Eva Kwoll

With or against the tide: The influence of bed form asymmetry on the formation of macroturbulence and suspended sediment patterns

This study examines tide-dependent variations in the formation and dynamics of suspended sediment patterns coupled to mean flow and turbulence above asymmetric bed forms. In the Danish Knudedyb inlet, very large primary bed forms remain ebb-oriented during a tidal cycle while smaller superimposed bed forms reverse direction with each tidal phase. Hydroacoustic in situ observations reveal pronounced differences in suspended sediment transport patterns between tidal phases caused by the relative orientation of primary bed forms and the mean tidal flow and flow unsteadiness during a single tidal phase. When flow and primary bed form orientation are aligned, water-depth-scale macroturbulence develops in the bed form lee-sides in the presence of flow separation. Macroturbulent flow structures occur at high flow stages and are coupled to increased amounts of sediment in suspension. When flow and bed form orientation are opposed no evidence of flow separation associated with primary bed forms is found. Sediment-laden macroturbulence at high flow velocities is of a smaller scale and attributed to the superimposed secondary bed forms. The flow structures are advected along the primary bed form stoss-side (temporary hydraulic lee-side). The steep primary bed form lee-side (temporary hydraulic stoss-side) however, limits transport capabilities beyond the scale of primary bed forms.

Flow structure and resistance over subaquaeous high‐ and low‐angle dunes

A prominent control on the flow over subaqueous dunes is the slope of the downstream leeside. While previous work has focused on steep (~30°), asymmetric dunes with permanent flow separation, little is known about dunes with lower lee slope angles for which flow separation is absent or intermittent. Here we present a laboratory investigation where we systematically varied the dune lee slope, holding other geometric parameters and flow hydraulics constant, to explore effects on the turbulent flow field and flow resistance. Three sets of fixed dunes (lee slopes of 10°, 20°, and 30°) were separately installed in a 15 m long and 1 m wide flume and subjected to 0.20 m deep flow. Measurements consisted of high-frequency, vertical profiles collected with a Laser Doppler Velocimeter. We show that the temporal and spatial occurrence of flow separation decreases with dune lee slope. Velocity gradients in the dune leeside depict a free shear layer downstream of the 30° dunes and a weaker shear layer closer to the bed for the 20° and 10° dunes. The decrease in velocity gradients leads to lower magnitude of turbulence production for gentle lee slopes. Aperiodic, strong ejection events dominate the shear layer but decrease in strength and frequency for low-angle dunes. Flow resistance of dunes decreases with lee slope; the transition being nonlinear. Over the 10°, 20°, and 30° dunes, shear stress is 8%, 33%, and 90% greater than a flat bed, respectively. Our results demonstrate that dune lee slope plays an important but often ignored role in flow resistance.

Observations of Coherent flow structures over Sub-aqueous high- and low-angle Dunes

Large-scale coherent flow structures (CFS) above dunes are the dominant source of flow resistance and constitute the principal mechanism for sediment transport and mixing in sand bed river and estuarine systems. Based on laboratory observations, CFS formation has been previously linked to flow separation downstream of high-angle dunes with lee-slopes of ~30°. How CFS form in natural, deep rivers and estuaries where dunes exhibit lower lee-slopes and intermittent flow separation is not well understood. Here, we present Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements from an experiment where dune lee-slope was systematically varied (30°, 20°, 10°), while other geometric and hydraulic parameters were held constant. We show that CFS form downstream of all three dune geometries from shear layer vortices in the dune lee. The mode of CFS formation undergoes a low-frequency oscillation with periods of intense vortex shedding interspersed with periods of rare vortex shedding. Streamwise alignment of several vortices during periods of intense shedding results in wedge-shaped CFS that are advected above the dune stoss-side. Streamwise length-scales of wedge-shaped CFS correspond to large-scale motions (LSM). We hypothesize that the advection of LSM over the dune crest triggers the periods of intense shedding in the dune lee. LSM are weaker and smaller above low-angle dunes; however the low-frequency oscillation in CFS formation periods persists. The formation of smaller and weaker CFS results in a reduction of flow resistance over low-angle dunes.

Experiments on the Morphological Controls of Velocity Inversions in Bedrock Canyons

A better understanding of bedrock incision mechanisms and processes is essential to the study of long-term landscape evolution. Yet, little is known about flow dynamics in bedrock rivers, limiting our ability to make realistic predictions of local bedrock incision rates. A recent investigation of flow through bedrock canyons of the Fraser River revealed that plunging flows, defined by the downward-directed movement of near surface flow toward the channel bed, occur in channels that have low width-to-depth ratios. Plunging flows occur into deep scour pools, which are often coincident with lateral constrictions and channel spanning submerged ridges (sills). A phenomenological investigation was undertaken to reproduce the flow fields observed in the Fraser canyons and to explore morphological controls on the occurrence and relative strength of plunging flow in bedrock canyons. Our observations show that the plunging flow structure can be produced along a scour pool entrance slope by accelerating the flow at the canyon entrance either over submerged sills or through lateral constrictions. Plunging flow appears to be a function of convective deceleration into a scour pool which can be enhanced by sill height, the amount of the channel width that is constricted, pool entrance slope, discharge, and a reduction in channel width-to-depth ratio. Plunging flow greatly enhances the potential for incision to occur along the channel bed and is an extreme departure from the assumptions of steady, uniform flow in bedrock incision models, highlighting the need for improved formulations that account for fluid flow.