Stochastic Non-Equilibrium Bedload Transport Model

Sediment particle transport can be viewed as a Markov chain. In a nonequilibrium condition, the interchange of sediment particles occurs not only between the bedload layer and the bed surface, but also across the interface between bedload and suspended load. The bedload transport rate is the product of the total particle volume in saltation and the average saltating velocity. We can quantify the number of saltating particles by modeling the occupancy probabilities vector of particles staying in three states (i.e., bed surface, bedload layer, and the interchange layer between the bedload and the suspended load.). The new stochastic bedload relation is validated against existing bedload model (Soong and Graf 1997). The influence of sudden changes in flow-sediment properties on the bedload transport rate is investigated in this preliminary study.