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Effects of bedform migration on nutrient fluxes at the sediment–water interface: a theoretical analysis

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Abstract

Nutrient fluxes at the sediment–water interface are essential for water quality and aquatic ecosystems. In this study, a unified expression for the sediment nutrient flux under different controlling modes is proposed by analytically solving the first-order linear partial differential equations describing nutrient transport in the sediment layer and overlying water. In particular, the analytical expression for the sediment nutrient flux due to bedform migration is derived, and the effects of bedform parameters, water depth, and sediment size are explored. With increasing flow velocity, the controlling mode of the sediment nutrient flux changes from diffusion to sand wave motion and then bed erosion, resulting in a significant increase in the flux. The water depth and sediment size indirectly affect the sediment nutrient flux by changing the critical velocity and the dimension and migration velocity of the sand waves. The physical meaning of each term of the analytical solution can be distinguished, which is beneficial for exploring the flux exchange at the sediment–water interface in mobile beds.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2018YFC0407601), 111 Project (No. B18031), and China Three Gorges Corporation (No. 201903145).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Hydro-Science and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Lei Huang, Qifeng Gao, Hongwei Fang & Guojian He

  2. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409-1023, USA

    Danny Reible

  3. China Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing, 100038, China

    Dianchang Wang & Xinghua Wu

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  1. Lei Huang
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  2. Qifeng Gao
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  3. Hongwei Fang
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Correspondence to Qifeng Gao or Hongwei Fang.

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Huang, L., Gao, Q., Fang, H. et al. Effects of bedform migration on nutrient fluxes at the sediment–water interface: a theoretical analysis. Environ Fluid Mech 22, 447–466 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-021-09816-3

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