Noninvasive Methods for Hydraulic Characterization of Density Currents with Application to Submarine Fan Experiments
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 1
Abstract
Laboratory experiments are a convenient way to study morphodynamic processes associated with subaqueous fans. However, the flows driving such systems can be difficult to hydraulically characterize due to the shallowness of the flows, the spatial and temporal dynamics of the autogenic channels, and the mixing at the interface of the ambient fluid and density current. The objective of this study is to develop a set of methods to quantify hydraulic variables in laterally unconstrained and morphologically active density currents. Herein, a methodology is presented capable of characterizing a density current flow field with direct application to submarine fan experiments. This is done with a combination of: (1) particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) analysis of tracers within the density current, (2) flow width measurements from overhead images, and (3) solution of the mass and volume conservation equations in one-dimension to obtain layer-averaged velocity, depth, and fractional excess density.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
Partial funding for this work was provided by research grant EM08501 from ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company. Additionally, Juan Fedele is greatly thanked for help in initially thinking through theoretical and conceptual issues in method development. Many thanks to Kevin Bowen for helping with laboratory set-up and maintenance. Lastly, comments received from two anonymous reviews as well as the associated editor and editor helped to improve this text.
References
Ashida, K., and Egashira, S. (1975). “Basic study on turbidity currents.” Proc. Jpn. Soc. Civ. Eng., 1975(237), 37–50.
Brevis, W., Niño, Y., and Jirka, G. H. (2011). “Integrating cross-correlation and relaxation algorithms for particle tracking velocimetry.” Exp. Fluids, 50(1), 135–147.
Cantelli, A., Pirmez, C., Johnson, S., and Parker, G. (2011). “Morphodynamic and stratigraphic evolution of self-channelized subaqueous fans emplaced by turbidity currents.” J. Sediment. Res., 81(3), 233–247.
Carbonneau, P. E., Lane, S. N., and Bergeron, N. E. (2006). “Feature based image processing methods applied to bathymetric measurements from airborne remote sensing in fluvial environments.” Earth Surf. Processes Landforms, 31(11), 1413–1423.
Ellison, T. H., and Turner, J. S. (1959). “Turbulent entrainment in stratified flows.” J. Fluid Mech., 6(03), 423–448.
Fujita, I., Muste, M., and Kruger, A. (1998). “Large-scale particle image velocimetry for flow analysis in hydraulic engineering applications.” J. Hydraul. Res., 36(3), 397–414.
Fukuoka, S., and Fukushima, Y. (1980). “Mechanics of gravity currents advancing into stratified reservoir.” Proc. Jpn. Soc. Civ. Eng., 1980(293), 65–77.
García, M. H. (1993). “Hydraulic jumps in sediment-driven bottom currents.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 1094–1117.
García, M. H., and Parsons, J. D. (1996). “Mixing at the front of gravity currents.” Dyn. Atmos. Oceans, 24(1–4), 197–205.
Goring, D. G., and Nikora, V. I. (2002). “Despiking acoustic doppler velocimeter data.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 117–126.
Gran, K., and Paola, C. (2001). “Riparian vegetation controls on braided stream dynamics.” Water Resour. Res., 37(12), 3275–3283.
Hamilton, P. B., Strom, K., and Hoyal, D. C. J. D. (2013). “Autogenic incision-backfilling cycles and lobe formation during the growth of alluvial fans with supercritical distributaries.” Sedimentology, 60(6), 1498–1525.
Hauet, A., Creutin, J. D., and Belleudy, P. (2008). “Sensitivity study of large-scale particle image velocimetry measurement of river discharge using numerical simulation.” J. Hydrol., 349(1–2), 178–190.
Hoyal, D. C. J. D., and Sheets, B. A. (2009). “Hydraulic jumps as controls on the evolution of distributary channel networks on experimental submarine fans.” 33rd Int. Association of Hydraulic Research Congress, IAHR, Delft, Netherlands.
Kennedy, J. F. (1969). “The formation of sediment ripples, dunes, and antidunes.” Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech., 1(1), 147–168.
Kneller, B., and Buckee, C. (2000). “The structure and fluid mechanics of turbidity currents: A review of some recent studies and their geological implications.” Sedimentology, 47(s1), 62–94.
Kneller, B. C., Bennett, S. J., and McCaffrey, W. D. (1999). “Velocity structure, turbulence and fluid stresses in experimental gravity currents.” J. Geophys. Res., 104(C3), 5381–5391.
Lofquist, K. (1960). “Flow and shear stress near an interface between stratified liquids.” Phys. Fluids, 3(2), 158–175.
Luthi, S. (1981). “Experiments on non-channelized turbidity currents and their deposits.” Mar. Geol., 40(3–4), M59–M68.
Martin, J. E., and García, M. H. (2009). “Combine piv/plif measurements of a steady density current front.” Exp. Fluids, 46(2), 265–276.
Middleton, G. V. (1966). “Experiments on density and turbidity currets: 1. Motion of the head.” Can. J. Earth Sci., 3(4), 523–546.
Muste, M., Fujita, I., and Hauet, A. (2008). “Large-scale particle image velocimetry for measurements in riverine environments.” Water Resour. Res., 44(4), W00D19.
Parker, G., Fukushima, Y., and Pantin, H. M. (1986). “Self-accelerating turbidity currents.” J. Fluid Mech., 171, 145–181.
Parker, G., Garcia, M. H., Fukushima, Y., and Yu, W. (1987). “Experiments on turbidity currents over an erodible bed.” J. Hydraul. Res., 25(1), 123–147.
Reitz, M. D., and Jerolmack, D. J. (2012). “Experimental alluvial fan evolution: Channel dynamics, slope controls, and shoreline growth.” J. Geophys. Res., 117(F2), F02021.
Sequeiros, O. E., Spinewine, B., Beaubouef, R. T., Sun, T., Garcia, M. H., and Parker, G. (2010). “Characteristics of velocity and excess density profiles of saline underflows and turbidity currents flowing over a mobile bed.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 412–433.
Van Dijk, M., Postma, G., and Kleinhans, M. G. (2009). “Autocyclic behaviour of fan deltas: An analogue experimental study.” Sedimentology, 56(5), 1569–1589.
Wahl, T. L. (2000). “Analyzing adv data using winadv.” 2000 Joint Conf. on Water Resources Engineering and Water Resources Planning and Management, ASCE, Reston, VA.
Xu, J. P. (2010). “Normalized velocity profiles of field-measured turbidity currents.” Geology, 38(6), 563–566.
Yu, B., Cantelli, A., Marr, J. G., Pirmez, C., O’Bryne, C., and Parker, G. (2006). “Experiments on self-channelized subaqueous fans emplaced by turbidity currents and dilute mudflows.” J. Sediment. Res., 76(6), 889–902.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 1 • January 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 19, 2014
Accepted: Aug 11, 2014
Published online: Sep 17, 2014
Published in print: Jan 1, 2015
Discussion open until: Feb 17, 2015
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.