Earth Surface Dynamics
Earth Surface Dynamics
ESurf
Articles | Volume 12, issue 6
Articles | Volume 12, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1267-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1267-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 12, issue 6
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
08 Nov 2024
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 08 Nov 2024

Testing floc settling velocity models in rivers and freshwater wetlands

Justin A. Nghiem, Gen K. Li, Joshua P. Harringmeyer, Gerard Salter, Cédric G. Fichot, Luca Cortese, and Michael P. Lamb

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Editorial statement
Nghiem et al. calibrate and validate floc settling velocity models in freshwater, highlighting the controls on rates of sedimentation and organic carbon burial. The findings resolve discrepancies between observations and Stokes law-based models, which rely on floc characteristics like diameter, permeability, and fractal properties. This research advances our understanding of fine particle dynamics and their role in landscape evolution.
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Short summary
Fine sediment grains in freshwater can cohere into faster-settling particles called flocs, but floc settling velocity theory has not been fully validated. Combining three data sources in novel ways in the Wax Lake Delta, we verified a semi-empirical model relying on turbulence and geochemical factors. For a physics-based model, we showed that the representative grain diameter within flocs relies on floc structure and that heterogeneous flow paths inside flocs increase floc settling velocity.
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