga arenites. The pathways of the sediments from the Alps to the Laga Basin crossed the Alps-Apennines foreland and passed on the outer Apenninic wedge-top along elongated and tectonically controlled basins and channels that entered the basin from the north and northwest. The transfer could have been direct along the Apenninic depozones. Additionally, late Tortonian sediments from the Alps could have been temporarily stored on top of the Apenninic wedge, e.g. in the Marnoso-arenacea Basin, and then seamlessly cannibalized into the Laga Basin.

Simulating Laboratory Braided Rivers with Bed-Load Sediment Transport

Numerical models provide considerable assistance in the investigation of complicated processes in natural rivers. In the present study, a physics-based two-dimensional model has been developed to simulate the braiding processes and morphodynamic changes in braided rivers. The model applies the basic hydrodynamic and sediment transport principles with bed morphology deformation and a TVD (Total Variation Diminishing) scheme to predict trans-critical flows and bed morphology deformation. The non-equilibrium transport process of graded bed load sediment is simulated, with non-uniform sediments, secondary flows, and sheltering effects being included. A multiple bed layer technique is adopted to represent the vertical sediment sorting process. The model has been applied to simulate the bed evolution process in an experimental river with bed load transport. Comparisons between the experimental river and predicted river are analysed, including their pattern evolution processes, important braiding phenomena, and statistical characteristics. Avulsion activities have been found in the braiding evolution process, representing the primary ways in which channels form and disappear in braided rivers. The increases in the active braiding intensity and total braiding intensity show similar trends to those observed in the experimental river. Statistical methods are applied to assess the scale-invariant topographic properties of the simulated river and real rivers. The model demonstrated its potential to predict the morphodynamics in natural rivers.

Observations and modelling of nearshore sediment sorting processes along a barred beach profile

The understanding of cross-shore sediment sorting is of primary importance for the design of sand nourishments and for assessing the suitability of the seabed to different ecological species. In this paper, sediment sorting processes were investigated by using a combination of physical and detailed numerical modelling. Data from large-scale wave flume experiments were used to validate a 2DV cross-shore Delft3D model. The model solves coupled short-wave averaged equations for flow, sediment transport, bed composition and bed level change. The infra-gravity wave motions were explicitly resolved. In order to investigate sorting processes, eight sediment fractions were used as well as a layered bed stratigraphy. The effects of different wave conditions (high energetic and more moderate energetic waves) on the morphodynamic profile development and sorting processes were investigated. The Delft3D model reproduced the profile development and bar position very accurately. Additionally, model predictions of sediment sorting across the profile fitted very well with the available observations. The numerical model simulations showed the importance of including short-wave grouping and infragravity wave effects in order to reproduce the cross-shore profile development, especially the breaker bar dynamics and sediment sorting processes. Infragravity waves contribute to larger sediment entrainment and more offshore bar development. Besides leading to a better prediction of the bed profile, infragravity waves also lead to a better prediction of the bed composition. Model results are in agreement with experimental data, showing its capabilities in functioning as a tool to predict sorting processes.

Coupling bedform roughness and sediment grain-size sorting in modelling of tidal inlet incision

A key problem in the decadal morphodynamic modelling of tidal inlet system is on the evolution of the inlet channels, especially the unrealistic channel incision. The present study attempts to couple two processes, including the bedform roughness and sediment grain-size sorting, in the two-dimensional, depth-averaged process-based model to solve the problem. Based on the comparison of the modelling results and relevant field observations in the Dutch Wadden Sea, it is suggested that bedform roughness height predictor is a useful tool for determining spatial and temporal heterogeneous bed frictions. Within tidal channels, bedform roughness is dominated by dune roughness. In order to represent “the memory of old bedforms”, a relaxation time method was implemented. The corresponding large relaxation time (2 M2 tidal periods) smooths the tidal variations of dune roughness, and makes it respond to hydrodynamic changes on a longer time scale. When decadal morphological modelling is carried out, the model performance can be significantly improved by introducing either bedform (dune) roughness predictor or sediment sorting processes. The mechanisms are twofold. First, in the deep channels where flow velocities are high, large dunes develop and cause large bed drag coefficients. Second, coarser bed sediments within the channel area induced by sorting prevent the channel incision. If both effects are coupled in the morphodynamic modelling, the inlet channel incision is further controlled, which is not just a result of the linear superposition of both effects, because sorting can further promote the development of dunes within the deep channels.

실내실험에 의한 혼합사 식생하도의 지형변화와 하상토 분급 특성 연구

본 연구에서는 식생에 의한 하도 변화와 하상토 분급특성을 파악하였다. 유사의 유출 특성은 불규칙하며, 식생 밀도가 증가함에 따라 유출되는 유사량은 감소하였다. 하상고는 불규칙하게 변하며, 하상토 표층에서 유사 입경은 작아졌다. 식생 밀도가 증가함에 따라 하상 표층에서 무차원 중앙입경의 비는 감소하였다. 식생대에서 유사가 포착되거나, 식생대와 주흐름 사이에 경계층 흐름이 발생하여 유사가 퇴적되며, 식생대에서 흐름의 방향이 변화되어 표층에서 하상토 입도는 불규칙하게 분포하였다. 무차원 하상토 입경이 감소함에 따라, 차폐효과는 일정하게 감소하였다. 식생 밀도가 증가함에 따라 하상 표층에서 차폐효과가 증가하며, 이것은 실험 수로 하류단에서 유사 유출량이 감소하는 것과 일치한다. 식생 밀도가 0.5 에서 저수로 이동은 감소하고 안정적인 특성을 보여주었으나, 0.7 에서 저수로 이동은 증가하였다. 이것은 식생 밀도가 증가하면서 저수로 사행도가 증가하고, 식생대에서 유사가 퇴적되어 새로운 저수로가 형성되었기 때문이다.

실내실험에 의한 혼합사로 구성된 하상 표층에서 지형변동에 따른 유사의 분급 특성 분석

본 연구에서는 혼합사로 구성된 망상하천에서 사주의 변화와 하상토 분급현상을 실내실험을 통하여 파악하였다. 하상경사가 급한 하도에서 유사 유출량은 시간의 변화에 따라 매우 불규칙하지만, 경사가 완만한 하도에서 유사 유출량은 규칙적이고, 일정한 주기를 나타내었다. 또한 2중 퓨리에 해석을 통하여 지배적인 사주의 특성과 진폭을 분석하였다. 하상고가 상승하면 무차원 하상토 입경은 작아졌지만, 하상고가 저하되면 무차원 하상토 입경은 커졌다. 기층에서 무차원 한계소류력과 표층에서 무차원 한계 소류력의 비가 증가하면, 표층에서 평균입경과 무차원 하상토 중앙입경이 작아졌다. 또한 국부적으로 하상경사가 증가하면서, 유사의 선택적 이동에 의하여 하상토가 분급되고, 평면적으로 입경이 불균일하게 분포하는 분급 특성이 나타났다. The development of bars and sediment sorting processes in the braided channels with the mixed grain sizes are investigated experimentally in this study. The sediment in the steep slope channels discharges with highly fluctuation. However, it discharges with relatively periodic cycles in the mild slope channels. The characteristics and amplitudes of the dominant bars are examined by double fourier analysis. The dimensionless sediment particle size decreases as the longitudinal bed elevation increases. However, the size increases as the longitudinal bed elevation decreases. As the dimensionless critical tractive force in the surface layer ratio to the force in the subsurface layer increases, the surface geometric mean size of sediments and the dimensionless sediment particle size decrease. This means that coarse matrix is formed with the dimensionless tractive force by the sediment selective sorting.

Physics‐based numerical modelling of large braided rivers dominated by suspended sediment

AbstractPhysics‐based models have been increasingly developed in recent years and applied to simulate the braiding process and evolution of channel units in braided rivers. However, limited attention is given to lowland braided rivers where the transport of suspended sediment plays a dominant role. In the present study, a numerical model based on the basic physics laws of hydrodynamics and sediment transport is used to simulate the evolution process of a braided river dominated by suspended load transport. The model employs a fractional method to simulate the transport of graded sediments and uses a multiple‐bed‐layer approach to represent the sediment sorting process. An idealized braided river has been produced, with the hydrodynamic, sediment transport and morphological processes being analysed. In particular, the formation process of local pool–bar units in the predicted river has been investigated. A sensitivity analysis has also been undertaken to investigate the effects of grid resolution and an upstream perturbation on the model prediction. A variety of methods are applied to analyse the geometrical and topographical properties of the modelled river. Self‐organizing characteristics related to river geometry and topography are analysed by state‐space plots, which indicate a close relationship with the periodical erosion and deposition cycles of braiding. Cross‐sectional topography and slope frequency display similar geometries to natural rivers. Scaling characteristics are found by correlation analysis of bar parameters. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sediment transport processes across the Tibetan Plateau inferred from robust grain-size end members in lake sediments

Abstract. Grain-size distributions offer powerful proxies of past environmental conditions that are related to sediment sorting processes. However, they are often of multimodal character because sediments can get mixed during deposition. To facilitate the use of grain size as palaeoenvironmental proxy, this study aims to distinguish the main detrital processes that contribute to lacustrine sedimentation across the Tibetan Plateau using grain-size end-member modelling analysis. Between three and five robust grain-size end-member subpopulations were distinguished at different sites from similarly–likely end-member model runs. Their main modes were grouped and linked to common sediment transport and depositional processes that can be associated with contemporary Tibetan climate (precipitation patterns and lake ice phenology, gridded wind and shear stress data from the High Asia Reanalysis) and local catchment configurations. The coarse sands and clays with grain-size modes >250 μm and <2 μm were probably transported by fluvial processes. Aeolian sands (~200 μm) and coarse local dust (~60 μm), transported by saltation and in near-surface suspension clouds, are probably related to occasional westerly storms in winter and spring. Coarse regional dust with modes ~25 μm may derive from near-by sources that keep in longer term suspension. The continuous background dust is differentiated into two robust end members (modes: 5–10 and 2–5 μm) that may represent different sources, wind directions and/or sediment trapping dynamics from long-range, upper-level westerly and episodic northerly wind transport. According to this study grain-size end members of only fluvial origin contribute small amounts to mean Tibetan lake sedimentation (19± 5%), whereas local to regional aeolian transport and background dust deposition dominate the clastic sedimentation in Tibetan lakes (contributions: 42 ± 14% and 51 ± 11%). However, fluvial and alluvial reworking of aeolian material from nearby slopes during summer seems to limit end-member interpretation and should be crosschecked with other proxy information. If not considered as a stand-alone proxy, a high transferability to other regions and sediment archives allows helpful reconstructions of past sedimentation history.

Bed morphology and grain size characteristics around a spur dyke

This paper presents an experimental study on the local bed morphology and grain size characteristics around an impermeable spur dyke. A series of experiments are conducted with different types of sediment beds. It is found that the heterogeneity of the sediment exerts an influence on detailed bed topographies around the spur dyke, but does not influence the typical features of scour-deposition morphologies. The mean grain size and the geometric standard deviation of the bed sediment are two important and practical parameters in characterizing the changes of the bed morphologies and the bed compositions around the spur dyke. The sediment sorting process plays a crucial role in the grain size distribution, and the process occurs longitudinally, laterally and vertically. In the proximity of the spur dyke, the bed is generally coarsened from upstream to downstream and sand ribbons consisting of fine particles are observed. Within the scour hole, the bottom sediment is coarser than that at the top.

CHARACTERISATION OF MIXED BEACH SEDIMENT

This paper presents a field study of a mixed sand-gavel beach which is subjected to all-year round maintenance activities including an annual recharge and recycling and/or re-profiling following storm events. Over one year period, sediment samples are collected weekly for the first month immediately after the annual recharge and then monthly afterwards. Special collections are also made before and after major storm events. The primary focus is on how the sediment characteristics varies in space and over time. In addition, the impact of the beach maintenance on the sediment sorting process is also investigated.

The grain-size characterisation of coastal sand from the Somme estuary to Belgium: Sediment sorting processes and mixing in a tide- and storm-dominated setting

Sand-rich Holocene to modern clastic deposits in the eastern English Channel and the southern North Sea coasts of France and Belgium occur extensively as nearshore-sand bank, estuarine-tidal flat, aeolian dune and beach sub-environments. Sand samples ( n = 665) collected from these deposits suggest the presence of three different populations: a largely dominant (83%) medium to fine quartz sand population (“b”), and finer- (14%) and coarser-grained (4%) populations (respectively “c” and “a”). The distribution of these populations among the four sub-environments reflects tide- and storm-dominated sorting and transport processes and a variable degree of mixing. These populations are derived from a mixture of very fine- to very coarse-grained fluvial, outwash and paraglacial sediments deposited on the beds of the eastern English Channel and southern North Sea during the late Pleistocene lowstand. The nearshore-sand bank environment, which also corresponds to the main offshore source area of the coastal deposits, exhibits population heterogeneity reflecting the variability of hydrodynamic conditions and sediment sorting in this zone. The nearshore topography of tidal ridges, banks and troughs in these tidal seas leads to variable bed and tide- and storm-induced shear stress conditions. These conditions only allow for the mobilisation and onshore transport of some of the finer fractions (populations “b” and “c”), leaving an offshore mixture of these finer populations with coarser, less mobilisable sediments (population “a”). Once in the coastal zone, these two finer populations undergo further hydrodynamic sorting and segregation. Variably sorted very fine sands to silts (population “c”) are trapped in the low-energy estuarine-tidal flat sub-environment, while the highly homogeneous population “b” is further sorted in aeolian dune and beach sub-environments. This sorting occurs via a coastal sand transport pathway linking the Somme estuary mouth to the southern North Sea bight where tidal range and wave energy decrease relative to the English Channel. Since this sand transport pathway enables longshore transport of hydrodynamically sorted medium to fine sand derived directly from the immediate nearshore zone, it has further contributed to a net flux of this sand population from the eastern English Channel sea bed to the southern North Sea.

Physical criteria for distinguishing sandy tsunami and storm deposits using modern examples

Modern subaerial sand beds deposited by major tsunamis and hurricanes were compared at trench, transect, and sub-regional spatial scales to evaluate which attributes are most useful for distinguishing the two types of deposits. Physical criteria that may be diagnostic include: sediment composition, textures and grading, types and organization of stratification, thickness, geometry, and landscape conformity. Published reports of Pacific Ocean tsunami impacts and our field observations suggest that sandy tsunami deposits are generally < 25 cm thick, extend hundreds of meters inland from the beach, and fill microtopography but generally conform to the antecedent landscape. They commonly are a single homogeneous bed that is normally graded overall, or that consists of only a few thin layers. Mud intraclasts and mud laminae within the deposit are strong evidence of tsunami deposition. Twig orientation or other indicators of return flow during bed aggradation are also diagnostic of tsunami deposits. Sandy storm deposits tend to be > 30 cm thick, generally extend < 300 m from the beach, and will not advance beyond the antecedent macrotopography they are able to fill. They typically are composed of numerous subhorizontal planar laminae organized into multiple laminasets that are normally or inversely graded, they do not contain internal mud laminae and rarely contain mud intraclasts. Application of these distinguishing characteristics depends on their preservation potential and any deposit modifications that accompany burial. The distinctions between tsunami and storm deposits are related to differences in the hydrodynamics and sediment-sorting processes during transport. Tsunami deposition results from a few high-velocity, long-period waves that entrain sediment from the shoreface, beach, and landward erosion zone. Tsunamis can have flow depths greater than 10 m, transport sediment primarily in suspension, and distribute the load over a broad region where sediment falls out of suspension when flow decelerates. In contrast, storm inundation generally is gradual and prolonged, consisting of many waves that erode beaches and dunes with no significant overland return flow until after the main flooding. Storm flow depths are commonly < 3 m, sediment is transported primarily as bed load by traction, and the load is deposited within a zone relatively close to the beach.