The large surface area of cohesive sediments enables them to act as sinks for marine contaminants. Thus the dispersal of such contaminants is partly controlled by the resuspension and transport of fine sediments. The Cohesive Sediment Dynamics Study (COSEDS) group was established to gain a better understanding of the erosion, resuspension,t ransport and deposition of fine particulate matter, particularly during storm conditions. As part of this study, measurementso f wave heights and orbital velocities, near bed currents and suspended sediment concentrations were monitored using instruments housed on free-standing frames deployed in Morecambe Bay and on the Sellafield mud patch in the Eastern Irish Sea. Acoustic and Miniature Optical Backscatter Sensors (ABS and MOBS) were calibrated in a resuspension tank which allowed conversion of the raw backscattered field data into information on the size and concentration of the material in suspension. The contrast in particle size sensitivity of the ABS and the MOBS results in a big difference in the response of the ABS and the MOBS to the particle size distribution of the field site sediments. Thus, in an environment of mixed particle sizes, the ABS and the 'MOBS can be used in conjunction with one another to provide information about the suspended sediments. Hydrodynamic data from four sites on the Sellafield mud patch enabled shear velocity estimates to be made using the Inertial Dissipation Method. Time-series of drag. coefficient and roughness length measurementss howed both temporal and spatial variation in the observations. The spatial difference in the observations has been attributed to a change in the size distribution of the bed sediments between sites. The cause of the temporal variation in the observed roughness is thought to have been due to a changing flow regime, a combination of wave-current interaction and the presence of bed forms. Simple boundary layer models enabled the reproduction of the shear velocity values and the drag coefficient in both rough-turbulent, smooth-turbulent and transitional flow regimes. The direct relationship between the suspended sediment and the tidal currents indicated local erosion and, pickup from the seabed. The optical backscatter data revealed the resuspensiono f sedimentb y waves at times of high orbital velocities and by tidal currents at other times. Estimateso f suspendeds edimentf lux were computed from the product of the vertical integration of velocity profiles and concentration profiles, which were predicted assuming a Rouse-type profile. Flux estimates at each of the sites indicated a net movement of sediment northwards throughout the duration of the two week deployment. For a more detailed picture of transport patterns, and hence contaminant paths, it has been shown that nearb ed hydrodynamicm easurementsa re required for a longer time period

This dissertation focuses on understanding the relative importance of external (eustacy) versus local tectonic and sedimentary processes in controlling continental-margin depositional architectures and their implications for sediment distribution. The emphasis of this study is the interpretation of clinoform geometries and stratigraphic relationships observed on 3D and 2D seismic reflection data in the Taranaki Basin, which is characterized by a variety of clinoform architectures on its Pliocene-Recent margin (Giant Foresets Formation). I combined seismic stratigraphic interpretations and biostratigraphic studies using a dataset that consists of 1,700 km2 of 3D seismic lines, 4,000 km of 2D regional seismic lines, and data from six wells. The study was divided into three sections. First, three major stages of clinoform evolution were identified based on their architectural and geomorphological characteristics. Isochron maps were generated to identify correlations between stratigraphy and paleostructures, and seismic attribute maps were elaborated to identify and characterize geological features and depositional elements. In the second phase of the study, 2D stratigraphic forward modeling techniques were applied in an effort to quantitatively determine the relative importance of the mechanisms acting in the basin (eustacy, tectonism and sediment supply). Finally, a similar approach was applied using clinoform morphologies in the eastern Trinidad margin where the tectonic configuration of the basin was completely different to the one in the Taranaki Basin. The objective was to compare the results in a region with different a tectonic setting to validate the applicability of the methodology in other basins worldwide. The results of this research indicate that the methodology that was developed for the quantitative analysis of clinoform architectures in the Taranaki Basin is applicable to other basins worldwide and that the work flow provides a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence continental margin development. Generic observations of this research showed that (1) underlying structures in the shelf and slope area can play an important role in influencing the location and morphology of the shelf edge area and controlling sediment distribution; (2) high sediment supply, along with accommodation, play a key role in the construction of high-relief clinoforms and earlier dispersal of sediments into deep water; and (3) lateral variations associated with high sediment discharge sources (e.g. paleo Orinoco shelf-edge delta) can generate important changes in continental-scale clinoform architectures alongstrike in continental margins influence sediment distribution patterns in the deep-water component of the basin. / text

The Louisiana Gulf Coast is a dynamic system of heavy influence on the cultures that live and prosper around it. Land in this area is in jeopardy of being lost. In 2017, the Coastal Protection and Restoration agency will issue a new State Master and this thesis provides a more intricate way of numerically predicting the behaviors of associated sediments. A model for the estimation of resuspension and deposition is proposed and prepared for integration into the existing model. The silt and clay fractions of the bed sediment and the sediment inflow were modeled by the widely used hydrodynamic models of Delft3D and ECOMSED, using the Young and Verhagen wave properties to obtain orbital velocities and bed shear stress. The critical shear stress for erosion was based on empirical formulas developed by van Rijn.

Les bassins de retenue des eaux pluviales sont utilisés pour préserver la qualité des eaux réceptrices par sédimentation pendant le temps de pluie. Cependant, les efficacités du bassins n'étaient pas satisfaisants en raison de la mal compréhension du processus de sédimentation. Afin de mieux comprendre ces processus dans des ouvrages in situ, cette thèse porte à la fois sur des expérimentations in situ et sur les modélisations de l'hydrodynamique et du transport particulaire dans les bassins de retenue pilotes et in situ. Cette recherche s’est appuyée en grande partie sur le bassin Django Reinhardt (BDR) à Chassieu (volume: 32000 m3, surface: 11000 m2) dans le cadre de l’OTHU et sur les données expérimentales obtenues par Dufresne (2008) et Vosswinkel et al. (2012). Les échantillons de sédiments ont été prélevés et leurs caractéristiques physiques ont été analysées en laboratoire dans le but de cerner leur distribution spatiale. Concernant la modélisation numérique, les simulations de l’hydrodynamique en régime permanent ont été réalisées à l'aide du logiciel CFD Fluent et ont été évaluées à partir de l’analyse de corrélation entre le comportement hydrodynamique du bassin et la distribution spatiale des caractéristiques physiques des sédiments. Les conditions limites sur le fond couramment utilisées et largement décrites dans la littérature ont été testées dans le but de représenter la distribution spatiale des sédiments et l’efficacité de décantation du BDR. Les conditions testées sont : i) contrainte de cisaillement critique ou bed shear stress – BSS et ii) énergie cinétique turbulente critique ou bed turbulent kinetic energy - BTKE. L’approche Euler-Lagrange dite « particle tracking » a été mise en œuvre. En raison de l'échec de prédiction des zones de dépôt à l’aide des conditions limites disponibles (BSS et BTKE), une nouvelle relation a été proposée pour estimer le seuil BTKE. La condition à la limite obtenue en utilisant cette nouvelle relation a été testée sur un bassin pilote (Dufresne, 2008) et sur le BDR en régime permanent. Les résultats obtenus n’étaient pas très satisfaisants concernant la prédiction des zones de dépôt et l’efficacité de décantation dans le bassin BDR, même en considérant une distribution granulométrique non uniforme. Afin de mieux prédire les zones de dépôt dans le BDR, une nouvelle méthode a été proposée en considérant le transport des particules, leur décantation et leur érosion en régime transitoire. Sur la base de la méthode proposée pour le transport des particules, la décantation et l'érosion en régime transitoire, plusieurs modélisations avec différentes conditions limites ont été réalisées dans un bassin de retenue pilote rectangulaire (Vosswinkel et al., 2012). Les prédictions des efficacités et des zones de dépôt en régime transitoire avec la méthode proposée sont satisfaisantes / Stormwater detention basins are used to preserve the quality of receiving waters by sedimentation during the wet weather. However, the removal efficiencies of basin were not satisfactory due to the not well understanding of the sedimentation processes. In order to further understand these processes in the real facilities, this thesis therefore focuses both on in situ experiments and modeling of the hydrodynamic and sediment transport in field detention basin and in small scale basin in laboratory. This research was supported by large part on the Django Reinhardt basin (DRB) in Chassieu within the OTHU program and the experimental data deriving from Dufresne (2008) and Vosswinkel et al. (2012). Samples of sediments accumulated in the basin were collected and their physical characteristics were analyzed in order to determine their spatial distribution. Concerning numerical modeling, the hydrodynamic simulations in steady state were performed using CFD software Fluent and were evaluated by the correlation analysis between the hydrodynamic behavior of DRB and the spatial distribution of the physical characteristics of sediments. The bed boundary conditions used in the literatures were tested in order to represent the spatial distribution of sediments and removal efficiency of DRB. The conditions tested were: i) critical bed shear stress - BSS and ii) critical bed turbulent kinetic energy - BTKE. Because of the failure prediction of DRB deposit zones with usual bed boundary conditions, a new relationship based on particle settling velocities has been proposed to estimate the BTKE threshold for the bed boundary condition. The proposed boundary condition was tested in a pilot basin (Dufresne, 2008) and the DRB using the Euler-Lagrange approach under steady flow conditions. The results were not very satisfactory regarding the DRB deposit zones, even considering non-uniform grain size. In order to better predict the deposit zones and settling efficiency in field detention basins, a new method has been proposed accounting for the sediment transport, settling and erosion under unsteady conditions. Based on this proposed method for representing the particle transport, settling and erosion processes under unsteady conditions, various simulations with different bed boundary conditions were carried out in a pilot rectangular basin (Vosswinkel et al., 2012). The predictions of removal efficiencies and deposition zones are satisfactory. Hence, taking into account transient effects on both hydrodynamics and sediment transport leads to drastically improve the spatial and temporal distributions of sediments in settling detention basins.