Premium
Comment on “Pore water flow due to near‐bed turbulence and associated solute transfer in a stream or lake sediment bed” by M. Higashino et al.
Author(s) -
Boano F.,
Manes C.,
Poggi D.,
Revelli R.,
Ridolfi L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2010wr009185
Subject(s) - turbulence , open channel flow , mechanics , geology , flow (mathematics) , sediment , scaling , bedform , sediment transport , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , physics , geometry , mathematics
In their recent work, Higashino et al. [2009] have presented an analysis of the surfacesubsurface exchange of water and solutes caused by near-bed turbulence. In particular, the authors have discussed the exchange driven by pressure waves induced by coherent turbulent structures on a sediment bed. Given the ubiquity of turbulence in free-surface flows, the subject of the study is very relevant for the ecology of both surface and subsurface waters. Unfortunately, we have found some problems in the mentioned work that could limit the validity of their findings. These problems lay in the scaling laws they adopted to describe the near-bed pressure field and in the interpretation of their experimental results. We discuss both issues below, with the aim of suggesting how to establish the relevance of their findings.