ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Freshwater Science
Study on the Critical Travel Distance of Turbidity Currents in Sediment-Laden Reservoirs
Tao Li 1
Wei Wang 2
1. Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Zhengzhou, China
2. Xiaolangdi Multipurpose Dam Project Management Center, Ministry of Water Resources, Zhengzhou, China
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Abstract
Sediment transport by a turbidity current is an effective way to reduce reservoir sediment deposition. Understanding the motion characteristics of turbidity currents is therefore of guiding significance for improving sediment discharge by using such currents. In this study, flume experiments were conducted to measure the turbidity current travel distance. Based on theoretical analysis, a new method for quantitatively predicting turbidity current travel distance was proposed, and the parameter in the formula was calibrated. Results show that as the volume and sediment concentration of incoming water are large enough, the turbidity current can travel to the outlet of the flume. The travel distance calculated by the formula is close to the measured travel distances from flume tests and observed data from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir, indicating that the travel distance derived from the formula is reasonable. The proposed formula for continuous travel distance can consequently provide a reference for sediment discharge operations using turbidity currents in reservoirs..
Summary
Keywords
Muddy water volume, reservoir operation, Sediment concentration, travel distance, Turbidity current
Received
13 November 2025
Accepted
17 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Li and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Tao Li; Wei Wang
Disclaimer
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