USGS Science⌕ Search

SEARCH · USGS Science

Results for “Journal of Fluid Mechanics”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
USGS2024

Brittle regime slip partitioned damage and deformation mechanisms along the eastern Denali fault zone in southwestern, Yukon

Rare bedrock exposures of the eastern Denali fault zone in southwestern Yukon allow for the measurement, sampling, and analyses of brittle regime fault slip data and deformation mechanisms to explore relations to far field, oblique plate motions. Host rock lithologies and associated slip surfaces show episodic damage zone‐related deformation and calcite ± hematite ± chlorite related hydrothermal fluid flow. This regional scale network of asymmetric fault damage is spatially and kinematically linked to a discrete and narrow fault core. Fault network observations, orientations, slip data, and strain inversions document a slip partitioned strike‐slip fault system with locally and mutually overprinting strike‐, oblique‐, and dip‐slip components. Microstructural analyses reveal crystal plastic and co‐seismic brittle deformation mechanisms active in a narrow range of upper crustal temperature, pressure, fluid, and chemical conditions. The net damage related slip is not exclusively formed by a single kinematic system, but rather a fully partitioned, time integrated system likely operative for much of the fault's brittle regime evolution temporally constrained by previously published thermochronometric data. Although the fault slip data was collected from outcrop‐scale exposures at sites tens of kilometers apart, results show remarkable correlation between fault kinematics and plate motions along the ∼580 km long eastern Denali fault segment. End member, subhorizontal, northeast directed reverse and north directed dextral strike slip fault strain axes closely reflect relative plate motion interactions over at least the last 30 m.y. and act as a proxy for far‐field stresses compatible with the kinematics of the damage zone network.

Alaska↗
USGS2010

Seismic source mechanism of degassing bursts at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii: Results from waveform inversion in the 10–50 s band

The current (March 2008 to February 2009) summit eruptive activity at Kilauea Volcano is characterized by explosive degassing bursts accompanied by very long period (VLP) seismic signals. We model the source mechanisms of VLP signals in the 10–50 s band using data recorded for 15 bursts with a 10‐station broadband network deployed in the summit caldera. To determine the source centroid location and source mechanism, we minimize the residual error between data and synthetics calculated by the finite difference method for a point source embedded in a homogeneous medium that takes topography into account. The VLP signals associated with the bursts originate in a source region ∼1 km below the eastern perimeter of Halemaumau pit crater. The observed waveforms are well explained by the combination of a volumetric component and a vertical single force component. For the volumetric component, several source geometries are obtained which equally explain the observed waveforms. These geometries include (1) a pipe dipping 64° to the northeast; (2) two intersecting cracks including an east striking crack (dike) dipping 80° to the north, intersecting a north striking crack (another dike) dipping 65° to the east; (3) a pipe dipping 58° to the northeast, intersecting a crack dipping 48° to the west–southwest; and (4) a pipe dipping 57° to the northeast, intersecting a pipe dipping 58° to the west–southwest. Using the dual‐crack model as reference, the largest volume change obtained among the 15 bursts is ∼24,400 m 3 , and the maximum amplitude (peak to peak) of the force is ∼20 GN. Each burst is marked by a similar sequence of deflation and inflation, trailed by decaying oscillations of the volumetric source. The vertical force is initially upward, synchronous with source deflation, then downward, synchronous with source reinflation, followed by oscillations with polarity opposite to the volumetric oscillations. This combination of force and volume change is attributed to pressure and momentum changes induced during a fluid dynamic source mechanism involving the ascent, expansion, and burst of a large slug of gas within the upper ∼150 m of the magma conduit. As the slug expands upon approach to the surface and more liquid becomes wall supported by viscous shear forces, the pressure below the slug decreases, inducing conduit deflation and an upward force on the Earth. The final rapid slug expansion and burst stimulate VLP and LP oscillations of the conduit system, which slowly decay due to viscous dissipation and elastic radiation. Consideration of the fluid dynamic arguments leads us to prefer the dual‐crack VLP source model as it is the only candidate model capable of producing plausible values of length scales and pressure changes. The magnitudes of the vertical forces observed in the 15 bursts appear consistent with slug masses of 10 4 to 10 6 kg.

Hawaii↗
USGS2022

Detection of aseismic slip and poroelastic reservoir deformation at the North Brawley Geothermal Field from 2009 to 2019

The North Brawley Geothermal Field, located within the Brawley Seismic Zone of Southern California, presents a case study for understanding seismic hazards linked to fluid injection and geothermal energy extraction. An earthquake swarm near the geothermal field in 2012 included two earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5 and was potentially preceded by a years-long aseismic slip transient. To better understand ground deformation around the geothermal field, including its evolution with time and its physical mechanisms, we analyze deformation before, during, and after the swarm using ground- and satellite-based geodetic techniques between 2009 and 2019. We integrate observations from GNSS, Sentinel-1, TerraSAR-X, UAVSAR, and leveling surveys into a single deformation history. Modeling of this new collection of observations at the North Brawley Geothermal Field provides evidence for 80% more pre-swarm aseismic slip than previously recognized from 2009 to 2012. During the 2012 Brawley swarm, our geodetic slip inversions closely match the results of seismic waveform inversions from the swarm events. After the 2012 swarm, surface deformation is dominated by poroelastic deformation of a shallow fluid reservoir at <1 km depth rather than fault slip. The deformation history and seismicity catalogs at North Brawley suggest a cessation of fault-related slip during the ∼7 years after the 2012 earthquake swarm.

California↗
USGS2005

Neocrystallization, fabrics and age of clay minerals from an exposure of the Moab Fault, Utah

Pronounced changes in clay mineral assemblages are preserved along the Moab Fault (Utah). Gouge is enriched up to ???40% in 1Md illite relative to protolith, whereas altered protolith in the damage zone is enriched ???40% in illite-smectite relative to gouge and up to ???50% relative to protolith. These mineralogical changes indicate that clay gouge is formed not solely through mechanical incorporation of protolith, but also through fault-related authigenesis. The timing of mineralization is determined using 40Ar/39Ar dating of size fractions of fault rocks with varying detrital and authigenic clay content. We applied Ar dating of illite-smectite samples, as well as a newer approach that uses illite polytypes. Our analysis yields overlapping, early Paleocene ages for neoformed (1Md) gouge illite (63??2 Ma) and illite-smectite in the damage zone (60??2 Ma), which are compatible with results elsewhere. These ages represent the latest period of major fault motion, and demonstrate that the fault fabrics are not the result of recent alteration. The clay fabrics in fault rocks are poorly developed, indicating that fluids were not confined to the fault zone by preferentially oriented clays; rather we propose that fluids in the illite-rich gouge were isolated by adjacent lower permeability, illite-smectite-bearing rocks in the damage zone. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Journal of Structural Geology↗
USGS1998

Waveform inversion of very long period impulsive signals associated with magmatic injection beneath Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

We use data from broadband seismometers deployed around the summit of Kilauea Volcano to quantify the mechanism associated with a transient in the flow of magma feeding the east rift eruption of the volcano. The transient is marked by rapid inflation of the Kilauea summit peaking at 22 μrad 4.5 hours after the event onset, followed by slow deflation over a period of 3 days. Superimposed on the summit inflation is a series of sawtooth displacement pulses, each characterized by a sudden drop in amplitude lasting 5–10 s followed by an exponential recovery lasting 1–3 min. The sawtooth waveforms display almost identical shapes, suggesting a process involving the repeated activation of a fixed source. The particle motion associated with each sawtooth is almost linear, and its major swing shows compressional motion at all stations. Analyses of semblance and particle motion are consistent with a point source located 1 km beneath the northeast edge of the Halemaumau pit crater. To estimate the source mechanism, we apply a moment tensor inversion to the waveform data, assuming a point source embedded in a homogeneous half-space with compressional and shear wave velocities representative of the average medium properties at shallow depth under Kilauea. Synthetic waveforms are constructed by a superposition of impulse responses for six moment tensor components and three single force components. The origin times of individual impulses are distributed along the time axis at appropriately small, equal intervals, and their amplitudes are determined by least squares. In this inversion, the source time functions of the six tensor and three force components are determined simultaneously. We confirm the accuracy of the inversion method through a series of numerical tests. The results from the inversion show that the waveform data are well explained by a pulsating transport mechanism operating on a subhorizontal crack linking the summit reservoir to the east rift of Kilauea. The crack acts like a buffer in which a batch of fluid (magma and/or gas) accumulates over a period of 1–3 min before being rapidly injected into a larger reservoir (possibly the east rift) over a timescale of 5–10 s. The seismic moment and volume change associated with a typical batch of fluid are approximately 10 14 N m and 3000 m 3 , respectively. Our results also point to the existence of a single force component with amplitude of 10 9 N, which may be explained as the drag force generated by the flow of viscous magma through a narrow constriction in the flow path. The total volume of magma associated with the 4.5-hour-long activation of the pulsating source is roughly 500,000 m 3 in good agreement with the integrated volume flow rate of magma estimated near the eruptive site.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS1980

Geochemical exploration for uranium in playas

Playas and closed-basin lakes represent unique geochemical environments for the entrapment and concentration of mobile chemical elements. For this reason, playas may be considered as potentially favorable areas for the accumulation of uranium. We investigated playa sediments to determine their value as possible sample media for determining the presence of accumulations of uranium in the basins and playas. Instrumental neutron activation analyses were made on near-surface [0–50 ft. (0–15 m)] sediments, pore fluids, and both surface and groundwater in closed basins at Winnemucca Dry Lake, Smoke Creek Desert, Roach Lake, Columbus Marsh, and Clayton Valley, Nevada, and Sevier Lake, Utah. Although playa sediments at spring discharge areas contain as much as 58 ppm uranium, evaporation and mobilization processes were found to limit the usefulness of playa sediments as geochemical sampling media for uranium. Other metals, however, such as zinc, tungsten, and gold may have a geochemical signature in the playas. Most playas have little potential for resources of uranium. However, there are certain conditions that would make some playas more favorable than others for the accumulation of uranium. These conditions include: (1) the presence of precursor carbonate-rich saline lakes; (2) nearby uranium-rich source rocks; (3) restricted groundwater discharge into the playa; (4) localized precipitation mechanisms or phases in the playa; (5) large drainage basin and adequate precipitation; and (6) stability of a hydrologically closed basin for a long period of time.

Journal of Geochemical Exploration↗
USGS2002

The potential for free and mixed convection in sedimentary basins

Free thermal convection and mixed convection are considered as potential mechanisms for mass and heat transport in sedimentary basins. Mixed convection occurs when horizontal flows (forced convection) are superimposed on thermally driven flows. In cross section, mixed convection is characterized by convection cells that migrate laterally in the direction of forced convective flow. Two-dimensional finite-element simulations of variable-density groundwater flow and heat transport in a horizontal porous layer were performed to determine critical mean Rayleigh numbers for the onset of free convection, using both isothermal and semi-conductive boundaries. Additional simulations imposed a varying lateral fluid flux on the free-convection pattern. Results from these experiments indicate that forced convection becomes dominant, completely eliminating buoyancy-driven circulation, when the total forced-convection fluid flux exceeds the total flux possible due to free convection. Calculations of the thermal rock alteration index (RAI=q·∇T) delineate the patterns of potential diagenesis produced by fluid movement through temperature gradients. Free convection produces a distinct pattern of alternating positive and negative RAIs, whereas mixed convection produces a simpler layering of positive and negative values and in general less diagenetic alteration.

Hydrogeology Journal↗
USGS2012

Correlation of clayey gouge in a surface exposure of the San Andreas fault with gouge at depth from SAFOD: Implications for the role of serpentinite in fault mechanics

Magnesium-rich clayey gouge similar to that comprising the two actively creeping strands of the San Andreas Fault in drill core from the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) has been identified in a nearby outcrop of serpentinite within the fault zone at Nelson Creek. Each occurrence of the gouge consists of porphyroclasts of serpentinite and sedimentary rocks dispersed in a fine-grained, foliated matrix of Mg-rich smectitic clays. The clay minerals in all three gouges are interpreted to be the product of fluid-assisted, shear-enhanced reactions between quartzofeldspathic wall rocks and serpentinite that was tectonically entrained in the fault from a source in the Coast Range Ophiolite. We infer that the gouge at Nelson Creek connects to one or both of the gouge zones in the SAFOD core, and that similar gouge may occur at depths in between. The special significance of the outcrop is that it preserves the early stages of mineral reactions that are greatly advanced at depth, and it confirms the involvement of serpentinite and the Mg-rich phyllosilicate minerals that replace it in promoting creep along the central San Andreas Fault.

California↗
USGS2018

Ground ruptures attributed to groundwater overexploitation damaging Jocotepec city in Jalisco, Mexico: 2016 field excursion of IGCP-641

IGCP Project 641 (Mechanisms, Monitoring and Modeling Earth Fissure generation and Fault activation due to subsurface Fluid exploitation – M3EF3) held its second international workshop from November 2 to 6, 2016, in Puerto Vallarta and included a two-day field trip to Guadalajara and Jocotepec in the Mexican state of Jalisco (Fig. 1a). M3EF3 is aimed at i) understanding the mechanisms that cause the formation of “ground ruptures”, as a response to changes in the stress state in the subsoil, ii) monitoring their occurrence, and iii) developing appropriate approaches to model their formation and growth. Notice that many times it is difficult to discern whether a particular instance of a “ruptured” land surface is due to an earth fissure with a surface manifestation or a surface failure associated with the activation of a pre-existing fault, especially where a fault has not been mapped and where there is no obvious scarp. Therefore, in M3EF3 we preferred to use the term “ground rupture”, to refer to both such occurrences.

Jalisco↗
USGS2014

Interrelations among the soil-water retention, hydraulic conductivity, and suction-stress characteristic curves

The three fundamental constitutive relations that describe fluid flow, strength, and deformation behavior of variably saturated soils are the soil-water retention curve (SWRC), hydraulic conductivity function (HCF), and suction-stress characteristic curve (SSCC). Until recently, the interrelations among the SWRC, HCF, and SSCC have not been well established. This work sought experimental confirmation of interrelations among these three constitutive functions. Results taken from the literature for six soils and those obtained for 11 different soils were used. Using newly established analytical relations among the SWRC, HCF, and SSCC and these test results, the authors showed that these three constitutive relations can be defined by a common set of hydromechanical parameters. The coefficient of determination for air-entry pressures determined independently using hydraulic and mechanical methods is >0.99, >0.98 for the pore size parameter, and 0.94 for the residual degree of saturation. One practical implication is that one of any of the four experiments (axis-translation, hydraulic, shear-strength, or deformation) is sufficient to quantify all three constitutive relations.

Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engin↗
USGS1981

A transient laboratory method for determining the hydraulic properties of 'tight' rocks-I. Theory

Transient pulse testing has been employed increasingly in the laboratory to measure the hydraulic properties of rock samples with low permeability. Several investigators have proposed a mathematical model in terms of an initial-boundary value problem to describe fluid flow in a transient pulse test. However, the solution of this problem has not been available. In analyzing data from the transient pulse test, previous investigators have either employed analytical solutions that are derived with the use of additional, restrictive assumptions, or have resorted to numerical methods. In Part I of this paper, a general, analytical solution for the transient pulse test is presented. This solution is graphically illustrated by plots of dimensionless variables for several cases of interest. The solution is shown to contain, as limiting cases, the more restrictive analytical solutions that the previous investigators have derived. A method of computing both the permeability and specific storage of the test sample from experimental data will be presented in Part II.

International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining↗
USGS2005

Generation and verification of theoretical rating curves in the Whitewater River basin, Kansas

[1] A new method for generating stage-discharge relations (rating curves) for geomorphically stable channels is presented and applied to two streams in the Whitewater River basin, Kansas. The approach converts measurements of stage into discharge using a fluid mechanically based model. The model does not use empirical roughness coefficients, such as Manning coefficients, but rather determines channel roughness from field measurements of the (1) channel geometry, (2) the physical roughness of the bed, banks, and floodplain, and (3) the vegetation density on the banks and floodplain. These measurements are used to calculate explicitly the drag on the small-scale topographic features on the boundary, the drag on the stems and branches of woody vegetation, and the friction on the bed, banks, and floodplain. The theoretical rating curves produced by the model for two study reaches, which are near U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gauging stations, are in good agreement with direct measurements of discharge made by the USGS. Our method has the potential of providing accurate estimates of stream flows less expensively than conventional gauging methods. In addition, the method can be used to obtain more accurate discharge estimates than conventional indirect methods for determining discharge, which are based on estimates of Manning's coefficient.

Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface↗
USGS1995

San Andreas fault zone drilling project: scientific objectives and technological challenges

We are leading a new international initiative to conduct scientific drilling within the San Andreas fault zone at depths of up to 10 km. This project is motivated by the need to understand the physical and chemical processes operating within the fault zone and to answer fundamental questions about earthquake generation along major plate-boundary faults. Through a comprehensive program of coring, fluid sampling, downhole measurements, laboratory experimentation, and long-term monitoring, we hope to obtain critical information on the structure, composition, mechanical behavior and physical state of the San Andreas fault system at depths comparable to the nucleation zones of great earthquakes. The drilling, sampling and observational requirements needed to ensure the success of this project are stringent. These include: 1) drilling stable vertical holes to depths of about 9 km in fractured rock at temperatures of up to 300°C; 2) continuous coring and completion of inclined holes branched off these vertical boreholes to intersect the fault at depths of 3, 6, and 9 km; 3) conducting sophisticated borehole geophysical measurements and fluid/rock sampling at high temperatures and pressures; and 4) instrumenting some or all of these inclined core holes for continuous monitoring of earthquake activity, fluid pressure, deformation and other parameters for periods of up to several decades. For all of these tasks, because of the overpressured clay-rich formations anticipated within the fault zone at depth, we expect to encounter difficult drilling, coring and hole-completion conditions in the region of greatest scientific interest.

California↗
USGS2024

Earthquake cycle mechanics during caldera collapse: Simulating the 2018 Kīlauea eruption

In multiple observed caldera-forming eruptions, the rock overlying a draining magma reservoir dropped downward along ring faults in sequences of discrete collapse earthquakes. These sequences are analogous to tectonic earthquake cycles and provide opportunities to examine fault mechanics and collapse eruption dynamics over multiple events. Collapse earthquake cycles have been studied with zero-dimensional slider-block models, but these do not account for the complicated interplay between fluid and elastic dynamics or for factors such as the heterogeneous fault properties and non-vertical ring fault geometries often inferred at volcanoes. We present two-dimensional axisymmetric mafic piston-like collapse earthquake cycle models that include rate-and-state friction, fully-dynamic elasticity, and compressible viscous fluid magma flow. We demonstrate that collapse earthquake intervals and magnitudes are highly sensitive to inertial effects, evolving stress fields, fault geometry, and depth-varying fault friction. Given the consistent earthquake cycles observed in most eruptions, this suggests that ring faults can quickly stabilize and often become nearly vertical at depth. We use the well-monitored 2018 collapse sequence at Kı̄lauea as a case study. Our model can produce many features of Kı̄lauea seismic and geodetic observations, except for a significant amount of interseismic slip, which cannot be readily explained with simple rate-and-state friction parameterizations.

Hawaii↗
USGS2026

Design and functionality analysis of the high-stress permeameter (HSP), a device developed for measuring mechanical and hydraulic properties of gas hydrate-bearing pressure core

To characterize sediment compressibility and permeability in the presence of gas hydrate, a naturally occurring combination of water and methane that requires elevated pressure and reduced temperature to remain stable, a high-stress permeameter (HSP) device was developed. The HSP was designed to accept gas hydrate-bearing pressure core specimens in their plastic liner at pressures of 10–11 MPa. The HSP was further designed to carry out compressibility and permeability tests over a range of effective stresses while maintaining the requirements for gas hydrate stability. To verify the validity of HSP measurements of sediment consolidation properties, we tested remolded kaolin samples in the HSP and three standard fixed-ring oedometers. Furthermore, we compared the direct fluid-flow permeability measurements from the HSP with estimates based on Terzaghi’s log-time method for calculating permeability from 1-dimensional oedometer-style consolidation tests. We found agreement between all devices for consolidation (e.g., coefficients of compressibility and recompression) and permeability results. These findings indicate the suitability of the HSP for consolidation tests, as well as the log-time method for estimating permeability from oedometer consolidation tests.

Geotechnical Testing Journal↗
USGS2007

Spectral element modelling of fault-plane reflections arising from fluid pressure distributions

The presence of fault-plane reflections in seismic images, besides indicating the locations of faults, offers a possible source of information on the properties of these poorly understood zones. To better understand the physical mechanism giving rise to fault-plane reflections in compacting sedimentary basins, we numerically model the full elastic wavefield via the spectral element method (SEM) for several different fault models. Using well log data from the South Eugene Island field, offshore Louisiana, we derive empirical relationships between the elastic parameters (e.g. P-wave velocity and density) and the effective-stress along both normal compaction and unloading paths. These empirical relationships guide the numerical modelling and allow the investigation of how differences in fluid pressure modify the elastic wavefield. We choose to simulate the elastic wave equation via SEM since irregular model geometries can be accommodated and slip boundary conditions at an interface, such as a fault or fracture, are implemented naturally. The method we employ for including a slip interface retains the desirable qualities of SEM in that it is explicit in time and, therefore, does not require the inversion of a large matrix. We performa complete numerical study by forward modelling seismic shot gathers over a faulted earth model using SEM followed by seismic processing of the simulated data. With this procedure, we construct post-stack time-migrated images of the kind that are routinely interpreted in the seismic exploration industry. We dip filter the seismic images to highlight the fault-plane reflections prior to making amplitude maps along the fault plane. With these amplitude maps, we compare the reflectivity from the different fault models to diagnose which physical mechanism contributes most to observed fault reflectivity. To lend physical meaning to the properties of a locally weak fault zone characterized as a slip interface, we propose an equivalent-layer model under the assumption of weak scattering. This allows us to use the empirical relationships between density, velocity and effective stress from the South Eugene Island field to relate a slip interface to an amount of excess pore-pressure in a fault zone. ?? 2007 The Authors Journal compilation ?? 2007 RAS.

Geophysical Journal International↗
USGS2018

Porosity of the Marcellus Shale: A contrast matching small-angle neutron scattering study

Neutron scattering techniques were used to determine the effect of mineral matter on the accessibility of water and toluene to pores in the Devonian Marcellus Shale. Three Marcellus Shale samples, representing quartz-rich, clay-rich, and carbonate-rich facies, were examined using contrast matching small-angle neutron scattering (CM-SANS) at ambient pressure and temperature. Contrast matching compositions of H 2 O, D 2 O and toluene, deuterated toluene were used to probe open and closed pores of these three shale samples. Results show that although the mean pore radius was approximately the same for all three samples, the fractal dimension of the quartz-rich sample was higher than for the clay-rich and carbonate-rich samples, indicating different pore size distributions among the samples. The number density of pores was highest in the clay-rich sample and lowest in the quartz-rich sample. Contrast matching with water and toluene mixtures shows that the accessibility of pores to water and toluene also varied among the samples. In general, water accessed approximately 70–80% of the larger pores (>80 nm radius) in all three samples. At smaller pore sizes (~5–80 nm radius), the fraction of accessible pores decreases. The lowest accessibility to both fluids is at pore throat size of ~25 nm radii with the quartz-rich sample exhibiting lower accessibility than the clay- and carbonate-rich samples. The mechanism for this behaviour is unclear, but because the mineralogy of the three samples varies, it is likely that the inaccessible pores in this size range are associated with organics and not a specific mineral within the samples. At even smaller pore sizes (~<2.5 nm radius), in all samples, the fraction of accessible pores to water increases again to approximately 70–80%. Accessibility to toluene generally follows that of water; however, in the smallest pores (~<2.5 nm radius), accessibility to toluene decreases, especially in the clay-rich sample which contains about 30% more closed pores than the quartz- and carbonate-rich samples. Results from this study show that mineralogy of producing intervals within a shale reservoir can affect accessibility of pores to water and toluene and these mineralogic differences may affect hydrocarbon storage and production and hydraulic fracturing characteristics

International Journal of Coal Geology↗
USGS2004

Suspended sediment and hydrodynamics above mildly sloped long wave ripples

We investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of suspended sediment and the associated hydrodynamics over mildly sloped long wave ripples on the inner shelf. These bedforms had wavelengths of approximately 1 m and heights of approximately 5 cm, in a mean water depth of 4 m. The vertical and temporal structures of the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) are consistent with the entrainment of sediment on the offshore flank of the ripple, and rapid vertical mixing at the time of flow reversal, followed by advection onshore by the onshore fluid motion. This work confirms that the mechanism for sediment suspension above low-amplitude, long wave ripples is similar to the vortex formation process expected over steeper vortex ripples. Numerical simulations of the flow using the Dune2d model indicate that a separated rotational flow structure is generated at the flank of the ripple on the seaward side of the ripple crest, near the time of flow reversal. The simulations indicate that only one vortex is formed during each wave period, in agreement with the field observations. This asymmetry is due mainly to the presence of an offshore mean near-bed current of approximately 6 to 8 cm/s. The SSC is calculated by the model and compared to the field observations. A hydraulic bed roughness of 10 to 15 median grain diameters ( d 50 ) was used in order to match the model prediction to the observed SSC approximately 1 cm above the seabed (cab). However, the modeled SSC and turbulent kinetic energy were significantly lower than the field observations at elevations exceeding approximately 2 cab.

North Carolina↗