Testing the Capabilities of the Sed2d Sediment Transport Routine

In this communication the depth-averaged 2D hydrodynamic Rma2 code and the beta testing sediment transport routine Sed2d are briefly discussed. The Sed2d routine is based upon the advection-dispersion equation with the empirical formula of Ackers-White for estimating the sand full transport capacity of the stream. First, the restoration process between erosion and entrainment of sediment implemented in the Sed2d is analyzed. Then, the Rma2-Sed2d system is used to simulate the bed evolution of an idealized study case, consisting of a straight river reach with a contraction. The dimensions and the parameters values used for this idealized setting resemble those encountered in an almost straight, stable banks reach of the Paraná River. The results obtained are preliminary, and even though they show the feasibility of the Sed2d routine to simulate morphological changes in a large river, the verification against field data is still pending.