Depositional Turbidity Currents Laden with Poorly Sorted Sediment
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 120, Issue 11
Abstract
A layer‐averaged model for steady, spatially developing turbidity currents laden with poorly sorted sediment is presented together with laboratory experiments conducted to test several assumptions involved in the model development and to gather basic information about such flows and the sediment deposits that they generate. Measured flow velocity and sediment concentration profiles displayed a good degree of similarity and facilitated the evaluation of shape factors. The amount of sediment deposition and grain size of the deposits were found to decrease monotonically with distance from the source. The ability of the theoretical model to reproduce the depositional pattern and grain‐size variation with distance was tested using data from a strongly depositional current. The laboratory observations were reproduced fairly well by the model.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Akiyama, J., and Stefan, H. (1985). “Turbidity current with erosion and deposition.” J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 111(12), 1473–1496.
2.
Ashida, K., and Egashira, S. (1975). “Basic study of turbidity currents.” Proc. JSCE, Tokyo, Japan, No. 237, 37–50.
3.
Bouma, A. H., Normark, W. R., and Barnes, N. E., eds. (1985). Submarine fans and related turbidite systems. Springer‐Verlag, New York, N.Y., 29–34.
4.
Bruk, S. (1985). Methods of computing sedimentation in lakes and reservoirs. UNESCO, Paris, France.
5.
Chikita, K. (1989). “A field study on turbidity currents initiated from spring runoffs.” Water Resour. Rese., 25(2), 257–271.
6.
Chow, V. T. (1959). Open channel hydraulics. McGraw‐Hill, New York, N.Y.
7.
Dengler, A. T., and Wilde, P. (1987). “Turbidity currents on steep slopes: application of an avalanche‐type numeric model for ocean thermal energy conversion design.” Ocean Engrg. (Pergamon), 14(5), 409–433.
8.
Dietrich, E. W. (1982). “Settling velocity of natural particles.” Water Resour. Res., 18(6), 1626–1982.
9.
Estourgie, A. L. P. (1988). “Theory and practice of water injection dredging.” Terra et Aqua, The Hague, The Netherlands, No. 38, 21–28.
10.
Fan, J., and Morris, G. (1992). “Reservoir sedimentation. I: delta and density current deposits.” J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 118(3), 354–369.
11.
Fukushima, Y., Parker, G., and Pantin, H. (1985). “Prediction of ignitive turbidity currents in Scripps submarine canyon.” Marine Geology, Vol. 67, 55–81.
12.
Garcia, M. H. (1990). “Depositing and eroding sediment‐driven flows: turbidity currents.” Proj. Rep. No. 306, St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Lab., Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., 179.
13.
Garcia, M. H. (1992). “Turbidity currents.” Encyclopedia of earth systems science, Vol. 4, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif., 399–408.
14.
Garcia, M. H. (1993). “Hydraulic jumps in sediment‐driven bottom currents.” J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 119(10), 1–24.
15.
Garcia, M. H., and Parker, G. (1989). “Experiments on hydraulic jumps in turbidity currents near a canyon‐fan transition.” Sci., 245, 393–396.
16.
Garcia, M. H., and Parker, G. (1991). “Entrainment of bed sediment into suspension.” J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 117(4), 414–435.
17.
Garcia, M. H., and Parker, G. (1993). “Experiments on the entrainment of sediment into suspension by a dense bottom current.” J. Geophysical Res., 98(3), 4793–4807.
18.
Hay, A. E. (1987). “Turbidity currents and submarine channel formation in Rupert Inlet, British Columbia, 2. The roles of continuous and surge‐type flow.” J. Geophysical Res., 92(3), 2883–2900.
19.
Inman, D. L., Nordstrom, C. E., and Flick, R. E. (1976). “Currents in submarine canyons: An air‐sea‐land interaction.” Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., 275–310.
20.
Kuenen, P. H., and Migliorini, C. I. (1950). “Turbidity currents as a cause of graded bedding.” J. Geology, 58(2) 91–127.
21.
Lambert, A. M. (1982). “Turbidity currents from the Rhine River on the bottom of Lake Constance.” Wasserwirtschaft, Stuttgart, Germany, 72(4), 1–4 (in German).
22.
Lambert, A., and Giovanoli, F. (1988). “Records of riverborne turbidity currents and indications of slope failures in the Rhone Delta of Lake Geneva.” Limnology and Oceanography, 33(3), 458–468.
23.
Luthi, S. (1981). “Experiments on non‐channelized turbidity currents and their deposits.” Marine Geology, Vol. 40, 59–68.
24.
Michon, X., Goddet, J., and Bonnefille, R. (1955). “Etude theorique et experimentale des courants de densite.” Tomes I, II. Lab. Nat. Hydraulique, Chatou, France.
25.
Middleton, G. V. (1967). “Experiments on density and turbidity currents, III. Deposition of sediment.” Can. J. Earth Sci., Vol. 4, 475–505.
26.
Middleton, G. V., and Neal, W. J. (1989). “Experiments on the thickness of beds deposited by turbidity currents.” J. Sedimentary Petrology, 59(2), 297–307.
27.
Pallesen,T. R. (1983). “Turbidity currents.” Series Paper 32, Inst. of Hydrodynamics and Hydr. Engrg., Tech. Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
28.
Pantin, H. M. (1979). “Interaction between velocity and effective density in turbidity flow: phase‐plane analysis with criteria for autosuspension.” Marine Geology, 31, 59–99.
29.
Parker, G., Fukushima, Y., and Pantin, H. M. (1986). “Self‐accelerating turbidity currents.” J. Fluid Mech., 171(Oct.), 145–181.
30.
Parker, G., Garcia, M., Fukushima, Y., and Yu, W. (1987). “Experiments on turbidity currents over an erodible bed.” J. Hydr. Res., 25(1), 123–147.
31.
Ryan, P. J. (1989). “Density models.” Recent advances in hydraulic physical modeling, Rui Martins, ed., Kluwer Academic Press, Boston, Mass., 191–244.
32.
Seymour, R. J. (1986). “Nearshore auto‐suspending turbidity flows.” Oc. Engrg., 13(5), 435–447.
33.
Siegenthaler, C., and Buhler, J. (1985). “The kinematics of turbulent suspension currents (turbidity currents) on inclined boundaries.” Marine Geology, Vol. 64, 19–40.
34.
Stefan, H. (1973). “High concentration turbidity currents in reservoirs.” Proc. 15th Conf., IAHR, The Netherlands, Vol. 1, 341–352.
35.
Stow, D. A. V., and Bowen, A. J. (1980). “A physical model for the transport and sorting of fine‐grained sediment turbidity currents.” Sedimentology, Vol. 27, 31–46.
36.
Tesaker, E. (1969). “Uniform turbidity currents,” Licentietus Technical thesis, Technical University of Norway, Trondheim, Norway.
37.
Turner, J. S. (1973). Buoyancy effects in fluids. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
38.
Weirich, F. H. (1984). “Turbidity currents: Monitoring their occurrence and movement with a three‐dimensional sensor network.” Science, 224, 384–387.
39.
Weirich, F. H. (1986). “The record of density‐induced underflows in a glacial lake.” Sedimentology, 33, 261–277.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 27, 1993
Published online: Nov 1, 1994
Published in print: Nov 1994
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.