Suspended sediment erosion in laboratory flume experiments
Name
231849672-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
19.25 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
f6264fc9610164d0d13f3c6d50fe6783
Author(s)
Cornell, Katrina Muir
Advisor(s)
Kelin X. Whipple.
Date Issued
2007
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Laboratory flume experiments are used to examine the role of suspended sediment abrasion in bedrock channel erosion. A range of topographies was used, from a planar bed to a sinuous and scalloped inner channel. Experiments were run separately with bedload (used to form topography) and suspended load at a variety of water flows and sediment fluxes. Sediment samples were collected to determine mass flux and concentration profiles. Erosion was measured between each timestep and erosion rate determined for a variety of conditions. Rouse, Froude, and Stokes numbers were calculated from measured data for various timesteps to determine mode of sediment transport and flow characteristics. Flow was supercritical, and sediment was in suspension. Erosion patterns around imposed topography perturbations (a rock protrusion and a drilled pothole) were briefly examined. A hydraulic jump was used in one timestep to see the effect of the transition from supercritical to subcritical flow. Suspended sediment causes erosion in all bed morphologies. The amount and pattern of erosion are coupled to topography, but are not constrained by it to the same degree as bedload. As in the case of bedload, suspended sediment erosion is strongly coupled to sediment flux.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2007.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-50).
Subjects
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
M.I.T. theses are protected by
copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but
reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written
permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but
reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written
permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
Persistent DSpace Link
