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At least 991 records · Page 55Linked to original sources
USGS2026

Fully contained laboratory earthquakes: The effect of asperity aspect ratio and free surfaces

Corner frequency ( f c ) and seismic moment ( M 0 ) are key parameters derived from seismic signals that are used to characterize earthquake stress drop, rupture area, and slip. These parameters are also affected by fault geometry and boundary conditions. However, the systematic study of these effects in laboratory settings has been challenging. This study presents laboratory earthquake experiments that examine how rupture dynamics are influenced by (a) the aspect ratio of rectangular PMMA velocity-weakening (VW) asperities surrounded by the Teflon velocity-strengthening (VS) patches, and (b) whether the sides of a VW asperity are confined with VS patches or are free surfaces. We found that increasing confinement by reducing free surfaces or increasing the VW asperity aspect ratio stabilizes fault slip, so that higher normal stress is required to transition from aseismic to seismic slip. Increased confinement and high aspect ratios also reduced M 0 and increased f c , both of which were determined from the radiated seismic waves. M 0 and f c were primarily controlled by the shorter dimension of the VW asperity. Analysis of high-frequency acoustic emission signals revealed that ruptures on high-aspect-ratio VW asperities propagated more unidirectionally, whereas ruptures on square VW asperities were more complex. Further, the high-aspect-ratio asperities were more likely to be eroded by surrounding VS regions while low-aspect-ratio asperities were more likely to rupture into the VS surroundings. These results demonstrate that both the confinement from surrounding stable areas and the geometry of the seismogenic patch can affect rupture nucleation, propagation, and seismic source characteristics.

JGR Solid Earth↗
USGS2012

Fractal properties of tremor and gas piston events observed at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Studies the fractal properties of shallow volcanic tremor and gas piston events associated with magma degassing at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, using data from two dense short-baseline arrays of seismographs deployed near the active crater of Puu Oo on the east rift of the volcano. The existence of a categorically stable attractor characterizing both types of activities strongly suggests that the excitation mechanism of tremor is similar to that of gas piston events, which in turn are correlated with visual observations at the volcanic vent. Low values derived for the dimension of the attractor in phase space points to significant self-organization in the process of generation of tremor and offers general constraints on the dimensionality of attractors derived from models of acoustic emission associated with magma flow, vesiculation, and degassing. -from Authors

Hawaii↗
USGS2012

Modeling tidal exchange and dispersion in Boston Harbor

Tidal dispersion and the horizontal exchange of water between Boston Harbor and the surrounding ocean are examined with a high-resolution (200 m) depth-averaged numerical model. The strongly varying bathymetry and coastline geometry of the harbor generate complex spatial patterns in the modeled tidal currents which are verified by shipboard acoustic Doppler surveys. Lagrangian exchange experiments demonstrate that tidal currents rapidly exchange and mix material near the inlets of the harbor due to asymmetry in the ebb/flood response. This tidal mixing zone extends roughly a tidal excursion from the inlets and plays an important role in the overall flushing of the harbor. Because the tides can only efficiently mix material in this limited region, however, harbor flushing must be considered a two step process: rapid exchange in the tidal mixing zone, followed by flushing of the tidal mixing zone by nontidal residual currents. Estimates of embayment flushing based on tidal calculations alone therefore can significantly overestimate the flushing time that would be expected under typical environmental conditions. Particle-release simulations from point sources also demonstrate that while the tides efficiently exchange material in the vicinity of the inlets, the exact nature of dispersion from point sources is extremely sensitive to the timing and location of the release, and the distribution of particles is streaky and patchlike. This suggests that high-resolution modeling of dispersion from point sources in these regions must be performed explicitly and cannot be parameterized as a plume with Gaussian-spreading in a larger scale flow field.

Massachusetts↗
USGS1996

Analysis of fractures intersecting Kahi Puka Well 1 and its relation to the growth of the island of Hawaii

As part of the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project, Kahi Puka Well 1 penetrated about 275 m of Mauna Loa basalts overlying a sequence of Mauna Kea flow units as it was drilled and cored to a total depth of 1053 m below land surface. A borehole televiewer (BHTV) was run in most of the well in successive stages prior to casing in order to obtain magnetically oriented acoustic images of the borehole wall. A total of 283 individual fractures were identified from this log and characterized in terms of strike and dip. These data are divided into three vertical sections based upon age and volcanic source, and lower hemisphere stereographic plots identify two predominant, subparallel fracture subsets common to each section. Assuming that most of the steeply dipping fractures observed in the BHTV log are tensile features generated within basalt flows during deposition and cooling, this fracture information can be combined with models of the evolution of the island of Hawaii to investigate the depositional history of these Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea basalts over the past 400 kyr. The directions of high-angle fractures appear to be generally parallel to topography or to the coastline at the time of deposition, as is supported by surface mapping of modern flows. Consequently, an overall counterclockwise rotation of about 75?? in the strike of these fractures from the bottom to the top of the well represents a systematic change in depositional slope direction over time. We attribute the observed rotation in the orientations of the two predominant fracture subsets over the past 400 kyr to changes in the configurations of volcanic sources during shield building and to the structural interference of adjacent volcanoes that produces shifts in topographic patterns.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS1996

Submarine landslides

Landslides are common on inclined areas of the seafloor, particularly in environments where weak geologic materials such as rapidly deposited, finegrained sediment or fractured rock are subjected to strong environmental stresses such as earthquakes, large storm waves, and high internal pore pressures. Submarine landslides can involve huge amounts of material and can move great distances: slide volumes as large as 20,000 km3 and runout distances in excess of 140 km have been reported. They occur at locations where the downslope component of stress exceeds the resisting stress, causing movement along one or several concave to planar rupture surfaces. Some recent slides that originated nearshore and retrogressed back across the shoreline were conspicuous by their direct impact on human life and activities. Most known slides, however, occurred far from land in prehistoric time and were discovered by noting distinct to subtle characteristics, such as headwall scarps and displaced sediment or rock masses, on acoustic-reflection profiles and side-scan sonar images. Submarine landslides can be analyzed using the same mechanics principles as are used for occurrences on land. However, some loading mechanisms are unique, for example, storm waves, and some, such as earthquakes, can have greater impact. The potential for limited-deformation landslides to transform into sediment flows that can travel exceedingly long distances is related to the density of the slope-forming material and the amount of shear strength that is lost when the slope fails.

Reviews of Geophysics↗
USGS2012

Information on stress conditions in the oceanic crust from oval fractures in a deep borehole

Oval images etched into the vail of a deep borehole were detected in DSDP (Deep Sea Drilling Project) Hole 504B, eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, from analysis of an acoustic televiever log. Initial speculation as to the origin of these remarkable features considered the intersection of pillow basalts with the wellbore. However, a systematic inspection of these ovals has identified intriguing consistencies in appearance that cannot be explained satisfactorily by a random, coincidental distribution of pillow lavas. As an alternative hypothesis, Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion is used to account for the generation and orientation of similarly curved, stress-induced fractures. Consequently, these oval features can be interpreted as fractures and related directly to stress conditions in the oceanic crust at this site. The azimuth of the oval center corresponds to the orientation of maximum horizontal principal stress (S H ), and the oval width, which spans approximately 180° of the borehole, is aligned vith the azimuth of minimum horizontal principal stress (S h ). The oval height is controlled by the fracture angle and thus is a function of the coefficient of internal friction of the rock.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS2012

Heat flow and energetics of the San Andreas fault zone

Approximately 100 heat flow measurements in the San Andreas fault zone indicate (1) there is no evidence for local factional heating of the main fault trace at any latitude over a 1000-km length from Cape Mendocino to San Bernardino, (2) average heat flow is high (∼2 HFU, ∼80 mW m −2 ) throughout the 550-km segment of the Coast Ranges that encloses the San Andreas fault zone in central California; this broad anomaly falls off rapidly toward the Great Valley to the east, and over a 200-km distance toward the Mendocino Triple Junction to the northwest. As others have pointed out, a local conductive heat flow anomaly would be detectable unless the frictional resistance allocated to heat production on the main trace were ≲100 bars. Frictional work allocated to surface energy of new fractures is probably unimportant, and hydrologic convection is not likely to invalidate the conduction assumption, since the heat discharge by thermal springs near the fault is negligible. Explanations for the low dynamic friction fall into two intergradational classes: those in which the fault is weak all of the time and those in which it is weak only during earthquakes (possibly just large ones). The first class includes faults containing anomalously weak gouge materials and faults containing materials with normal frictional properties under near-lithostatic steady state fluid pressures. In the second class, weakening is caused by the event (for example, a thermally induced increase in fluid pressure, dehydration of clay minerals, or acoustic fluidization). In this class, unlike the first, the average strength and ambient tectonic shear stress may be large, ∼1 kbar, but the stress allocated to elastic radiation (the apparent stress) must be of similar magnitude, an apparent contradiction with seismic estimates. Unless seismic radiation is underestimated for large earthquakes, it is difficult to justify average tectonic stresses on the main trace of the San Andreas fault in excess of ∼200 bars. The development of the broad Coast Range heat flow anomaly southward from Cape Mendocino suggests that heat flow increases by a factor of 2 within 4 m.y. after the passage of the Mendocino Triple Junction. This passage leaves the San Andreas transform fault zone in its wake; the depth of the anomalous sources cannot be much greater than the depth of the seismogenic layer. Some of the anomalous heat may be supplied by conduction from the warmer mantle that must occur south of the Mendocino transform (where there is no subducting slab), and some might be supplied by shear heating in the fault zone. With no contribution from shear heating, extreme mantle upwelling would be required, and asthenosphere conditions should exist today at depths of only ∼20 km in the northernmost Coast Ranges. If there is an appreciable contribution from shear heating, the heat flow constraint implies that the seismogenic layer is partially decoupled at its base and that the basal traction is in the sense that resists right lateral motion on the fault(s). As a result of these basal tractions, the average shearing stress in the seismogenic layer would increase with distance from the main fault, and the seismogenic layer would offer substantial resistance to plate motion even though resistance on the main fault might be negligible. These speculative models have testable consequences.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗
USGS2012

Statistical averaging of marine magnetic anomalies and the aging of oceanic crust

Visual comparison of Mesozoic and Cenozoic magnetic anomalies in the North Pacific suggests that older anomalies contain less short-wavelength information than younger anomalies in this area. To test this observation, magnetic profiles from the North Pacific are examined from crust of three ages: 0–2.1, 29.3–33.1, and 64.9–70.3 m.y, B.P. For each time period, at least nine profiles were analyzed by (1) calculating the power density spectrum of each profile, (2) averaging the spectra together, and (3) computing a ‘recording filter’ for each time period by assuming a hypothetical seafloor model. The model assumes that the top of the source is acoustic basement, the source thickness is 0.5 km, and the time scale of geomagnetic reversals is according to Ness et al. (1980). The calculated power density spectra of the three recording filters are complex in shape but show an increase of attenuation of short-wavelength information as the crust ages. These results are interpreted using a multilayer model for marine magnetic anomalies in which the upper layer, corresponding to pillow basalt of seismic layer 2A, acts as a source of noise to the magnetic anomalies. As the ocean crust ages, this noisy contribution by the pillow basalts becomes less significant to the anomalies. Consequently, magnetic sources below layer 2A must be faithful recorders of geomagnetic reversals.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗
USGS2012

Excitation of a buried magmatic pipe: A seismic source model for volcanic tremor

Recent observations of seismic events at various volcanoes suggest that harmonic tremor results from the sustained occurrence of so-called long-period or low-frequency events. Accordingly, we can view the long-period volcanic event as the elementary process of tremor and interpret it as the impulse response of the tremor-generating system. We present a seismic model in which the source of tremor is the acoustic resonance of a fluid-filled volcanic pipe triggered by excess gas pressure. The model consists of three elements, namely, a triggering mechanism, a resonator, and a radiator. For simplicity, we assume a hemispherical trigger, cylindrial resonator, and circular radiator set in a vertical configuration with the trigger capping the top of the pipe and the disk-shaped radiator shutting off its bottom. Considering the simple case of a source buried in a homogeneous half space, we then apply the discrete wave number method to obtain a complete representation of the ground motion response at near and intermediate distances. The results demonstrate that the displacement attributed to the pipe dominates the near-field motion, while that due to the disk is representative of the intermediate and far fields. The trigger itself has a smaller contribution, mainly limited to the field in the proximity of the source. The characteristics displayed by the free surface response evolve from a strong impulsive signature in the immediate vicinity of the epicenter to a well-developed harmonic wave train dominated by Rayleigh waves at larger distances. No clear shear arrival can be detected in the synthetic seismograms. The displacement spectrum reflects the organ-pipe modes of the conduit, and the bandwidth associated with the dominant spectral peak of motion is controlled by the combined losses due to viscous attenuation in the fluid and elastic radiation into the solid. In the case of the cylindrical magma column considered, the radiation loss is proportional to the square of the pipe radius, while the loss related to viscous damping is inversely proportional to the same factor, indicating that the relative importance of the two loss mechanisms is critically dependent on the geometry of the magma reservoir. The relative importance of the pipe and disk elements, likewise, is a function of the conduit cross section. This suggests the possibility of determining the geometry of the source as well as the radiation loss and in situ magma viscosity from a comparison of near- and far-field observations.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗
USGS2012

Resonance of a fluid-driven crack: Radiation properties and implications for the source of long-period events and harmonic tremor

A dynamic source model is presented, in which a three-dimensional crack containing a viscous compressible fluid is excited into resonance by an impulsive pressure transient applied over a small area ΔS of the crack surface. The crack excitation depends critically on two dimensionless parameters called the crack stiffness, C = ( b /μ)( L / d ), and viscous damping loss, F = (12η L )/(ρ ƒ d 2 α), where b is the bulk modulus, η is the viscosity, ρ ƒ is the density of the fluid, μ is the rigidity, α is the compressional velocity of the solid, L is the crack length, and d is the crack thickness. The first parameter characterizes the ability of the crack to vibrate and shapes the spectral signature of the source, and the second quantifies the effect of fluid viscosity on the duration of resonance. Resonance is sustained by a very slow wave trapped in the fluid-filled crack. This guided wave, called the crack wave, is similar to the tube wave propagating in a fluid-filled borehole; it is inversely dispersive, showing a phase velocity that decreases with increasing wavelength, and its wave speed is always lower than the acoustic velocity of the fluid, decreasing rapidly as the crack stiffness increases. The source spectrum shows many sharp peaks characterizing the individual modes of vibration of the crack; the variation of spectral shape, both in the number and width of peaks, is surprisingly complex, reflecting the interference between the lateral and longitudinal modes of resonance, as well as nodes for these modes. The far-field spectrum is marked by narrow-band dominant and subdominant peaks that reflect the interaction of the various source modes. The frequency of the dominant spectral peak radiated by the source is independent of the radiation direction. The frequency, bandwidth, and spacing of the resonant peaks are strongly dependent on the crack stiffness, larger values of the stiffness factor shifting these peaks to lower frequencies and decreasing their bandwidth. The excitation of a particular mode depends on the position of the trigger and on the extent of the crack surface affected by the pressure transient. Fluid viscosity decreases the amplitudes of the main spectral peaks, smears out the finer structure of the spectrum, and greatly reduces the duration of the radiated signal. The energy loss by radiation is stronger for high frequencies, producing a seismic signature that is marked by a high-frequency content near the onset of the signal and dominated by a longer-period component of much longer duration in the signal coda. Such signature is in harmony with those displayed by long-period events observed on active volcanoes and in hydrofracture experiments. The very low velocity which is possible in a crack with high stiffness ( C ≥ 100) also provides an attractive explanation for very long period tremor, such as type 2 tremor at Aso volcano, Japan, without the requirement of an unrealistically large magma container. The standing wave pattern set up on the crack surface by the sustained resonance in the fluid is observable in the near field of the crack, suggesting that the location and extent of the source may be estimated from the mapping of the pattern of nodes and antinodes seen in its vicinity. According to the model, the long-period event and harmonic tremor share the same source but differ in the boundary conditions for fluid flow and in the triggering mechanism setting up the resonance of the source, the former being viewed as the impulse response of the tremor generating system and the latter representing the excitation due to more complex forcing functions.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗
USGS2021

Movements of marine and estuarine turtles during Hurricane Michael

Natural disturbances are an important driver of population dynamics. Because it is difficult to observe wildlife during these events, our understanding of the strategies that species use to survive these disturbances is limited. On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall on Florida’s northwest coast. Using satellite and acoustic telemetry, we documented movements of 6 individual turtles: one loggerhead sea turtle, one Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, three green sea turtles and one diamondback terrapin, in a coastal bay located less than 30 km from hurricane landfall. Post-storm survival was confirmed for all but the Kemp’s ridley; the final condition of that individual remains unknown. No obvious movements were observed for the remaining turtles however the loggerhead used a larger home range in the week after the storm. This study highlights the resiliency of turtles in response to extreme weather conditions. However, long-term impacts to these species from habitat changes post-hurricane are unknown.

Florida↗
USGS2024

Risk of capture is modified by hypoxia and interjurisdictional migration of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)

Interjurisdictional migrations lead to seasonally changing patterns of exploitation risk, emphasizing the importance of spatially explicit approaches to fishery management. Understanding how risk changes along a migration route supports time-area based fishery management, but quantifying risk can be complicated when multiple fishing methods are geographically segregated and when bycatch species are considered. Further, habitat selection in dynamic environments can influence migration behavior, interacting with other management objectives such as water quality and habitat restoration. As a case study, we examined a novel acoustic telemetry data set for Lake Whitefish in Lake Erie, where they migrate through multiple spatial management units that are variably affected by seasonal hypoxia and host a variety of fisheries. Combining telemetry results with fishery catch and water quality monitoring, we demonstrate three exploitation risk scenarios: i) high risk due to high residency and high catch, ii) high risk due to high residency in time-areas with moderate catch, and iii) low risk due to residency in time-areas with low catch. Interestingly, occupation of low risk refugia was increased by the development of hypoxia in adjacent areas. Consequently, fishery management goals to sustainably manage other target species may be directly and indirectly linked to water quality management goals through Lake Whitefish.

Lake Erie↗
USGS2025

Movement patterns of invasive red swamp crayfish vary with sex and environmental factors

Invasive species disproportionately invade freshwater ecosystems, threatening biodiversity. Defining when, where, and why aquatic invasive species move can help inform management strategies, yet the movement ecology of some of the most pervasive invasive species remains unknown. Red swamp crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ; RSC) are the most widespread invasive crayfish and negatively affect ecosystems worldwide. We employed high-dimensional acoustic telemetry to investigate the movement patterns of 24 individual RSC across three months in an invaded water body. We assessed the effects of various extrinsic factors, such as time of day, temperature, precipitation, and proximity to the water’s edge, along with intrinsic factors, such as sex, reproductive form, and size, at different scales, including movement steps, range distribution, and behavioral states. We found that movement patterns across all scales were overwhelmingly driven by sex and reproductive form. Furthermore, RSC showed increased overall activity at night and near the water’s edge. By establishing baseline movement patterns and identifying key contributing factors, these findings provide a foundation for the development of adaptive management strategies for controlling invasive RSC populations.

Michigan↗
USGS2021

Extent of impact of deep-sea nodule mining midwater plumes is influenced by sediment loading, turbulence and thresholds

Deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining research activity has substantially increased in recent years, but the expected level of environmental impact is still being established. One environmental concern is the discharge of a sediment plume into the midwater column. We performed a dedicated field study using sediment from the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone. The plume was monitored and tracked using both established and novel instrumentation, including acoustic and turbulence measurements. Our field studies reveal that modeling can reliably predict the properties of a midwater plume in the vicinity of the discharge and that sediment aggregation effects are not significant. The plume model is used to drive a numerical simulation of a commercial-scale operation in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone. Key takeaways are that the scale of impact of the plume is notably influenced by the values of environmentally acceptable threshold levels, the quantity of discharged sediment, and the turbulent diffusivity in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone.

Communications Earth & Environment↗
USGS2003

A numerical simulation of magma motion, crustal deformation, and seismic radiation associated with volcanic eruptions

The finite difference method is used to calculate the magma dynamics, seismic radiation, and crustal deformation associated with a volcanic eruption. The model geometry consists of a cylindrical reservoir and narrow cylindrical conduit embedded in a homogeneous crust. We consider two models of eruption. In the first model, a lid caps the vent and the magma is overpressurized prior to the eruption. The eruption is triggered by the instantaneous removal of the lid, at which point the exit pressure becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure. In the second model, a plug at the reservoir outlet allows pressurization of only the magmatic fluid in the reservoir before the eruption. Magma transfer between the reservoir and conduit is triggered by the instantaneous removal of the plug, and the eruption occurs when the pressure at the conduit orifice exceeds the material strength of the lid capping the vent. In both models, magma dynamics are expressed by the equations of mass and momentum conservation in a compressible fluid, in which fluid expansion associated with depressurization is accounted for by a constitutive law relating pressure and density. Crustal motions are calculated from the equations of elastodynamics. The fluid and solid are dynamically coupled by applying the continuity of wall velocities and normal stresses across the conduit and reservoir boundaries. Free slip is allowed at the fluid-solid boundary. Both models predict the gradual depletion of the magma reservoir, which causes crustal deformation observed as a long-duration dilatational signal. Superimposed on this very-long-period (VLP) signal generated by mass transport are long-period (LP) oscillations of the magma reservoir and conduit excited by the acoustic resonance of the reservoir-conduit system during the eruption. The volume of the reservoir, vent size, and magma properties control the duration of VLP waves and dominant periods of LP oscillations. The second model predicts that when the magmatic fluid reaches the vent, a high-pressure pulse occurs at this location in accordance with the basic theory of compressible fluid dynamics. This abrupt pressure increase just beneath the vent is consistent with observed seismograms in which pulse-like Rayleigh waves excited by a shallow source are dominant. The strength of the lid plays an important role in the character of the seismograms and in defining the type of eruption observed.

Geophysical Journal International↗
USGS2002

Migration and habitats of diadromous Danube River sturgeons in Romania: 1998-2000

Upstream migrant adults of stellate sturgeon, Acipenser stellatus (10 in 1998, 43 in 1999) and Russian sturgeon, A. gueldenstaedtii (three in 1999) were captured at river km (rkm) 58-137, mostly in the spring, and tagged with acoustic tags offering a reward for return. The overharvest was revealed by tag returns (38% in 1998, 28% in 1999) and by harvest within 26 days (and before reaching spawning grounds) of the six stellate sturgeon tracked upstream. A drop-back of > 50% of the tagged sturgeon, some to the Black Sea, shows a high sensitivity to interruption of migration and capture/handling/holding. Harvesting and dropback prevented tracking of sturgeon to spawning sites. Gillnetting and tracking of stellate sturgeon showed that the autumn migration ended in early October (river temperature 16??C) and identified a likely wintering area at river km (rkm) 75-76 (St George Branch). Thus, fishery harvesting after early October captures wintering fish, not migrants. Rare shoreline cliffs in the lower river likely create the only rocky habitat for sturgeon spawning. A survey for potential spawning habitats found five sites with rocky substrate and moderate water velocity, all ???rkm 258. Drift netting caught early life-stages of 17 fish species and one sturgeon, a beluga, Huso huso, larva likely spawned at ???rkm 258. All diadromous Danube sturgeons likely spawn at ???rkm 258.

Journal of Applied Ichthyology↗
USGS1986

Regional method to assess offshore slope stability.

The slope stability of some offshore environments can be evaluated by using only conventional acoustic profiling and short-core sampling, followed by laboratory consolidation and strength testing. The test results are synthesized by using normalized-parameter techniques. The normalized data are then used to calculate the critical earthquake acceleration factors or the wave heights needed to initiate failure. These process-related parameters provide a quantitative measure of the relative stability for locations from which short cores were obtained. The method is most applicable to offshore environments of gentle relief and simple subsurface structure and is not considered a substitute for subsequent site-specific analysis. -from ASCE Publications Information

Journal of Geotechnical Engineering↗
USGS2007

Management of fluid mud in estuaries, bays, and lakes. II: Measurement, modeling, and management

Techniques for measurement, modeling, and management of fluid mud are available, but research is needed to improve them. Fluid mud can be difficult to detect, measure, or sample, which has led to new instruments and new ways of using existing instruments. Multifrequency acoustic fathometers sense neither density nor viscosity and are, therefore, unreliable in measuring fluid mud. Nuclear density probes, towed sleds, seismic, and drop probes equipped with density meters offer the potential for accurate measurements. Numerical modeling of fluid mud requires solving governing equations for flow velocity, density, pressure, salinity, water surface, plus sediment submodels. A number of such models exist in one-, two-, and three-dimensional form, but they rely on empirical relationships that require substantial site-specific validation to observations. Management of fluid mud techniques can be classified as those that accomplish: Source control, formation control, and removal. Nautical depth, a fourth category, defines the channel bottom as a specific fluid mud density or alternative parameter as safe for navigation. Source control includes watershed management measures to keep fine sediment out of waterways and in-water measures such as structures and traps. Formation control methods include streamlined channels and structures plus other measures to reduce flocculation and structures that train currents. Removal methods include the traditional dredging and transport of dredged material plus agitation that contributes to formation control and/or nautical depth. Conditioning of fluid mud by dredging and aerating offers the possibility of improved navigability. Two examples—the Atchafalaya Bar Channel and Savannah Harbor—illustrate the use of measurements and management of fluid mud.

Journal of Hydraulic Engineering↗