An analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice cover

Abstract This study investigates the critical impact of incipient sediment motion on sediment transport estimation and riverbed evolution prediction. In this research, we examine the effects of ice cover on the vertical distribution of flow velocity, establishing a mathematical relationship between...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hongchun Luo, Honglan Ji, Zijian Chen, Bin Liu, Zhongshu Xue, Zhijun Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-01-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85884-5
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832594701269598208
author Hongchun Luo
Honglan Ji
Zijian Chen
Bin Liu
Zhongshu Xue
Zhijun Li
author_facet Hongchun Luo
Honglan Ji
Zijian Chen
Bin Liu
Zhongshu Xue
Zhijun Li
author_sort Hongchun Luo
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This study investigates the critical impact of incipient sediment motion on sediment transport estimation and riverbed evolution prediction. In this research, we examine the effects of ice cover on the vertical distribution of flow velocity, establishing a mathematical relationship between the vertical average flow velocities in open channel and ice-covered flows. This leads to the derivation of a formula for incipient motion velocity under ice cover. Additionally, the study analyzes the riverbed evolution process under ice jam conditions. The proposed formula is applicable to both open channel and ice-covered flows, effectively capturing the characteristics of incipient sediment motion for non-cohesive and cohesive sediments. The calculated incipient motion velocities closely align with the empirical data from existing literature. The study reveals that the roughness of ice cover significantly influences the incipient motion velocity of sediment, with higher ratios of ice cover roughness to riverbed roughness promoting sediment initiation under more favorable hydraulic conditions. Furthermore, the riverbed beneath ice jams experiences significant scouring. Field observations indicate that when ice jams form in localized sections of the river, the displacement of the main flow can substantially increase flow velocity in areas away from the ice jam, leading to scouring in non-ice-jammed areas and sedimentation in ice-jammed areas. The uneven distribution of ice jam is likely a critical factor contributing to discrepancies between theoretical predictions and observed outcomes. The complexity and limited data associated with the initiation of cohesive sediments pose challenges in validating the proposed formula for these sediment types.
format Article
id doaj-art-81d1e5d2c919400e910c938c8a993912
institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Scientific Reports
spelling doaj-art-81d1e5d2c919400e910c938c8a9939122025-01-19T12:24:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-85884-5An analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice coverHongchun Luo0Honglan Ji1Zijian Chen2Bin Liu3Zhongshu Xue4Zhijun Li5College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityCollege of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Dalian University of TechnologyAbstract This study investigates the critical impact of incipient sediment motion on sediment transport estimation and riverbed evolution prediction. In this research, we examine the effects of ice cover on the vertical distribution of flow velocity, establishing a mathematical relationship between the vertical average flow velocities in open channel and ice-covered flows. This leads to the derivation of a formula for incipient motion velocity under ice cover. Additionally, the study analyzes the riverbed evolution process under ice jam conditions. The proposed formula is applicable to both open channel and ice-covered flows, effectively capturing the characteristics of incipient sediment motion for non-cohesive and cohesive sediments. The calculated incipient motion velocities closely align with the empirical data from existing literature. The study reveals that the roughness of ice cover significantly influences the incipient motion velocity of sediment, with higher ratios of ice cover roughness to riverbed roughness promoting sediment initiation under more favorable hydraulic conditions. Furthermore, the riverbed beneath ice jams experiences significant scouring. Field observations indicate that when ice jams form in localized sections of the river, the displacement of the main flow can substantially increase flow velocity in areas away from the ice jam, leading to scouring in non-ice-jammed areas and sedimentation in ice-jammed areas. The uneven distribution of ice jam is likely a critical factor contributing to discrepancies between theoretical predictions and observed outcomes. The complexity and limited data associated with the initiation of cohesive sediments pose challenges in validating the proposed formula for these sediment types.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85884-5Incipient sediment motionIncipient velocityIce coverIce jamRiverbed evolution
spellingShingle Hongchun Luo
Honglan Ji
Zijian Chen
Bin Liu
Zhongshu Xue
Zhijun Li
An analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice cover
Scientific Reports
Incipient sediment motion
Incipient velocity
Ice cover
Ice jam
Riverbed evolution
title An analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice cover
title_full An analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice cover
title_fullStr An analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice cover
title_full_unstemmed An analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice cover
title_short An analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice cover
title_sort analytical study for predicting incipient motion velocity of sediments under ice cover
topic Incipient sediment motion
Incipient velocity
Ice cover
Ice jam
Riverbed evolution
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85884-5
work_keys_str_mv AT hongchunluo ananalyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT honglanji ananalyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT zijianchen ananalyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT binliu ananalyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT zhongshuxue ananalyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT zhijunli ananalyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT hongchunluo analyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT honglanji analyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT zijianchen analyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT binliu analyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT zhongshuxue analyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover
AT zhijunli analyticalstudyforpredictingincipientmotionvelocityofsedimentsundericecover