Bed-Load Dispersion: A Literature Review

Abstract : This Special Report documents available research pertaining to the dispersion of bed-load sediment transport, specifically the dispersion coefficient. This knowledge can inform the evaluation and improvement of existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) sediment transport models. A discussion is presented on normal and anomalous dispersion. Several aspects of bed-load dispersion are discussed, including whether the assumption of normal dispersion and isotropy are valid. Numerical dispersion coefficients are relative to the context of all considerations within a modeling framework, and affect sediment erosion, deposition, and the resulting water quality. This document is intended for scientists and engineers with a basic understanding of physics and numerical modeling of sediment transport.