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.
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.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
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08 Nov 2024
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 08 Nov 2024
| 08 Nov 2024
Testing floc settling velocity models in rivers and freshwater wetlands
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Gen K. Li
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Department of Earth Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
Joshua P. Harringmeyer
Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Gerard Salter
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Cédric G. Fichot
Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Luca Cortese
Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Michael P. Lamb
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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Editor
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.
Nghiem et al. calibrate and validate floc settling velocity models in freshwater, highlighting...
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.
Fine sediment grains in freshwater can cohere into faster-settling particles called flocs, but...
