Search Results (5)

River meanders and channel curvatures play a significant role in sediment motion, making it crucial to predict incipient sediment motion for effective river restoration projects. This study utilized an artificial intelligence method, multiple linear regression (MLR), to investigate the impact of channel curvature on sediment incipient motion at a 180-degree bend. We analyzed 42 velocity profiles for flow depths of 13, 15, and 17 cm in a laboratory flume. The results indicate that the velocity distribution was influenced by the sediment movement threshold conditions due to channel curvature, creating a distinct convex shape based on the bend’s position and flow characteristics. Reynolds stress distribution was concave in the upstream bend and convex in the downstream bend, underscoring the bend’s impact on incipient motion. Bed Reynolds stress was highest in the first half of the bend (0 to 90 degrees) and lowest in the second half (90 to 180 degrees). The critical Shields parameter at the bend was approximately 8–61% lower than the values suggested by the Shields diagram, decreasing from 0.042 at the beginning to 0.016 at the end of the bend. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the MLR method does not significantly enhance the understanding of sediment movement, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive physical rationale and an expanded dataset for studying sediment dynamics in curved channels. Full article

In sediment mechanics, the conditions for the onset of sediment movement are of particular importance. However, despite decades of research, questions remain unanswered. Thus, physical logic suggests that sediments move more easily on beds inclined in the direction of flow than on horizontal beds and that transport rates are correspondingly increased. However, numerous studies have shown that sediments require increased rather than decreased shear stress to move on sloping beds and that transport rates are lower instead of increased. Since an early publication on this issue by Ashida and Michiue in 1973, many possible effects have been suggested for this apparent contradiction. The literature almost consistently concludes that high relative roughness (d/h), i.e., low water cover (h/d), is mainly responsible for this contradictory effect. This is true for current-induced sediment transport and for the initiation of debris flow. In this paper, an analytical solution for the effect of small water coverage on the transport process is developed. Effects of low coverage also occur on beaches during wave runup and runoff and thus control the formation of steep or less steep beaches. The present paper shows that the effect of turbulence damping occurring under low water coverage plays a decisive role here. Full article

The literature suggests two forms of flow slides: breaching and liquefaction. Both forms of failure have comparable ultimate circumstances, but the progression and sand movement mechanisms of breaching failure diverge from those of liquefaction. The first type, breaching, occurs in densely packed sand and is characterized by slow sand grain discharge throughout the dilation of the failing soil particles and negative excess pore pressures. The latter form, known as liquefaction, is the process by which a mass of soil abruptly begins to behave like a flowing liquid, and as a result, it can flow out across overly mild slopes. The process begins in compacted sand and is linked to positive surplus pore water pressures that are caused by the compaction of the sand. Despite the available literature on flow slide failures, our understanding of the mechanisms involved remains limited. Since flow slides often begin below the water surface, they can go undetected until the collapse reaches the bank above ground. The complexity of flow slides requires the use of cutting-edge technological instruments, diving equipment, advanced risk assessment, and a variety of noteworthy probabilistic and sensitivity analyses. Hence, we developed a new sensitivity index to identify the risk of breach failure and vulnerable coastal areas to this risk. In addition, we developed a sophisticated hybrid model that allows for all possibilities of flow slides in sync with random variables used in this new sensitivity index. In this new hybrid model, three distinctive models exist. The 3D Hydrodynamic Model addresses waves, wind, current, climate change, and sediment transport. The Monte Carlo Simulation is responsible for sensitivity analysis, and the Bayesian Network focuses on joint probabilities of coastal flow slide parameters of this new index that incorporates all environmental parameters, including climate change. With the assistance of these three models, researchers aim to: (a) expand the application scope by presenting a method on coastal flow slides; (b) consider different particle diameters corresponding to critical angle slope failure; (c) analyze variables that can play a pivotal role in the flow slides; and (d) present a methodology for coupling coastal flow slide projections with reliable outcomes. The hybrid model incorporates random variables of retrogressive breach failures, and the new risk index considers their ranges to control the simulation. The use of such a hybrid model and risk index offers a robust and computationally efficient approach to evaluating coastal flow slides. Full article

Backflow from river to lake (BRL) usually happens in inland lakes and affects water exchange, matter migration, and variations in the water quality and eco-environment. However, at present, discharge data derived from hydrological stations are the only way to monitor BRL, and the influence scope of BRL has not been monitored through hydrological stations. To address this problem, we propose a novel algorithm to monitor BRL using satellite images of Poyang Lake (the largest freshwater lake in China). The following results were obtained: (1) According to the difference in suspended sediment from rivers and lakes, an algorithm using the total suspended sediment (TSS), which was used as a tracer, was designed for monitoring BRL in Poyang Lake. (2) An innovative extraction method for the mutation line using the TSS was developed to analyze BRL via satellite images. A gradient variation method was developed to extract the mutation line accurately. (3) The satellites with daily acquisition or higher-frequency resolution images (e.g., Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)) were satisfactory for monitoring the characteristics of BRL. The MODIS-derived band combination R_rs(645) − R_rs(859))/(R_rs(555) − R_rs(859) yielded a higher fitting accuracy (R² = 0.858, RMSE = 10.25 mg/L) derived from an exponential model, which was helpful to highlighting the mutation line. (4) The important parameters of BRL, such as the beginning time, the duration, the end time, and the influence scope, were quantitatively determined by judging the movement of the mutation line. This algorithm was applied to quickly and effectively extract the information of two instances of BRL in Poyang Lake in July 2000 and July to August 2007, and the results were accurate and reasonable. This algorithm can save a great deal on monitoring costs. A BRL monitoring algorithm using remote sensing is an efficient government measure supplement to address the limitations of hydrological stations. These results provide technological support for lake management and can serve as a valuable reference for water bodies similar to Poyang Lake worldwide. Full article

Generally, hydraulic structures are installed along with rivers in Taiwan to prevent erosion. The groundsill is one of the most common structures to protect the underlying riverbed. However, the occurrence of bursting during the process of scouring can intensify the disturbance of sediment in the bed, sometimes even causing hydraulic structures to collapse. This paper aimed to study the mechanisms of bursting, the effects of bursting, and the scouring exceedance probability of sediment movement. To study this topic, a particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure the hydraulic characteristics of a scour hole under different flow conditions. The results showed that, firstly, the bursting and the sediment entrainment rate increased with time at the beginning. Secondly, when bursting occurred at the beginning stage of scouring, the averaged velocity of main flow was reduced by about 30% and the thickness of the riverbed was deepened by about 20%. Moreover, when scouring time was 15 min, at the location of maximum scouring depth, all the experimental groups carried the proximity values of the scouring exceedance probability that stuck to a range from 35% to 53% at the bursting stage. Therefore, the scouring exceedance probability of the bursting of the maximum scouring depth can be further applied to designs and to protect the foundation of hydraulic structures. Full article