Trends in Sediment Modeling Research and Their Ecological Implications for Ecosystem Sustainability: Web of Science Bibliometric Analysis (2006–2025)
Аннотация
Sediment transport and deposition in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are influenced by both natural processes and human activities. Excessive sediment accumulation in clarifiers reduces efficiency, increases turbidity, and deteriorates water quality. Despite growing research, there is limited bibliometric evidence on global trends and methodological approaches in clarifier modeling. This study addresses this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis of sediment transport and turbidity management research from 2006 to 2025. Data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using the keywords “Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)” and “sedimentation tank.” A total of 110 publications were systematically reviewed to identify thematic patterns, leading authors and institutions, and influential journals. The results show that China and India are the most active contributors, with the National Institute of Technology (India) ranking as the top institution (7 publications). Approximately 90% of studies employed CFD or related mathematical and hydrodynamic models to investigate sediment behavior and flow dynamics. Water Research emerged as the most influential journal in this domain.This review demonstrates that clarifier research remains technically oriented, dominated by engineering and hydrodynamic modeling, while ecological perspectives are gradually emerging. The findings provide a clearer understanding of global research directions and highlight the need for cross-disciplinary collaboration to strengthen ecological applications of sediment modeling.