In this project, the interflow of the Rhône River in Lake Geneva is studied as a turbulent buoyant jet in a cross flow. Field experiments enable characterization of the hydrodynamics and the transport of suspended sediments within 1-2 km of the river mouth. Current velocity, suspended sediment concentration and size distribution, as well as temperature and conductivity profiles have been measured along transects and at fixed measuring stations across the interflow. The characterization has been used to identify the mechanisms responsible for the spatio-temporal variability of the interflow. The mechanisms have also been integrated in a coupled hydrodynamic-sediment transport three-dimensional lake model which aims to predict the transport pathways and the mixing of the river water in the lake.
Contact: Dr Frédéric Soulignac, Postdoctoral researcher