The aim of the research is to assess the sustainability of groundwater supply and the suitability of hand-drilling techniques for accessing groundwater for irrigation practices along the shallow alluvial floodplains of River Benue, NE Nigeria. Hand-drilling techniques are affordable means for the farmers to abstract water from these shallow aquifers. Determining the most sustainable hand-drilling techniques (taking into account the hydrology and sedimentology of the floodplain) will improve farming activities and food security in this region and the country at large. Hydrological data (obtained from fieldwork and modelling) demonstrate that the River Benue is the main source for recharge of the shallow alluvial aquifers of the floodplain during the dry season period. Water table heights were estimated by resistivity survey using ABEM Terrameter equipment and measured by automatic piezometer instruments. Floodplain sedimentology and hydrogeology were assessed at seventeen natural riverbank outcrops and twelve hand-drilled boreholes. At each location, sediment samples were collected from every exposed sedimentological unit. Locations and elevations were measured using a ProMark3 dual frequency GPS instrument, to create a detailed topographic map with updated contours. Twenty-four electrical resistivity sounding profiles and twelve-groundwater measurement were also obtained to explore the groundwater level of the floodplain. The resistivity results confirm the availability of water in the alluvial aquifers of the floodplain. In order to determine the most appropriate hand drilling techniques, a Field Shear Vane Tester was used to measure sediment shear strength at twelve different borehole locations. Shear strength forces were higher on clayey silt and sandy silt, and lower on sand formations. It appeared that in some areas of the floodplain, the farmers are already above the shear strengths that can be provided by human power. Hence, any increase of the hardness of the surface of the sediment would make low-cost hand drilling impractical. Particle size analysis for the sediment samples showed that the samples were largely sandy in nature, which enables easy movement of water through the layers for aquifer recharge. Magnetic susceptibility (used to classify the source of sediment and the process of their formation) revealed that the main source of the sedimentary materials was upstream of the study site and varies little over time. The groundwater level of the study area decreased away from River Benue valley during the dry season period. One perched aquifer formations and possibly two others were observed in three different locations, which reflects a low-permeability stratigraphic unit (such as lens of clayey silt) within alluvial sands. These should be avoided by farmers, as they are likely to provide water only in the short-term. Finally, groundwater modelling was undertaken (with various scenarios) for the River Benue floodplain using acquired sedimentology and hydrology data integrated into MODFLOW software. The results revealed that low-cost hand-drilling techniques such as augering and jetting remain possible for abstracting the shallow alluvial aquifers on the floodplain for irrigation farming in the study area, unless the most likely low river water stages in River Benue, over-exploitation of the shallow alluvial floodplain groundwater and drought scenarios occur.

No description available.

No description available.

Soil erosion by water can cause agricultural soil losses, desertification, water pollution, reservoir sedimentation, local excess of erosion (such as bridge scour) or deposition, etc. For this reason, the assessment of soil erosion and sediment transport is a key component of integrated catchment management. One of the most useful and up-to-date tools available to catchment managers for soil erosion and sediment transport assessment is distributed modelling. During the last few decades, many sedimentological distributed models were developed and applied for a wide range of climates and basins. Their main advantage is that they allow spatial interpolation or extrapolation of their results. Nevertheless, their use is still limited by some constraints. One of the most relevant limitations to the use of such models is the lack of recorded sediment transport data to be used for model calibration and validation. It is widely recognised that both sediment discharge series and soil erosion measurements are only available in a few and small- to medium-size experimental catchments. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the possibility of using reservoir sedimentation data as a source of proxy information for sedimentological model calibration and validation. In order to carry out this task, a distributed sedimentological model called TETIS was tested in set of catchments with different sediment data availability. First of all, the TETIS model, developed over the last years by the research group of hydrological and environmental modelling of the Technical University of Valencia, is described, especially focusing on the new features developed within this dissertation (sedimentological sub-model automatic calibration algorithm, small pond sediment retention module, etc.). Then, the model is applied to three catchments with different sediment data availability. The first case-study is the Goodwin Creek catchment (Mississippi, US), an experimental catchment with high sediment transport data availability. The model performance is evaluated, and some considerations are made on the estimation of the sediment volume deposited into the drainage network at the beginning of a rainstorm. The second case-study is the Rambla del Poyo catchment (Valencia, Spain), a medium size semi-arid catchment draining to a coastal lagoon with severe sedimentation problems. The TETIS sedimentological sub-model is calibrated and validated using check-dam sedimentation volumes as an estimator of the total sediment transport. A detailed description of the alluvial stratigraphy infilling a check dam that drains a 12.9 km2 sub-catchment was used as indirect information of sediment yield data. A further application was also developed in this catchment in order to investigate the possibility of calibrating and validating both the hydrological and the sediment sub-models by using reservoir sedimentation volumes and employing neither water nor sediment discharge direct records. The third case-study is the Ésera River catchment (Huesca, Spain), a 1,500 km2 Pyrenean catchment drained by a large reservoir. The depositional history of the reservoir was reconstructed and used for sediment sub-model implementation. The model results were compared with gauged suspended sediment data in order to verify model robustness. The results of this dissertation indicate that TETIS model is a robust tool which provides a reliable reconstruction of the catchment sediment cycle. Its implementation is subject to data availability, both for parameter estimation and for model calibration and validation. Nevertheless, this dissertation proved that sediment records can be replaced by reservoir sedimentation volumes with satisfactory results, taking into account reservoir trap efficiency and sediment dry bulk density. Two modelling approaches were proposed for sediment model implementation, depending on the data availability. These methodologies proved to be consistent and provided a correct estimation of the sediment transport. Nevertheless, further research is needed to address model limitations and to reduce model results uncertainty / Bussi, G. (2014). Implementation of a distributed sediment model in different data availability scenarios [Tesis doctoral]. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/36534

Sediment-related issues in reservoirs can often pose significant challenges to their operational effectiveness, sustainability, and environmental impact. Sustainable sediment management can help resolve these issues and extend the lifespan of dams. The reservoir in Andakílsá river in west Iceland is one out of many reservoirs that has experienced sediment-related problems, and in this study, it was evaluated whether a particular sediment management solution called SediCon Sluicer could be a suitable solution for the site. More specifically, evaluate whether the river transport capacity is sufficient to transport the sediments released from the SediCon Sluicer outlet pipe, so they don’t settle and form thick deposit layers in the river bottom. A hydraulic model of the river was set up in a two-dimensional HEC-RAS model (version 6.3.1) and the Manning’s roughness coefficient in the channel calibrated using water level data. The Manning’s value 0.025 was found to best describe the channel roughness. A HEC-RAS 2D Sediment Transport model was then used to simulate different amount of sediments being released into the river for different flow scenarios. A flood event with 95% confidence level to occur once a year was found to have a peak flow of 50 m3/s and have a duration of around 18 hours. However, the average peak flow from the biggest flood events during a 14-year period was found to be 118 m3/s, and that type of flood events can have a duration up to 70 hours. The results from the sediment simulation scenarios showed that for flood events with long duration and high discharge, the yearly accumulated sediments could most likely all be flushed once a year without too much deposit in the river. A shorter flood event, that is almost certain to occur once a year, is not likely to be able to flush out all the yearly accumulated sediments all at once. Perhaps the SediCon sluicer could be operated several times a year, but a more detailed flow frequency analysis must reveal what smaller floods can be expected yearly. This solution could be a suitable option for the river, but more research and analysis need to be performed for a better certainty on the optimal operational range. / Sedimentrelaterade problem i reservoarer kan ofta utgöra betydande utmaningar för vattensystemets effektivitet, hållbarhet och miljöpåverkan. Hållbar sedimenthantering kan hjälpa till att lösa dessa problem och förlänga dammarnas livslängd. Reservoaren i Andakílsá-floden på västra Island är en av många reservoarer som har upplevt sedimentrelaterade problem, och i denna studie utvärderades om en specifik sedimenthanteringslösning kallad SediCon Sluicer kunde vara en lämplig lösning för platsen. Mer specifikt, utvärdera om flodens transportkapacitet på nedströmssidan om reservoaren är tillräcklig för att transportera sedimenten som frigörs från SediCon Sluicers utloppsrör, så att de inte sätter sig och bildar tjocka avlagringslager i flod-botten. En modell över hydraulik och sedimenttransport i floden sattes upp i en tvådimensionell HEC-RAS-modell (version 6.3.1) och Mannings friktionskoefficient i kanalen kalibrerades med hjälp av vattennivådata. Manning-värdet 0,025 visade sig bäst beskriva kanalens grovhet. En HEC-RAS 2D Sediment Transport-modell användes sedan för att simulera olika mängder sediment som släpps ut i floden för olika flödesscenarier. Resultaten från sedimentsimuleringen visade att om sediment släpptes ut en gång om året så krävs en tillräckligt varaktigt högflödesscenario för att få acceptabel transport, medan sedimenten kan avsättas i floden vid kortare händelser. SediCon Sluicer kanske skulle kunna köras flera gånger per år, men en mer detaljerad flödesfrekvensanalys måste i så fall visa vilka sekvenser av mindre översvämningar som kan förväntas årligen. Denna lösning skulle kunna vara ett lämpligt alternativ för floden, men mer forskning och analys behöver göras för att få en bättre säkerhet om det optimala driftområdet.

A utilização de modelos hidrossedimentológicos em grandes escalas é escassa, principalmente devido à falta de dados observados, necessários nas etapas de calibração e validação. Nesse contexto, foi realizada a simulação hidrossedimentológica com o modelo MGB-SED e avaliada a dinâmica espaço-temporal dos sedimentos em suspensão na bacia hidrográfica do rio Doce, localizada nos estados de Minas Gerais e Espírito Santo, que drena uma área de cerca de 86.715 km². Além disso, foi investigada a aplicabilidade de dados observados de concentração de sedimentos em suspensão (CSS), turbidez, sólidos suspensos totais (SST) e reflectância espectral de superfície na calibração e validação de modelos hidrossedimentológicos de grandes bacias. O modelo MGB-SED é resultante do acoplamento de um módulo de sedimentos ao modelo hidrológico de grandes bacias MGBIPH. O MGB-SED é um modelo empírico-conceitual, distribuído, discretizado em minibacias e que utiliza o conceito de Unidades de Resposta Hidrológica (URHs). Nas URHs são gerados os volumes de água e de sedimentos (calculado a partir da equação MUSLE) que serão propagados nos trechos de rio. A propagação do escoamento é feita por meio da equação de Muskingum-Cunge. O transporte de sedimentos é realizado por meio da equação de difusãoadvecção para materiais que estão em suspensão (argila e silte) e por meio da equação da continuidade dos sedimentos para a carga de fundo (areia). Foram estabelecidos quatorze experimentos para a calibração e validação do modelo MGB-SED com os dados observados. Os resultados mostraram que mesmo usando os valores padrão, o modelo MGB-SED apresentou resultados satisfatórios, com coeficiente de correlação acima de 0,50 para mais de 60% das estações de CSS, colaborando para a compreensão da dinâmica dos sedimentos na bacia. Os experimentos indicaram que os resultados podem ser melhorados ao: (i) aumentar o número sub-bacias; (ii) combinar métricas que representem a correlação, o viés e a amplitude de variação; (iii) utilizar o logaritmo da CSS ao invés da CSS diretamente; (iv) utilizar uma concentração de base; e (v) utilizar um intervalo de busca dos parâmetros calibráveis menor. A aplicação do modelo na bacia do rio Doce, da forma realizada, não permitiu representar sempre os grandes picos de CSS. A utilização do modelo permitiu identificar alguns padrões e comportamentos na bacia como o fato de que no período seco a principal fonte de sedimentos não é as encostas, mas sim os canais. A análise dos diferentes tipos de dados indica que os rios que mais contribuem com a carga de sedimentos para o rio Doce são o Caratinga, o Suaçuí Grande e o Guandu. / The use of erosion and sediment transport model at large scales is scarce, mainly due the lack of observed data, necessary in calibration and validation steps. In this context, erosion and sediment transport simulation was carried out using the MGB-SED model and the spatialtemporal dynamics of suspended sediment in the Doce river basin were evaluated. In addition, we investigated the applicability of observed suspended sediment concentration (SSC), turbidity, total suspended solid (TSS) and surface spectral reflectance in the calibration and validation of erosion and sediment transport models for large river basins. The MGB-SED model is the result of the coupling of a sediment module to the large-scale hydrological model MGB-IPH. The MGB-SED is an empirical-conceptual, distributed model that uses a catchmentbased discretization and the hydrological response units (HRU) approach. In the HRUs, volumes of water and sediments (estimated by MUSLE equation) that will be routed in river reaches are generated. Flow routing is performed using a Muskingum-Cunge equation. Sediment transport is performed using a diffusion-advection equation for materials that are suspended (silt and clay) and performed using a sediment continuity equation for bed load (sand). Fourteen experiments to calibration and validation of the MGB-SED model using the observed data were established. Results showed that even using standard values, the MGBSED model presented satisfactory results, with correlations coefficient above 0.50 for more than 60% of the CSS gauges, collaborating to understand the sediment dynamics in the basin. Experiments indicated that results can be improved by: (i) increasing the number of sub-basin; (ii) combine metrics that represent the correlation, the bias, and the amplitude variation; (iii) use the logarithm of SSC instead of SSC directly; (iv) using a background concentration; and (v) use a smaller search interval of calibrated parameters. The application of the model in Doce river basin, in the way it was done, did not allowed to always represent the large SSC peaks. The use of the model allowed to identify some patterns and behaviors in the basin such as the fact that in the dry period the main source of sediments is not slopes but channels. The analysis of the different types of data indicates that the rivers that contribute most for the Doce river sediment load are Caratinga, Suaçuí Grande and Guandu.

A utilização de modelos hidrossedimentológicos em grandes escalas é escassa, principalmente devido à falta de dados observados, necessários nas etapas de calibração e validação. Nesse contexto, foi realizada a simulação hidrossedimentológica com o modelo MGB-SED e avaliada a dinâmica espaço-temporal dos sedimentos em suspensão na bacia hidrográfica do rio Doce, localizada nos estados de Minas Gerais e Espírito Santo, que drena uma área de cerca de 86.715 km². Além disso, foi investigada a aplicabilidade de dados observados de concentração de sedimentos em suspensão (CSS), turbidez, sólidos suspensos totais (SST) e reflectância espectral de superfície na calibração e validação de modelos hidrossedimentológicos de grandes bacias. O modelo MGB-SED é resultante do acoplamento de um módulo de sedimentos ao modelo hidrológico de grandes bacias MGBIPH. O MGB-SED é um modelo empírico-conceitual, distribuído, discretizado em minibacias e que utiliza o conceito de Unidades de Resposta Hidrológica (URHs). Nas URHs são gerados os volumes de água e de sedimentos (calculado a partir da equação MUSLE) que serão propagados nos trechos de rio. A propagação do escoamento é feita por meio da equação de Muskingum-Cunge. O transporte de sedimentos é realizado por meio da equação de difusãoadvecção para materiais que estão em suspensão (argila e silte) e por meio da equação da continuidade dos sedimentos para a carga de fundo (areia). Foram estabelecidos quatorze experimentos para a calibração e validação do modelo MGB-SED com os dados observados. Os resultados mostraram que mesmo usando os valores padrão, o modelo MGB-SED apresentou resultados satisfatórios, com coeficiente de correlação acima de 0,50 para mais de 60% das estações de CSS, colaborando para a compreensão da dinâmica dos sedimentos na bacia. Os experimentos indicaram que os resultados podem ser melhorados ao: (i) aumentar o número sub-bacias; (ii) combinar métricas que representem a correlação, o viés e a amplitude de variação; (iii) utilizar o logaritmo da CSS ao invés da CSS diretamente; (iv) utilizar uma concentração de base; e (v) utilizar um intervalo de busca dos parâmetros calibráveis menor. A aplicação do modelo na bacia do rio Doce, da forma realizada, não permitiu representar sempre os grandes picos de CSS. A utilização do modelo permitiu identificar alguns padrões e comportamentos na bacia como o fato de que no período seco a principal fonte de sedimentos não é as encostas, mas sim os canais. A análise dos diferentes tipos de dados indica que os rios que mais contribuem com a carga de sedimentos para o rio Doce são o Caratinga, o Suaçuí Grande e o Guandu. / The use of erosion and sediment transport model at large scales is scarce, mainly due the lack of observed data, necessary in calibration and validation steps. In this context, erosion and sediment transport simulation was carried out using the MGB-SED model and the spatialtemporal dynamics of suspended sediment in the Doce river basin were evaluated. In addition, we investigated the applicability of observed suspended sediment concentration (SSC), turbidity, total suspended solid (TSS) and surface spectral reflectance in the calibration and validation of erosion and sediment transport models for large river basins. The MGB-SED model is the result of the coupling of a sediment module to the large-scale hydrological model MGB-IPH. The MGB-SED is an empirical-conceptual, distributed model that uses a catchmentbased discretization and the hydrological response units (HRU) approach. In the HRUs, volumes of water and sediments (estimated by MUSLE equation) that will be routed in river reaches are generated. Flow routing is performed using a Muskingum-Cunge equation. Sediment transport is performed using a diffusion-advection equation for materials that are suspended (silt and clay) and performed using a sediment continuity equation for bed load (sand). Fourteen experiments to calibration and validation of the MGB-SED model using the observed data were established. Results showed that even using standard values, the MGBSED model presented satisfactory results, with correlations coefficient above 0.50 for more than 60% of the CSS gauges, collaborating to understand the sediment dynamics in the basin. Experiments indicated that results can be improved by: (i) increasing the number of sub-basin; (ii) combine metrics that represent the correlation, the bias, and the amplitude variation; (iii) use the logarithm of SSC instead of SSC directly; (iv) using a background concentration; and (v) use a smaller search interval of calibrated parameters. The application of the model in Doce river basin, in the way it was done, did not allowed to always represent the large SSC peaks. The use of the model allowed to identify some patterns and behaviors in the basin such as the fact that in the dry period the main source of sediments is not slopes but channels. The analysis of the different types of data indicates that the rivers that contribute most for the Doce river sediment load are Caratinga, Suaçuí Grande and Guandu.

A utilização de modelos hidrossedimentológicos em grandes escalas é escassa, principalmente devido à falta de dados observados, necessários nas etapas de calibração e validação. Nesse contexto, foi realizada a simulação hidrossedimentológica com o modelo MGB-SED e avaliada a dinâmica espaço-temporal dos sedimentos em suspensão na bacia hidrográfica do rio Doce, localizada nos estados de Minas Gerais e Espírito Santo, que drena uma área de cerca de 86.715 km². Além disso, foi investigada a aplicabilidade de dados observados de concentração de sedimentos em suspensão (CSS), turbidez, sólidos suspensos totais (SST) e reflectância espectral de superfície na calibração e validação de modelos hidrossedimentológicos de grandes bacias. O modelo MGB-SED é resultante do acoplamento de um módulo de sedimentos ao modelo hidrológico de grandes bacias MGBIPH. O MGB-SED é um modelo empírico-conceitual, distribuído, discretizado em minibacias e que utiliza o conceito de Unidades de Resposta Hidrológica (URHs). Nas URHs são gerados os volumes de água e de sedimentos (calculado a partir da equação MUSLE) que serão propagados nos trechos de rio. A propagação do escoamento é feita por meio da equação de Muskingum-Cunge. O transporte de sedimentos é realizado por meio da equação de difusãoadvecção para materiais que estão em suspensão (argila e silte) e por meio da equação da continuidade dos sedimentos para a carga de fundo (areia). Foram estabelecidos quatorze experimentos para a calibração e validação do modelo MGB-SED com os dados observados. Os resultados mostraram que mesmo usando os valores padrão, o modelo MGB-SED apresentou resultados satisfatórios, com coeficiente de correlação acima de 0,50 para mais de 60% das estações de CSS, colaborando para a compreensão da dinâmica dos sedimentos na bacia. Os experimentos indicaram que os resultados podem ser melhorados ao: (i) aumentar o número sub-bacias; (ii) combinar métricas que representem a correlação, o viés e a amplitude de variação; (iii) utilizar o logaritmo da CSS ao invés da CSS diretamente; (iv) utilizar uma concentração de base; e (v) utilizar um intervalo de busca dos parâmetros calibráveis menor. A aplicação do modelo na bacia do rio Doce, da forma realizada, não permitiu representar sempre os grandes picos de CSS. A utilização do modelo permitiu identificar alguns padrões e comportamentos na bacia como o fato de que no período seco a principal fonte de sedimentos não é as encostas, mas sim os canais. A análise dos diferentes tipos de dados indica que os rios que mais contribuem com a carga de sedimentos para o rio Doce são o Caratinga, o Suaçuí Grande e o Guandu. / The use of erosion and sediment transport model at large scales is scarce, mainly due the lack of observed data, necessary in calibration and validation steps. In this context, erosion and sediment transport simulation was carried out using the MGB-SED model and the spatialtemporal dynamics of suspended sediment in the Doce river basin were evaluated. In addition, we investigated the applicability of observed suspended sediment concentration (SSC), turbidity, total suspended solid (TSS) and surface spectral reflectance in the calibration and validation of erosion and sediment transport models for large river basins. The MGB-SED model is the result of the coupling of a sediment module to the large-scale hydrological model MGB-IPH. The MGB-SED is an empirical-conceptual, distributed model that uses a catchmentbased discretization and the hydrological response units (HRU) approach. In the HRUs, volumes of water and sediments (estimated by MUSLE equation) that will be routed in river reaches are generated. Flow routing is performed using a Muskingum-Cunge equation. Sediment transport is performed using a diffusion-advection equation for materials that are suspended (silt and clay) and performed using a sediment continuity equation for bed load (sand). Fourteen experiments to calibration and validation of the MGB-SED model using the observed data were established. Results showed that even using standard values, the MGBSED model presented satisfactory results, with correlations coefficient above 0.50 for more than 60% of the CSS gauges, collaborating to understand the sediment dynamics in the basin. Experiments indicated that results can be improved by: (i) increasing the number of sub-basin; (ii) combine metrics that represent the correlation, the bias, and the amplitude variation; (iii) use the logarithm of SSC instead of SSC directly; (iv) using a background concentration; and (v) use a smaller search interval of calibrated parameters. The application of the model in Doce river basin, in the way it was done, did not allowed to always represent the large SSC peaks. The use of the model allowed to identify some patterns and behaviors in the basin such as the fact that in the dry period the main source of sediments is not slopes but channels. The analysis of the different types of data indicates that the rivers that contribute most for the Doce river sediment load are Caratinga, Suaçuí Grande and Guandu.