Purpose This research aims to investigate: (1) the evolutional sequence of erosion of cohesive sediments entering the Athabasca River, (2) the influence of consolidation/ biostabilization time on bed sediment stability, and (3) the implication of these results on contaminant transport within the Athabasca River. Materials and methods A 5-m annular flume was used to generate bed shear to assess cohesive sediment dynamics for eroded beds with consolidation/biostabilization periods (CBs) of 1, 3, and 7 days. Additional laser particle sizing, image analysis, densitometry, and microbial analysis were employed to further the analysis with respect to bed erosion and eroded floc characteristics. Results and discussion The critical bed shear stress for erosion increased from 0.16 (1-day CB) to 0.26 Pa (7-day CB) with an inverse relationship observed for both suspended sediment concentration and erosion rate with respect to CBs. The 7-day CB yielded the largest eroded flocs that initially have high organic content but were quickly broken up with increasing shear. The strongest eroded floc population occurred for the 3-day CB. Eroded flocs were found to be of an open matrix with high water content and low density. Flocs contained a mixture of clay and silt particles, microbes, algae, diatoms, and secreted extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Counts of bacteria were observed to decrease with CBs while an increase in the algal community is suggested with time.Conclusions Consolidation was believed to have limited effect on erosion while biostabilization was the main controlling factor. Increasing biostabilization with time resulted in a more stable surficial layer with a reduced erosion rate relative to less biostabilized beds. The highly biostabilized bed (7-day CB), however, yielded the largest flocs which broke up easily compared to those eroded from 1-and 3-day CBs. It is believed that the EPS produced by the sediment biological community is the main component of the bed and flocs that is responsible for the observed stability results.

This study explored climate variability in the Upper Lerma River Basin, State of Mexico, Mexico, at three timescales: annual (1960 to 2010), monthly (1980 to 2010) and seasonal (1980 to 2010). The effects of monthly and seasonal (2003 to 2010) variability on rainfed maize crops were also evaluated. The variables of rainfall, maximum temperature, minimum temperature and number of hailstorms were interpolated to generate monthly spatial-temporal series. Over a period of 51 years, the climate of the region shows an accumulative annual increase of 131 mm in rainfall and an increase of 0.8 and 0.74 °C in maximum and minimum temperature, respectively. In conclusion, significant changes in the climate *Manuscript Click here to view linked References 2 variables were found at the three analyzed timescales. Seasonal climate changes were found to coincide with the most vulnerable stage or flowering period of maize; particularly, a shift in the rainfall pattern generates a water deficit that impacts production yield. Hailstorms have increased in frequency, yet their phase shift results in a lesser impact to maize during its most critical stage of development.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) originating from natural sources, and potentially from the Athabasca Oil Sands development, are of concern for the Athabasca River and Lake Athabasca delta ecosystems. In order to model the transport of fine sediments (and associated PAHs), it is important to describe the sediment dynamics within the river system. Flocs possess different settling characteristics compared to individual particles. A key aspect in modelling floc settling behaviour is the mathematical linkage of the floc density to floc size. In this paper, a rotating annular flume is used to determine the settling characteristics of Muskeg River (a tributary of the Athabasca River) sediments under different shear conditions. Simulations of the settling and flocculation behaviour of these sediments were used to calibrate a density vs. floc size model. A relationship of the parameters relating floc size and density with the fractal dimension F shows that as diameter increases flocs become weaker. Recommendations for the practical application of the model are further formulated in this paper. The deposition tests offer a quantitative measure of the relative amount of sediment that is likely to be transported through the river for given flow conditions.

Numerous methodologies have been developed to characterize sprinkler irrigation drops with the purpose of improving irrigation efficiency and controlling soil erosion and compaction. This paper presents the laboratory characterization of the morphology and velocity of drops in their free-falling trajectory as influenced by drop diameter and wind speed. For this purpose, a Particle Tracking Velocimetry technique with in-line volumetric illumination was implemented. Hypodermic needles were used to produce droplets of uniform size. Two needle diameters resulted in drops with average diameters of 1.94 and 2.94 mm. Drops were illuminated with a double-pulsed laser beam or a LED lamp. Drop characterization reached an elevation of 4.28 m and occasionally attained terminal velocity. Motion blur was suppressed using a deconvolution filter. Drop equivalent diameter, velocity, chord ratio, canting angle and trajectory angle were determined using an ad-hoc software. The experimental approach led to the measurement of real drop size by illuminating a volume in the capture zone; Drop shape ranged from quasi-sphere to

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