Pascale Biron

Three‐dimensional measurement of river channel flow processes using acoustic doppler velocimetry

This paper describes and assesses: (i) the use of a new instrument for the determination of three-dimensional flow velocities in natural rivers, the acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV); and (ii) a method for positioning and orienting such measurements relative to a single local coordinate system to relate flow velocity vectors with the bed and water surface. The ADV uses the Doppler shift principle to measure the velocity of small particles, assuming to be moving at velocities similar to the fluid. Velocity is resolved into three orthogonal components, and measured in a volume 5 cm below the sensor head, minimizing interference of the flow field, and allowing measurements to be made close to the bed. A simple method for positioning and orienting the instrument using digital tacheometry is described, and is used to obtain velocity measurements concurrently with measurements of both bed and water surface topography. The paper includes a preliminary field assessment of the ADV by comparing velocity profiles with those generated from Marsh McBirney electromagnetic current meters, and a full field assessment of the position and orientation methodology. These results suggest that the recommended methods in combination with an ADV are able to provide reliable mean three-dimensional velocity field information and accurate bed and surface topography. Copyright

Three-dimensional structure of flow at a confluence of river channels with discordant beds

This paper presents three-dimensional data of the mean and turbulent structure of flow collected at a natural confluence of rivers with discordant beds to (1) describe the three-dimensional flow field of a natural junction of channels; (2) assess the role of changes in bed morphology occurring during transport-effective events on the structure of flow at a confluence; and (3) examine how the three-dimensional structure of flow varies with changes in the ratio of momentum flux between the two confluent streams. Three-dimensional measurements of velocity were reconstructed from the measurements obtained with an array of four, two-component electromagnetic current meters. Six detailed velocity profiles were taken at five cross-sections in a wide range of flow conditions. The mean field of flow is characterised by (1) the acceleration of flow in the downstream portion of the post-confluence channel, but by lower velocities upstream in the mixing layer area; (2) a stagnation zone at the apex of the junction; (3) a zone of flow deviation, and strong fluid upwelling, close to the avalanche face and at the margin of the tributary mouth bar; and (4) reduced velocities over the depositional bar at the downstream junction corner. The position and extent of these zones vary with changes in the ratio of momentum flux. Very high intensity of turbulence (peaks up to 50%) and turbulent kinetic energy were observed in the mixing layer region. Distortion of the mixing layer, characteristic of flow where bed discordance is present between the two tributary channels, was evident from mean and turbulent flow data. This field study suggests that the effects of bed discordance on flow, sediment transport, and the resultant bed morphology must be incorporated into conceptual and numeric models of these sites of complex flow.

Investigation of controls on secondary circulation in a simple confluence geometry using a three-dimensional numerical model

Recent research into river channel confluences has identified confluence geometry, and particularly bed discordance, as a control on confluence flow structures and mixing processes, and this has been illustrated using both field measurements in natural confluences and laboratory measurements of simplified confluences. Generalization of the results obtained from these experiments is limited by the number of confluence geometries that can be examined in a reasonable amount of time. This limitation may be overcome by numerical models, in which confluence geometry is more readily varied, and data acquired more rapidly. This paper aims to: (i) validate the application of a three-dimensional numerical model to a simple confluence geometry; (ii) simulate the effects of different boundary condition values upon flow structures; and (iii) interpret the implications of these simulations for river channel confluence dynamics. The model used in this research solves the three-dimensional form of the Navier–Stokes equations and is used to simulate the flow in a parallel confluence of unequal depth channels and to investigate the effect of different combinations of velocity and depth ratio between the two tributaries. The results generally agree with empirical evidence that secondary circulation is generated in the absence of streamline curvature, but only for specific combinations of depth and velocity ratio. This research shows how understanding of the interaction of these controls is enhanced if pressure gradients are considered. The velocity ratio is the prime determinant of the cross-stream pressure gradient that initiates cross-stream velocities. However, for significant secondary circulation to form, cross-stream velocities must lead to significant transfer of fluid in the cross-stream direction. This depends on the vertical extent of the cross-stream pressure gradient which is controlled by the depth ratio. In this study, strong secondary circulation occurred for a depth differential of 25% or more, as long as the velocity in the shallower tributary was at least as great as that in the deeper channel. This provides an important context for interpretation of previous work and for the design of new experiments in both the field and the laboratory.

Bed morphology and sedimentology at the confluence of unequal depth channels

Abstract Spatial and temporal variations in the bed geometry and bed material size of a sand-bed river confluence with unequal-depth channels were monitored during a sequence of floods. Additionally, two other sand-bed confluences were surveyed to test the replicability of these observations. The confluences studied here have only one avalanche face, which corresponds to the front of a tributary mouth bar in the shallower channel, and do not exhibit a marked scour zone. Three distinct morpho-sedimentological zones are present: (1) an area around the upstream corner of the junction where the sediments are generally finer than the mean, (2) a maximum depth zone with coarser than average particles and (3) a bar at the downstream junction corner where grain size is finer than the mean and decreases slightly downstream. Changes in relative discharge between the two channels had little effect on the grain size of the downstream junction corner bar, but exerted a strong influence on the position of the maximum depth zone and the front of the tributary mouth bar. The downstream junction corner bar showed little evidence of the separation zone which is commonly observed at the confluences of laboratory channels. The contrasting depths of the approach channels at the sites studied here may be partly responsible for the absence of the separation zone.

Turbulent flow structure at concordant and discordant open-channel confluences

Models of flow at river-channel confluences that consist of two concordant confluent channels with avalanche faces dipping into a scour zone are limited because this morphology may be the exception rather than the rule in nature. In this paper the mean and turbulent flow structure in the streamwise and vertical directions at both concordant and discordant laboratory confluences were examined in order to determine the effect of bed discordance on the flow field, and to assess its influence on sediment transport. Instantaneous velocities were measured with a laser Doppler anemometer using a dense spatial sampling grid. The spatial distribution of normal stress varies with bed geometry as bed discordance generates a distortion of the mixing layer between the confluent streams. Turbulent shear stress is larger in the discordant bed case and its peak is associated with the position of the mixing layer whereas for concordant beds the zone of mixing is characterised by a decrease in the Reynolds shear stress. Quadrant analysis also revealed differential dominating quadrants between the two bed geometries which will influence sediment transport routing and, consequently, the resulting bed morphology. These results highlight the need for significant modifications to current models of confluence flow dynamics in order to account for the bed configuration.

Sensitivity of bed shear stress estimated from vertical velocity profiles: the problem of sampling resolution

Bed shear stress in open channel flows is often estimated from the logarithmic vertical velocity profile. However, most measuring devices used in the field do not allow for flow velocity to be measured very close to the bed. The lack of near-bed measurements is a critical loss of information which may affect bed shear stress estimates. Detailed velocity profiles obtained from a field acoustic Doppler velocimeter over three different bed roughnesses clearly show that the inclusion of near-bed points is critical for the estimation of bed shear stress in a shallow river environment. Moreover, the results indicate that using the full flow depth instead of the bottom 20 per cent of the profile generates an underestimation of the shear stress when flow is uniform.

The phenology of fine root growth in a maple-dominated ecosystem: relationships with some soil properties

A two-year study was undertaken in a maple-dominated watershed of southern Québec, Canada, to examine relationships between trends in fine root growth, stem diameter growth, soil moisture, soil temperature, mineralized-N and extractable-P. Until September, soil temperature was consistently higher in 1995 than in 1994. Apart from the first sampling in mid-May, soil moisture was higher in 1994 than in 1995. In 1994, most fine roots were produced before leaf expansion, whereas in 1995, fine root production peaked in July. Annual fine root production was estimated to be 2.7 times higher in 1994 than in 1995. Stem growth was strongly associated with the seasonal and annual variation in soil temperature. Root and diameter growth were asynchronous in 1994 but not in 1995. Fine root production was associated with two groups of variables: a soil fertility (mineralized-N and extractable-P) group and a physical soil environment (moisture and temperature) group. Our results are consistent with the negative effect of high soil-N fertility on fine root production but are inconclusive as to the positive effect of high soil-P fertility. Soil conditions that are detrimental to root growth such as high N availability and anaerobiosis could modify the normal dynamics of fine root growth.

ON THE NECESSITY OF APPLYING A ROTATION TO INSTANTANEOUS VELOCITY MEASUREMENTS IN RIVER FLOWS

In studies on river channel flow turbulence, it is often the case that the measured mean vertical velocity is different from zero, indicating that the frame of reference of the current meter is not parallel to the flow streamline. This situation affects the estimate of Reynolds shear stress in the streamwise and vertical planes and consequently the analysis of the flow turbulent structure. One way to solve this problem is to correct data by applying a rotation and this is reviewed in the first part of the paper. However, in fluvial geomorphology, the studied flow is often complex and streamlines may exhibit significant changes from one point of measurement to the other. In this context, applying a rotation complicates the situation more than it simplifies it. The second part of this paper examines the question of velocity data correction in complex flows using a field example of the turbulent boundary layer over a very rough gravel bed and a laboratory example taken from flow at a river channel confluence. In both cases, velocity vectors are spatially variable. In the first case, errors in the Reynolds shear stress estimates are relatively low (ranging from −13 to 7 per cent/deg) while in the second case, they are much larger (−200 to 164 per cent/deg). The significance of these errors on the interpretation of turbulence statistics in river channel flows is discussed. We propose that corrections should be applied in all clear cases of sensor misalignment and when the frame of reference changes spatially and temporally. However, no corrections should be used where different flow velocity vector orientations, not sensor misalignment, are responsible for the mean vertical velocity differing from zero.

Implications of low-pass filtering on power spectra and autocorrelation functions of turbulent velocity signals

Filtering either through the electronics of an instrument or through digital procedure is performed routinely on geophysical data. When velocity fluctuations are measured in turbulent flows using electromagnetic current meters (ECMs), a builtin lowpass Butterworth filter of order n usually attenuates fluctuations at high frequencies. However, the effects of this filter may not be acknowledged in turbulence studies, thus impeding comparisons between data collected with different ECMs. This paper explores the implications of the filters on the characteristics of velocity signals, mainly on variance, power spectra, and correlation analyses. Variance losses resulting from filtering can be important but will vary with the order n of the Butterworth filter, decreasing as n increases. Knowing the filter response, it is possible to reconstruct the original signal spectrum to evaluate the effect of filtering on variance and to allow comparisons between data collected with different instruments. The autocorrelation function also is affected by filtering which increases the value of the coefficients in the first lags, resulting in an overestimation of the integral length scale of coherent structures. These important effects add to those related to size and shape differences in ECM sensors and must be taken into account in comparative studies.

A scheme for resampling, filtering, and subsampling unevenly spaced laser Doppler anemometer data

Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) has proved a powerful tool for quantifying fluid turbulence and is increasingly being applied in fields such as fluvial sedimentology and geomorphology. When operated in the burst-signal processing mode, high-frequency velocity fluctuations are measured at irregular time internals. In many situations, there is a need to transform these data to obtain evenly spaced velocity values but at a lower frequency. However, clear guidelines for this type of data processing are lacking. Three steps are necessary in order to transform the original files into evenly spaced data: (1) resampling at the average sampling rate, (2) low-pass filtering with half-power frequency adjusted to the final sampling frequency, and (3) decimating at the desired frequency. The decision taken at each step will affect the resulting signal and may cause, if not assessed carefully, severe problems in the signal such as aliasing errors. This paper examines each stage of data processing and details the advantages and drawbacks of different techniques in relation to the effects on turbulence statistics (variance, instantaneous shear stress, etc.). A standard method and specific guidelines are finally proposed.