Random-Sized Batch Arrivals of Sediment Particles into Surface Waters

Sediment transport is typically simulated using deterministic models. However, the intermittent and stochastic features of sediment transport make it suitable to be described by discrete random processes. We attempt to develop a stochastic framework that could account for random-sized batch arrivals (RSBA) of incoming sediment particles into receiving waters. In the proposed framework, the stochastic diffusion particle tracking model (SD-PTM) and particle deposition and resuspension process are included to simulate the random transport trajectories of suspended particles. The most distinguished characteristics of this framework are that random number of particles can arrive at the control volume at random times by applying the random-sized batch arrival process (RSBA) including the random occurrences and probabilistic quantity of incoming sediment particles. The random occurrences of arrivals are simulated by Poisson process while the number of sediment particles in each arrival can be simulated by a binominal distribution. Simulation results can offer a probabilistic description for discrete sediment transport through ensemble statistics (i.e., ensemble means and ensemble variances) of sediment concentrations and transport rates.