Aldemar Higgins

Bio: Aldemar Higgins is an academic researcher from Universidad del Norte, Colombia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Sediment & Sediment transport. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 6 publications receiving 118 citations.

Sediment Transport and Geomorphological Change in a High-Discharge Tropical Delta (Magdalena River, Colombia): Insights from a Period of Intense Change and Human Intervention (1990–2010)

Abstract: Restrepo, J.C.; Schrottke, K.; Traini, C.; Ortiz, J.C.; Orejarena, A.; Otero, L.; Higgins, A., and Marriaga, L., 2016. Sediment transport and geomorphological change in a high-discharge tropical delta (Magdalena River, Colombia): Insights from a period of intense change and human intervention (1990–2010). There is strong indication that environmental changes and human interventions have affected freshwater discharge and sediment flux in the Magdalena River (northwestern South America) within the period from 1990 to 2010. Thus, stream flow, suspended sediment load (SSL), and riverbed dynamics were analysed in this study for estimating changes in the suspended sediment transport regime as well as of erosional/depositional patterns in different zones of the delta. It can be shown that stream flow increased at a higher rate than suspended sediment transport, promoting changes in the sediment transport regime. Erosion appeared at the mouth/frontal bar and the outlet zones and modified the sedimentary ...

Storms or cold fronts: what is really responsible for the extreme waves regime in the Colombian Caribbean coastal region?

Abstract: . The aim of this study is to determine the contribution and importance of cold fronts and storms to extreme waves in different areas of the Colombian Caribbean in an attempt to determine the extent of the threat posed by the flood processes to which these coastal populations are exposed. Furthermore, the study wishes to establish the actions to which coastal engineering constructions should be subject. In the calculation of maritime constructions, the most important parameter is the height of the wave. For this reason, it is necessary to establish the design wave height to which a coastal engineering structure should be resistant. This wave height varies according to the return period considered. The significant height values for the areas focused on in the study were calculated in accordance with Gumbel's extreme value methodology. The methodology was evaluated using data from the reanalysis of the spectral National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WAVEWATCH III ® (WW3) model for 15 points along the 1600 km of the Colombian Caribbean coastline (continental and insular) between the years 1979 and 2009. The results demonstrated that the extreme waves caused by tropical cyclones and those caused by cold fronts have different effects along the Colombian Caribbean coast. Storms and hurricanes are of greater importance in the Guajira Peninsula (Alta Guajira). In the central area (consisting of Baja Guajira, and the cities of Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and Cartagena), the strong impact of cold fronts on extreme waves is evident. However, in the southern region of the Colombian Caribbean coast (ranging from the Gulf of Morrosquillo to the Gulf of Uraba), the extreme values of wave heights are lower than in the previously mentioned regions, despite being dominated mainly by the passage of cold fronts. Extreme waves in the San Andres and Providencia insular region present a different dynamic from that in the continental area due to their geographic location. The wave heights in the extreme regime are similar in magnitude to those found in Alta Guajira, but the extreme waves associated with the passage of cold fronts in this region have lower return periods than those associated with the hurricane season.

Contribution of low-frequency climatic–oceanic oscillations to streamflow variability in small, coastal rivers of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (Colombia)

Abstract: . This study evaluated the influence of low-frequency oscillations, that are linked to large-scale oceanographic–atmospheric processes, on streamflow variability in small tropical coastal mountain rivers of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. We used data from six rivers that had > 32 years of complete, continuous monthly streamflow records. This investigation employed spectral analyses to (1) explore temporal characteristics of streamflow variability, (2) estimate the net contribution to the energy spectrum of low-frequency oscillations to streamflow anomalies, and (3) analyze the linkages between streamflow anomalies and large-scale, low-frequency oceanographic–atmospheric processes. Wavelet analyses indicate that the 8–12-year component exhibited a quasi-stationary state, with a peak of maximum power between 1985 and 2005. These oscillations were nearly in phase in all rivers. Maximum power peaks occurred for the Palomino and Rancheria rivers in 1985 and 1995, respectively. The wavelet spectrum highlights a change in river variability patterns between 1995 and 2015, characterized by a shift towards the low-frequency oscillations' domain (8–12 years). The net contribution of these oscillations to the energy spectrum was as high as 51 %, a value much larger than previously thought for rivers in northwestern South America. The simultaneous occurrence of hydrologic oscillations, as well as the increase in the amplitude of the 8–12-year band, defined periods of extremely anomalous wet seasons during 1989–1990, 1998–2002 and 2010–2011, reflecting the role of low-frequency oscillations in modulating streamflow variability in these rivers. Cross-wavelet transform and wavelet coherence revealed high common powers and significant coherences in low-frequency bands ( >96 months) between streamflow anomalies and Atlantic Meridional Oscillation (AMO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Tropical North Atlantic Index (TNA). These results show the role of large-scale, low-frequency oceanographic–climate processes in modulating the long-term hydrological variability of these rivers.

Distribución vertical de sedimentos en suspensión en la zona de desembocadura del Río Magdalena, Colombia

Abstract: Vertical measurements of velocity and suspended sediment concentration obtained in two climatic seasons at the mouth of the Magdalena River, Colombia, were used to estimate 1) bed shear velocity, bed shear stress and the bed roughness length by Wall law, 2) the settling velocity, by fitting distributions Rouse and Rouse equation modified and vertical profiles of suspended sediment concentration, 3) bed load sediment transport parameter estimates were determined with the formulations of Meyer-Peter & Muller (1948), Nielsen (1992), and Ribberink (1998). From the estimated parameters, a number of Rouse significantly less than one (0.01 to 0.18), a settling velocity (0.08-3.15 mm s -1 ) much less than bed shear velocity (15-70 mm s -1 ), and high values in shear stress (1.1-5.8 Pa) were obtained. It can be said therefore that in the River Magdalena predominates sediment transport in suspension. The values of bottom sediment transport calculated with the three formulations represent lower rates to 5% of total sediment transport. The formulation of Meyer-Peter & Muller (1948) underestimate the transport of bottom sediment due to the conditions under which it was originally calibrated, while Nielsen (1992) and Ribberink (1998) formulations can generate better estimates, because they were originally calibrated with fine sediment, similar to the sediment type reported in the study area.

Anthropogenic stresses on the world’s big rivers

Abstract: The world’s big rivers and their floodplains were central to development of civilization and are now home to c. 2.7 billion people. They are economically vital whilst also constituting some of the most diverse habitats on Earth. However, a number of anthropogenic stressors, including large-scale damming, hydrological change, pollution, introduction of non-native species and sediment mining, challenge their integrity and future, as never before. The rapidity and extent of such change is so great that large-scale, and potentially irreparable, transformations may ensue in periods of years to decades, with ecosystem collapse being possible in some big rivers. Prioritizing the fate of the world’s great river corridors on an international political stage is imperative. Future sustainable management, and establishment of environmental flow requirements for the world’s big rivers, must be supported through co-ordinated international funding, and trans-continental political agreement to monitor these rivers, finance their continual upkeep and help ameliorate increasing anthropogenic pressures. To have any effect, all of these must be set within an inclusive governance framework across scales, organizations and local populace. Stressors such as large-scale damming, hydrological change, pollution, the introduction of non-native species and sediment mining are challenging the integrity and future of large rivers, according to a synthesis of the literature on the 32 biggest rivers.

Coastal Bottom Boundary Layers And Sediment Transport

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Spatio-temporal variation of water flow and sediment discharge in the Mahanadi River, India

Abstract: The transport of sediments by rivers to the oceans represents an important link between the terrestrial and marine ecosystem. Therefore, this work aims to study spatio-temporal variation of the sediment discharge and erosion rate in the Mahanadi river, one of the biggest rivers in India, over past three decades vis-a-vis their controlling factors. To understand the sediment load variation, the trend analysis in the time series data of rainfall, water and sediment discharge of the Mahanadi river were also attempted. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall and Sen's methods were used to determine whether there was a positive or negative trend in the time series data with their statistical significance. The occurrence of abrupt changes was detected using Pettitt test. The trend test result represents that sediment load delivered from the Mahanadi river to the global ocean has decreased sharply at the rate of 0.515 × 10 6 tons/year between 1980 and 2010. Water discharge and rainfall in the basin showed no significant decreasing trend except at only one tributary. The decline in sediment discharge from the basin to the Bay of Bengal is mainly due to the increase in the number of dams, which has recorded the increase from 70 to 253 during the period of 1980 to 2010. Over the past 30 years the Mahanadi river has discharged about 49.0 ± 20.5 km 3 of water and 17.4 ± 12.7 × 10 6 tons of sediment annually to the Bay of Bengal whereas the mean erosional rate is 265 ± 125 tons/km 2 /year over the period of 30 years in the basin. Based on the current data (2000–2001 to 2009–2010), sediment flux and water discharge to the ocean are 12 ± 5 × 10 6 tons/year and 49 ± 16 km 3 /year respectively; and ranking Mahanadi river second in terms of water discharge and sediment flux to the ocean among the peninsular rivers in India.