Erosion of the Upper Layer of Cohesive Sediments: Characterization of Some Properties
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 133, Issue 9
Abstract
A recent companion paper reported an experimental protocol used to analyze sediment properties. This protocol identified for both freshwater and marine sediments a surface layer with specific dynamic properties (critical erosion shear stresses in the range ) and a second layer with critical erosion shear stresses about ten times larger. The present study compares these former results with recent work which extended the applicability domain of the Shields diagram to very fine particles. The surface layer is shown to consist in fine and unconsolidated sediments that behave like noncohesive material whereas the second layer is characterized as being cohesive. The surface layer is mainly representative of recent deposits of suspended particles. This points out the existence of a fluffy layer of fine sized particles resting near the bed, with specific erosion characteristics, which has to be considered separately when studying sediment properties.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support for this research was provided by the interdisciplinary “PNEC: Programme National d’Océanographie Côtière–Chantier Golfe du Lion” project. We also thank the crew of RV Tethys II for help during field sampling in the Mediterranean Sea.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 133 • Issue 9 • September 2007
Pages: 1087 - 1091
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Dec 13, 2005
Accepted: Nov 30, 2006
Published online: Sep 1, 2007
Published in print: Sep 2007
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