Transient Bedload Transport During Flashflood Bores in a Desert Gravel-Bed Channel

Evidence of the effect of unsteady flow on bedload sediment transport is meager, particularly in desert rivers, despite its scientific, environmental and engineering importance. Our study of the phenomenon was conducted in Nahal Eshtemoa, Israel, an ephemeral river located in a semi-arid area and subjected to flash floods. During 4 years, we monitored bedload transport and contemporaneous hydraulics, focusing on two intervals during which flow changed most rapidly: (a) the arrival of flood bores over dry river beds and (b) the propagation of subsequent bores over flowing water. Monitoring involved deployment of plate microphones, video cameras, surface velocity radar and a 3D velocimeter, enabling synchronized and unique data acquisition at high temporal resolution. We hypothesized that turbulence would be considerably elevated during the arrival of a flood bore and that this would induce transient entrainment of bedload. Our results demonstrate that bedload is indeed transported by the bore front and ceases soon after the arrival of most bores, even though water depth continues to rise. Bores arriving on a dry river bed usually generate higher bedload fluxes than bores advancing over flowing water. Elevated values of shear stress, turbulent kinetic energy and water-surface slope occur as a bore impinges but then decrease. This is likely to be the explanation for high transient rates of bedload transport. Once the threshold depth previously determined as inducing continuous bedload motion is attained (approximate to 40 cm), transport rates rise considerably relative to those associated with the bores.

Automated summary

Evidence of the effect of unsteady flow on bedload sediment transport is lacking in desert rivers. Our study in Nahal Eshtemoa, Israel, shows that flood bores can transport bedload and the transport ceases after the arrival of the bore, even though water depth continues to rise.