Flow structures and sandbar dynamics in a canyon river during a controlled flood, Colorado River, Arizona

Wright, Scott A.; Kaplinski, Matt

doi:10.1029/2009jf001442

Cited by 37 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Thus, even though a small part of the vertical velocities could be directed toward the wrong direction, the average of two transects could be sufficient to correctly describe the large flow structures observed with an average of five transects. This finding is coherent with an estimation of the accuracy of flow velocities obtained from two transects by cross sections on the Colorado River by Wright and Kaplinski [].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between flow structure and morphodynamic of bars in a channel expansion/contraction, Loire River, France

Claude

Rodrigues

Bustillo

et al. 2014

Water Resources Research

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The study of the relationship between flow structure and morphodynamic of bars in a channel expansion/contraction is essential to better understand the processes that control the evolution of rivers. Thus, multibeam echosoundings and Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADP) measurements were performed with a high temporal resolution in an expansion/contraction zone of the Loire River (France) occupied by bars. During the monitoring period, the macroforms presented successively an alternate, a lateral and a transverse configuration. Field data were analyzed to study how the primary and secondary velocities, the flow directions, the bed shear stresses, and the bed roughnesses (associated to dunes) evolve as a function of the water discharge and bars configuration. The bars modify the flow structure imposed by the channel width variations. In fact, the bars induce a topographic forcing which enables the separation and reducing of the mixing of two currents formed in the upstream channel expansion. This forcing is enhanced by the turbulence formed by the large dunes superimposed on the bars. Therefore, the bars promote a nonuniform flow in the channel. In turn, in the channel expansion/contraction, the migrating bars' morphodynamics are affected by the downstream channel narrowing which stops their downstream migration and forced the bars in the system. Then the nonuniformity of the flow encourages the lateral migration of the macroforms until they reach a bank and become nonmigrating. Finally, the nonmigrating bars are eroded by the flow deflected during the migration of a new bar in the channel expansion/contraction.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between flow structure and morphodynamic of bars in a channel expansion/contraction, Loire River, France

Claude

Rodrigues

Bustillo

et al. 2014

Water Resources Research

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“…Bennett and Best, 2006), at confluence zones (e.g. Best and Reid, 1984), downstream of bars in bedrock controlled canyons (Schmidt, 1990;Schmidt et al, 1993;Wright and Kaplinski, 2011) and in river bends (e.g. Bagnold, 1960;Leeder and Bridges, 1975;Hickin, 1977Hickin, , 1978Hickin, , 1986Hickin and Nanson, 1984;Jackson, 1992;Andrle, 1994;Hodskinson and Ferguson, 1998;Ferguson et al, 2003;Kleinhans et al, 2009;Rhoads and Massey, 2012;Parsons, 2003;Vietz et al, 2012;Schnauder and Sukhodolov, 2012).…”

Section: Problem Definition and Objectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Flow separation at the inner (convex) and outer (concave) banks of constant‐width and widening open‐channel bends

Blanckaert

Kleinhans

McLelland

et al. 2012

Earth Surf Processes Landf

101

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There is a paucity of data and insight in the mechanisms of, and controls on flow separation and recirculation at natural sharply-curved river bends. Herein we report on successful laboratory experiments that elucidate flow structure in one constant-width bend and a second bend with an outer-bank widening. The experiments were performed with both a flat immobile gravel bed and mobile sand bed with dominant bedload sediment transport.In the constant-width bend with immobile bed, a zone of mainly horizontal flow separation (vertical rotational axis) formed at the inner bank that did not contain detectable flow recirculation, and an outer-bank cell of secondary flow with streamwise oriented rotational axis. Surprisingly, the bend with widening at the outer bank and immobile bed did not lead to a transverse expansion of the flow. Rather, flow in the outer-bank widening weakly recirculated around a vertical axis and hardly interacted with the inner part of the bend, which behaved as a constant-width bend.In the mobile bed experiment, downstream of the bend apex a pronounced depositional bar developed at the inside of the bend and pronounced scour occurred at the outside. Moreover the deformed bed promoted flow separation over the bar, including return currents. In the constant-width bend, the topographic steering impeded the generation of an outer-bank cell of secondary flow. In the bend with outer-bank widening, the topographic steering induced an outward expansion of the flow, whereby the major part of the discharge was conveyed in the central part of the widening section. Flow in the outer-bank widening was highly three dimensional and included return currents near the bottom.In conclusion, the experiments elucidated three distinct processes of flow separation common in sharp bends: flow separation at the inner bank, an outer-bank cell of secondary flow, and flow separation and recirculation in an outer-bank widening.

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“…If the reattachment point inside the cavity is sufficiently far downstream in the cavity, then a forward-facing step-like flow will not be observed (Fig. 11b) (e.g., Rathburn and Wohl, 2003;Wright and Kaplinski, 2011). Flow velocities decrease and disperse laterally toward the pool outlet within the main channel region adjacent to the closed cavity.…”

Section: Pool Type 2: the Closed Lateral Cavitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pools typically form as part of step-pool or riffle-pool sequences (Montgomery and Buffington, 1997), adjacent to cascade reaches (Montgomery and Buffington, 1997), downstream of flow constrictions (Wright and Kaplinski, 2011), at abrupt changes in bed slope (Raven et al, 1998), or as backwater areas upstream and downstream of flow obstructions (Abbe and Montgomery, 2003). The flow dynamics of pools differ depending on the upstream flow conditions, whereby seasonal flow conditions can substantially change the flow field.…”

Section: Poolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A fluid-mechanics based classification scheme for surface transient storage in riverine environments: quantitatively separating surface from hyporheic transient storage

Jackson

Haggerty

Apte

2013

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Surface transient storage (STS) and hyporheic transient storage (HTS) have functional significance in stream ecology and hydrology. Currently, tracer techniques couple STS and HTS effects on stream nutrient cycling; however, STS resides in localized areas of the surface stream and HTS resides in the hyporheic zone. These contrasting environments result in different storage and exchange mechanisms with the surface stream, which can yield contrasting results when comparing transient storage effects among morphologically diverse streams. We propose a fluid mechanics approach to quantitatively separate STS from HTS that involves classifying and studying different types of STS. As a starting point, a classification scheme is needed. This paper introduces a classification scheme that categorizes different STS in riverine systems based on their flow structure. Eight STS types are identified and some are subcategorized based on characteristic mean flow structure: (1) lateral cavities (emergent and submerged); (2) protruding in-channel flow obstructions (backward-and forward-facing step); (3) isolated in-channel flow obstructions (emergent and submerged); (4) cascades and riffles; (5) aquatic vegetation (emergent and submerged); (6) pools (vertically submerged cavity, closed cavity, and recirculating reservoir); (7) meander bends; and (8) confluence of streams. The long-term goal is to use the classification scheme presented to develop predictive mean residence times for different STS using fieldmeasurable hydromorphic parameters and obtain an effective STS mean residence time. The effective STS mean residence time can then be deconvolved from the transient storage residence time distribution (measured from a tracer test) to obtain an estimate of HTS mean residence time.

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Flow structures and sandbar dynamics in a canyon river during a controlled flood, Colorado River, Arizona

Cited by 37 publications

References 45 publications

Interactions between flow structure and morphodynamic of bars in a channel expansion/contraction, Loire River, France

Interactions between flow structure and morphodynamic of bars in a channel expansion/contraction, Loire River, France

Flow separation at the inner (convex) and outer (concave) banks of constant‐width and widening open‐channel bends

A fluid-mechanics based classification scheme for surface transient storage in riverine environments: quantitatively separating surface from hyporheic transient storage

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