Determining a minimum parameter set for one-dimensional modeling of sediment transport

One-dimensional modeling of sediment transport in natural rivers has been performed for over two decades. However, there is still no consensus on the formulation of the governing equations of sediment transport. In particular, various researches have proposed multiple formulations for the bed sorting processes. Also, various method to separately model suspended and bed load transport have been proposed, but combined modeling of suspended and bed load is also commonly used. We perform an analysis to determine the minimum set of calibration parameters that can be used to reliable predict sediment deposition and erosion with a one- dimensional model. Multiple simulations using various models of bed mixing methods are performed. The parameters of each model are calibrated to experimental results. We also evaluate the sensitivity of the model to each parameter. We determine that a simpler model of bed sorting can simulate the processes of sediment deposition and downstream fining. The model also requires a smaller number of calibration parameters. We also found the there is no need to separate bed load and suspended load in the context of a one-dimensional model. The bed load and suspended load can be simulated with the same governing transport equation with no loss of accuracy.