Sediment Transport over Ripples and Dunes Stephen R McLean, UC Santa Barbara Jonathan Nelson, USGS, Denver, CO Thanks to: Sandro Orlandi, University of Bologna Lindsay Gary, UCSB
Ultimate Goal: predict bedform evolution System: Response of flow to topography Response of sediment to flow Response of topography to sediment flux divergence What is the sediment flux over a dune?
Early, fixed bed experiment- effects of acceleration
S Shift relative to upstream ramp crest
Shift relative to reattachment
Research Goal: predict bedform evolution Predict transport rate (Nelson, et al. tomorrow) Measure transport rate Measure near-bed velocity statistics Determine effects of ripples
Experiments Goal: determine relationship between flow and transport 1) Characterize flow 2) Measure transport rate
Instrumentation: Acoustic Doppler Profiler Velocity along four beams (~1 mm bin spacing) ~20 Hz sampling freq; not simultaneous
Quad set-up
Streamwise velocity profile- no upstream ramp
Streamwise velocity profile- with upstream ramp
Reynolds stress- with upstream ramp
Instrumentation: Acoustic Doppler Profiler Velocity along four beams (~1 mm bin spacing) ~20 Hz sampling freq; not simultaneous Multiple transducer array (MTA) 32 acoustic transducers (20mm spacing)
Estimating Transport rate For two-dimensional flow erosion equation yields:
Flat bed downstream of ramp
Time stack- no upstream ramp
Change in bed elevation- no upstream ramp
Time stack – with upstream ramp
Change in bed elevation- with upstream ramp
Stress and transport- no upstream ramp
Nondimensional transport- no upstream ramp
Stress and transport- with upstream ramp
Non-dimensional transport- with upstream ramp
Stress and transport with and without upstream ramp
Comparison with and without upstream ramp
Stress and transport with and without upstream ramp
Comparison between beginning and end of run
General Observations Flow/transport relation not strongly affected by acceleration –Transport decreases as acceleration increases –Near-bed flow decreases as acceleration increases also Concept of critical shear stress plays no role in lee of a separation zone Ripples form almost immediately for the flat bed case Ripples form on steep slopes with no upstream flow separation Ripples do not form on steep slopes downstream of flow separation Ripples seem to enhance transport
Erosion equation versus ripple migration