Bed Topography in Bends of Sand‐Silt Rivers

Abstract

A mathematical model for defining the lateral bed topography in bends of sand‐silt rivers is presented. The model includes the effects of suspended sediment that have not been considered in the existing models. The major agency for defining the lateral bed profile is found to be the force balance between the fluid force and the gravitational force exerting on bed materials. The theory suggests that the lateral convective transport of suspended sediment induced by secondary flow may considerably affects the bed profile at the outer region of river bends, while the lateral diffusion due to turbulence has negligible effect on the profile everywhere. The new model is applied to an actual river, suggesting the adequacy of the present model within the possible error.