Experimental evidence for turbulent sediment flux constituting a large portion of the total sediment flux along migrating sand dunes

Abstract

Abstract Accurate estimation of sediment transport is critical for many fluvial processes but remains challenging due to high‐frequency dynamics. Using novel acoustic flow instrumentation, we quantified the contribution of turbulent bed and suspended sediment fluxes to the total sediment fluxes along an entire dune profile and over the full flow depth. We found that over the dune stoss side and in the bed load layer, the turbulent mean streamwise flux is negative and reaches up to 40% of the total mean streamwise flux. Over the lee side, where turbulent intensities are highest, the contribution of the turbulent mean streamwise flux to the total mean streamwise flux is larger and reaches up to 50%. The mean vertical turbulent flux along the entire dune bed and in the bed load layer reaches nearly 30% of the total mean vertical flux. Turbulent sediment flux may thus constitute a large component of the total flux.