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Widely distributed in natural rivers and coasts, vegetation interacts with fluid flows and sediments in a variable and complicated manner. Such interactions make it difficult to predict associated drag forces during sediment transport. This paper investigates the drag coefficient for an emergent vegetated patch area under nonuniform flow and mobile bed conditions, based on an analytical model solving the momentum equation following our previous work (Zhang et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR027613). Emergent vegetation was modeled with rigid cylinders arranged in staggered arrays of different vegetation coverage ∅. Laboratory flume tests were conducted to measure variations in both the water and bed surfaces along a vegetated patch on a sand bed. Based on the experimental and theoretical analyses, a dimensionless drag model integrating both terms of flow properties and bed effects is proposed to predict the drag coefficient Cd over a mobile bed. The calculated values of Cd exhibit two different trends, that is, nonmonotonically or monotonically increasing along the streamwise direction, due to the combined effect of water surface gradient and bed slope. The morphodynamic response of the mobile bed to nonuniform flow manifests as an evolution in the bed slope within the vegetated patch. Ongoing scouring directs the flow's energy toward overcoming the rising Cd and bed slope, leading to a relatively stable stage with a low sediment transport rate. This study advances the existing understanding of the drag coefficient's role over a mobile bed within nonuniform flows. It also enhances the applicability of vegetation drag models in riverine restoration. Plain Language Summary The drag exerted by vegetation on a riverbed dictates the sediment transport rate with important implications for river morphological evolution. Predicting vegetation drag in nonuniform flow based on the bed characteristics of mobile sand bed conditions poses both theoretical and practical challenges. The implications of this endeavor include the formulation of predictive models for drag and a deeper understanding of the influence of gradually varied flow conditions in rivers. Through both experimental and theoretical investigations, this paper reveals that the drag coefficient exhibits varying patterns along the streamwise direction within the vegetated patch over a mobile sand bed. These patterns manifest in two distinct forms: a steady increase or a parabolic shape, wherein the coefficient initially rises before subsequently decreasing. This contrasts with prior studies on fixed beds, where the drag coefficient consistently follows a parabolic distribution in the streamwise direction. The discrepancy is attributed to the distinct physical contributions of pressure, advection, and bed friction to the drag coefficient. This study provides valuable insights into the importance of flow nonuniformity on vegetation drag, aiding in the prediction of backwater profiles in vegetated flows over a mobile bed. Furthermore, it facilitates modifications to sediment transport within vegetated patches. Key Points Vegetation drag in nonuniform flow over a mobile sand bed is explored using the momentum equation Drag coefficient in nonuniform flow over a mobile bed exhibits either a parabolic or a monotonic increase along the streamwise direction Water surface gradient and bed slope contribute to the flow nonuniformity, collectively influencing the variability of the drag coefficient

This research aims to investigate the near-bed turbulent flow characteristics in a meandering channel with both mobile bed and immobile bed conditions. Experiments were performed in a prismatic rectangular meandering channel with a non-uniform sand bed of size d50 = 0.523mm. The three-dimensional instantaneous fluid velocity was collected using the Acoustic Doppler velocimeter which will provide important results related to the flow turbulence such as mean flow velocity, turbulence intensity, Reynolds shear stress, turbulent kinetic energy, skewness, kurtosis and turbulent anisotropy. The secondary current flow and the exchange of momentum in the form of turbulence kinetic energy, Reynolds shear stress and turbulent intensity at the inner layer of the flow are identified more in a mobile bed condition as compared to an immobile condition, which causes sediment transport. For the inner layer of the flow, turbulence intensity and turbulent kinetic energy are decreased in magnitude and gradually increase in the outer layer of flow for both the bed conditions. Higher turbulence anisotropy is noticed in the mobile bed condition than in the immobile bed condition, which shows more nonuniformities near the bed level for the mobile bed condition. This study may help in understanding the effect of sediment transport due to a turbulent flow structure in a sinuous alluvial channel.

This study investigated scour and sedimentation processes around a cylindrical bridge pier in two consecutive channel bends. These tests were conducted for different positions of the piers on the path and for different critical velocity ratios (U/Uc). Therefore, the scour variations were investigated for piers installed at eight different positions of the two consecutive channel bends for three different cases of U/Uc (0.9, 0.95, and 0.98). The results indicated that as the piers were fixed at the subsequent positions of the upstream bend, the scour depth arose in the vicinity of the piers; installation of the pier at the 0° angle resulted in the minimum scour depth and its position at 90 and 135° angles bred the greatest scour depth. In addition, from the beginning to the middle of the downstream bend, this trend continued to rise, so a 45% increase in the highest scour depth at the fore of the bridge pier was observed when the pier position was altered from 180 to 270° angle. However, there was a falling trend in the next half of this bend to the end (from the 315° angle onward). With the increased U/Uc, the highest amount of increase was observed in variations in the maximum scour area parameter, so that a raised U/Uc from 0.9 to 0.95 and then to 0.98 at the 270° angle increased the maximum scour area by respectively 90 and 95%.

Soil fluidisation around buried pipes is one of the water leakage effects that has a direct influence on the ultimate failure of pipelines. In this research, using a laboratory model, the fluidisation caused by water leakage from three cracks with three lengths (14, 17, and 20 mm) and a 3 mm diameter hole for five pressures (1.5–5.5 bar) in non-uniform soils has been evaluated. The experiments were carried out both for pipes buried in soil, as well as exposed pipes. In the buried pipe tests, leakage flow rate, fluidisation, and mobile bed zone dimensions were investigated. The results showed that the increase in leakage flow rate due to an increase in pressure and crack length in exposed pipes is higher than in buried pipes. The exponent of the leakage–pressure relationship was obtained between 0.40 and 0.47 for the hole and between 0.8 and 1.9 in the crack. Observing different development patterns for fluidisation and mobile bed zones in cracks and holes, new relationships are presented for the height, width, and cross-sectional area of the leakage zones.

The present study reveals the turbulence dynamics and morphological adjustments of mobile dune-shaped bedforms in an alluvial stream. Results demonstrate acceleration of flow over the dune crest enhancing streamwise velocity, while the initial and the lee side sections of the dune experience flow circulation. The near-bed regions of the initial and lee sections experience peak Reynolds shear stress, marking zones of higher momentum exchange and active sediment entrainment. Turbulence is dominated by streamwise fluctuations, with spanwise and vertical components reinforcing lateral mixing and particle suspension. Octant analysis indicates that sweep events dominate in the near-bed regions of the initial, crest and lee sections of the dune, driving bedform migration and intensifying scour development on the lee side. Probability distribution functions highlight strong non-Gaussian behaviour and intermittency at crest and lee sections, linked to vortex shedding and flow separation. Higher-order structure functions further confirm the presence of intense turbulent bursts in the near-bed region, underscoring the role of coherent structures in driving sediment motion. Morphological analysis shows progressive scour development at the lee side and downstream crest erosion, resulting in continuous dune migration. These findings advance understanding of turbulence–morphology interactions and their control on sediment transport in alluvial channels.

A polygonal-mesh based numerical method is developed to simulate sediment transport in mobile-bed streams with free surfaces. The flow and sediment transport governing equations are depth-averaged and solved in the two-dimensional (2D) horizontal space. The flow and sediment transport are further coupled to the stream bed changes so that erosion and deposition processes are simulated together with the mobile bed changes. Multiple subsurface bed layers are allowed so that bed stratigraphy may be taken into consideration. The proposed numerical discretization is valid for the most flexible polygonal mesh type which includes all existing meshes in use such as the quadrilateral-triangle hybrid mesh. The finite-volume method is adopted such that the mass conservations of both water and sediment are satisfied locally and globally. The sediment transport and stream bed processes are formulated in a general way so that the proposed numerical method may be applied to a wide range of streams and suitable for practical stream applications. The technical details of the numerical method are presented; model verification and validation studies are reported using selected cases having physical model or field measured data. The developed model is intended for general-purpose use available to the public.

In alluvial channel, the non-cohesive bed particles are frequently accelerated by the flows and there has been an inconclusive debate on the deviations of logarithmic law parameters that demonstrate the velocity distributions in flows. Present study aims to elucidate the current knowledge of overwhelming theoretical and experimental evidences in this regard within the scope of near-bed turbulent flow characteristics. The study was conducted in two folds collecting instantaneous velocity of flow over a rigid sand bed under clear water flow conditions and compared to those over mobile sand beds under equilibrium bed-load. Results corroborated additional support to confirm the upward shifting of zero-velocity level in mobile bed flows. Most importantly, the conventional value of von Kármán coefficient significantly deviates in mobile bed flows compared to those in rigid sand bed. Also, the frictional velocity obtained from the bed slope consistently differs to those obtained from the Reynolds shear stress (RSS) distributions owing to transfer of stress aliquot to the bed particles. The mechanism is well demonstrated with the energy-momentum transfer within the framework of energy budget concept which shows near-bed negative pressure energy diffusion rates with increasing turbulence production in mobile bed flows.

Flooding has become the most common environmental hazard, causing casualties and severe economic losses. Mathematical models are a useful tool for flood control, and current computational resources let us simulate flood events with two-dimensional (2D) approaches. An open question is whether bed erosion must be accounted for when it comes to simulating flood events. In this paper we answer this question through numerical simulations using the 2D depth-averaged shallow-water equations. We analyze the effect of mobile beds on the flow patterns during flood events. We focus on channel confluences where water flow and sediment mobilization have a marked 2D behavior. We validate our numerical simulations with laboratory experiments of erodible beds with satisfactory results. Moreover, our sensitivity analysis indicates that the bed roughness model has a great influence on the simulated erosion and deposition patterns. We simulate the sediment transport and its influence on the water flow in a real river confluence during flood events. Our simulations show that the erosion and deposition processes play an important role on the water depth and flow velocity patterns. Accounting for the mobile bed leads to smoother water depth and velocity fields, as abrupt fields for the non-erodible model emerge from the irregular bed topography. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for erosion in the simulation of flood events, and the impact on the water depth and velocity fields.

According to a field survey in 2012, the bathymetry near Mailiao Port, located in central Taiwan’s west coast, has a scouring hole that extends approximately 500 m × 100 m with a maximum scour depth of 26 m (eroded from its design depth −22 m to −48 m). To investigate the scour mechanism near the breakwater head and prevent the breakwater from collapsing, this study conducts comprehensive analysis by analyzing field observed data, performing hydraulic model tests, and conducting numerical modeling for the area near the Mailiao Port. The results show that the current plays an important role in the scour process. The physical model tests and numerical simulations both can reproduce the scour phenomenon of the study site. By analyzing field observed data we validated through physical and numerical models. This study concludes that the current caused by the ebb and flood tide, as well as the steep and shallow seabed topography, together comprise the seabed scour mechanism near the Mailiao Port breakwater head.

Because of climate change, flood-prone areas are more and more frequently exposed to potential casualties and damage. The capability of the flow to carry relevant quantities of sediments during these critical events adds to the further complexity of the resulting scenarios. The interaction between the flow and the obstacles in flood-inundated areas contributes to an increase in the hazard level and constitutes a relevant concern in the framework of risk analysis. Despite this relevance, the existing literature on the topic is relatively scarce, especially for the estimation of the forces acting on rigid obstacles in the presence of a mobile bed. In the present paper, a recent two-phase shallow-water morphodynamical model, particularly suited for the analysis of fast geomorphic transients, is applied for the numerical simulation of the propagation of a dam-break wave over an erodible floodplain in the presence of a rigid obstacle. The geometry of the test-case is inspired by a recent fixed-bed study reported in the literature, for which extensive experimental and numerical data concerning the flow field and the dynamic loading against the obstacle are available. Results of the numerical simulations contribute to highlight the effects of the obstacle on the changes in the bottom topography.