Towards environmental management of water turbidity within open coastal waters of the Great Barrier Reef

Water turbidity and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) are commonly used as part of marine monitoring and water quality plans. Current management plans utilise threshold SSC values derived from mean-annual turbidity concentrations. Little published work documents typical ranges of turbidity for reefs within open coastal waters. Here, time-series turbidity measurements from 61 sites in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Moreton Bay, Australia, are presented as turbidity exceedance curves and derivatives. This contributes to the understanding of turbidity and SSC in the context of environmental management in open-coastal reef environments. Exceedance results indicate strong spatial and temporal variability in water turbidity across inter/intraregional scales. The highest turbidity across 61 sites, at 50% exceedance (T₅₀) is 15.3 NTU and at 90% exceedance (T₉₀) 4.1 NTU. Mean/median turbidity comparisons show strong differences between the two, consistent with a strongly skewed turbidity regime. Results may contribute towards promoting refinement of water quality management protocols.     

Response of nephelometric turbidity to hydrodynamic particle size of fine suspended sediment

Turbidity is used as a surrogate for suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and as a regulatory tool for indicating land use disturbance and environmental protection. Turbidity relates linearly to suspended material, however, can show non-linear responses to particulate organic matter (POM), concomitant with changes in particle size distribution (PSD). In the paper the influence of ultra-fine particulate matter (UFPM) on specific turbidity and its association with POM in suspended sediment are shown for alpine rivers in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. The approach was two-fold: a field-based investigation of the relations between SSC, POM, and turbidity sampled during event flow; and experimental work on hydrodynamic particle size effects on SSC, POM, PSD, and turbidity. Specific turbidity changes over event flow and are sensitive to increasing proportional amounts of sand, UFPM, and POM in suspension. Furthermore, the UFPM is the size fraction (<6 μm) where POM increases. The implications of the current study are that the slopes of turbidity-SSC relations are undesirable in locations that may be dominated by cyclic release of POM or distinct pulses of fine-grained material. At locations where the turbidity-SSC slopes approximate 2, the POM proportion is usually <10% of the total suspended load. However, when turbidity-SSC slopes are <1 this is likely caused by high amounts of side-scatter from UFPM concomitant with higher proportions of POM. Thus, the use of turbidity as a proxy for determining SSC may have serious consequences for the measurement of representative suspended sediment data, particularly in locations where POM may be a significant contributor to overall suspended load.     

In-situ investigation on real-time suspended sediment measurement techniques: Turbidimetry,acoustic attenuation,laser diffraction (LISST) and vibrating tube densimetry

Real-time measurements of Suspended Sediment mass Concentration(SSC) and Particle Size Distribution(PSD) are of prime importance for the investigation and management of fine-sediment related processes in surface water systems and hydraulic schemes. In a field study at the waterway of the hydropower plant(HPP) Fieschertal in the Swiss Alps, the real-time measurement performance of the following techniques and instruments were assessed based on measurements in the sediment seasons of the years 2013 and 2014:(1) turbidimetry,(2) single-frequency acoustic attenuation using a standard acoustic discharge measurement(ADM) installation,(3) laser diffraction(Laser In-Situ Scattering and Transmissometry, LISST), and(4) vibrating tube densimetry using a Coriolis Flow and Density Meter(CFDM).Reference SSCs were obtained from gravimetric analysis of 219 automatically pumped water samples.LISST additionally supplied PSD every minute. The median particle diameter, d_(50), was usually 15μm and increased occasionally to 100μm. The turbidimeter and the ADM underestimated the SSC when the transported particles were coarser than usual. Such temporary biases resulted from the poor correlation between d_(50) and SSC at this study site. The SSCs from CFDM and LISST were not or less biased by PSD variations. Mainly due to angular and flaky particle shapes, SSC from LISST needed a correction by 79% on average. With the usually prevailing silt particles, an optical path length of 5 mm and no dilution, the SSC measurement range of LISST was limited to about 1.5 g/l. The CFDM allowed measuring higher SSC than the other investigated instruments(e.g. up to 13.5 g/l). With a periodic offset correction, its relative SSC measurement uncertainty was 20% for SSC≥ 1.5 g/I. To reliably measure a wide range of SSC with temporarily variable PSD, a combination of instruments is recommended: e.g. a standard LISST, a CFDM,and an automatic water sampler for gravimetric reference measurements.     

Feedback between residual circulations and sediment distribution in highly turbid estuaries: An analytical model

Motivated by field studies of the Ems estuary which show longitudinal gradients in bottom sediment concentration as high as O(0.01 kg/m⁴), we develop an analytical model for estuarine residual circulation based on currents from salinity gradients, turbidity gradients, and freshwater discharge. Salinity is assumed to be vertically well mixed, while the vertical concentration profile is assumed to result from a balance between a constant settling velocity and turbulent diffusive flux. Width and depth of the model estuary are held constant. Model results show that turbidity gradients enhance tidally averaged circulation upstream of the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM), but significantly reduce residual circulation downstream, where salinity and turbidity gradients oppose each other. We apply the condition of morphodynamic equilibrium (vanishing sediment transport) and develop an analytical solution for the position of the turbidity maximum and the distribution of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) along a longitudinal axis. A sensitivity study shows great variability in the longitudinal distribution of suspended sediment with the applied salinity gradient and six model parameters: settling velocity, vertical mixing, horizontal dispersion, total sediment supply, fresh water flow, and water depth. Increasing depth and settling velocity move the ETM upstream, while increasing freshwater discharge and vertical mixing move the ETM downstream. Moreover, the longitudinal distribution of SSC is inherently asymmetric around the ETM, and depends on spatial variations in the residual current structure and the vertical profile of SSC.     

Different Behavior of Iron(III) and Aluminum(III) Salts To Coagulate Silica Particle Suspension

The different coagulation‐flocculation behavior of iron(III) and aluminum(III) to coagulate silica particle suspension with four coagulants — FeCl₃, Fe₂(SO₄)₃, AlCl₃, and in our laboratory produced polyaluminum chloride PACl‐2.0 — was investigated through studying particle property changes and coagulation efficiency, for example, variations in zeta potential of particles, particle number, average particle diameter, particle size distribution, and residual turbidity of the supernatant water. Influences of flocculation intensity and pH value on the coagulation‐flocculation process were also studied. The results suggest that, under the test conditions, among these four coagulants FeCl₃ possesses an obviously stronger ability to form larger flocs and to remove turbidity, on the other hand, PACl‐2.0 obviously showed a better charge neutralization ability.     

Inversion of multi-frequency electromagnetic induction data for 3D characterization of hydraulic conductivity

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) instruments provide rapid, noninvasive, and spatially dense data for characterization of soil and groundwater properties. Data from multi-frequency EMI tools can be inverted to provide quantitative electrical conductivity estimates as a function of depth. In this study, multi-frequency EMI data collected across an abandoned uranium mill site near Naturita, Colorado, USA, are inverted to produce vertical distribution of electrical conductivity (EC) across the site. The relation between measured apparent electrical conductivity (EC_a) and hydraulic conductivity (K) is weak (correlation coefficient of 0.20), whereas the correlation between the depth dependent EC obtained from the inversions, and K is sufficiently strong to be used for hydrologic estimation (correlation coefficient of ? 0.62). Depth-specific EC values were correlated with co-located K measurements to develop a site-specific ln(EC)–ln(K) relation. This petrophysical relation was applied to produce a spatially detailed map of K across the study area. A synthetic example based on EC_a values at the site was used to assess model resolution and correlation loss given variations in depth and/or measurement error. Results from synthetic modeling indicate that optimum correlation with K occurs at ~ 0.5 m followed by a gradual correlation loss of 90% at 2.3 m. These results are consistent with an analysis of depth of investigation (DOI) given the range of frequencies, transmitter–receiver separation, and measurement errors for the field data. DOIs were estimated at 2.0 ± 0.5 m depending on the soil conductivities. A 4-layer model, with varying thicknesses, was used to invert the EC_a to maximize available information within the aquifer region for improved correlations with K. Results show improved correlation between K and the corresponding inverted EC at similar depths, underscoring the importance of inversion in using multi-frequency EMI data for hydrologic estimation.     

Coupled infiltration and filtration behaviours of concrete porous pavement for stormwater management

Cementitious porous pavement (CPP) is a structural low‐impact development material for rainfall–runoff management. Both infiltration and filtration are critical functions for CPP stormwater quality and quantity control. In this study, three groups of CPP specimens exposed to rainfall–runoff for 4 years and experienced with different maintenance intervals (6, 12 and 48 months, respectively) were used to examine CPP infiltration and filtration performance. Particle mass strained on CPP surface, saturated infiltration rate I_f, temporal infiltration rate I(t), suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and turbidity (τ) were measured to evaluate the process of filtration/infiltration. I(t), SSC and τ were examined less than 50 mg/l of the suspended particle loading. It was found that the CPP surface cleaning methods used in the past 4 years, namely, high pressure wash followed by vacuuming with one atmosphere (100 kPa), were effective, and a 12‐month maintenance interval was verified suitable to maintain the pore structure an acceptable infiltration rate for stormwater management. It was also found that CPP infiltration and filtration process affect each other, and the two properties are coupled in urban stormwater quality and quantity control. On the basis of the experimental measurements, the temporal infiltration rate of the cleaned CPP under a certain particle loading could be simulated by a first‐order nonlinear rational model, and effluent turbidity–SSC relationship was found following a power law. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study of the settling of twin spherical particles released side by side: The impact of particle size,fluid viscosity,initial spacing,and particle density

The settling of solid particles in a fluid is an important process that needs to be considered in many fields of research. For example, the interactions among particles and between particles and the surrounding fluid are important topics in studying suspended sediment transport and water clarification. In this paper, the settling processes and interactions of twin spherical particles released side by side were experimentally studied. The Reynolds number varied in the range of 1-300, which is wit...     

Using velocimeter signal to noise ratio as a surrogate measure of suspended mud concentration

This study examines the relationship between suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and the signal to noise ratio (SNR) recorded by a 6 MHz Nortek Vector velocimeter in a laboratory water tank using four different synthetic and natural mud mixtures and different combinations of the user-set Vector parameters transmit power level and velocity range. For concentrations less than 1500 mg/l (1.5 g/l), a region of linearity between the logarithm of concentration and time-average SNR was found for all sediment types and transmitter power level settings. Within this concentration range, the experimental data was used to develop calibrated equations of the form, log(SSC)=c₁SNR+c₂; R² values for all calibrated equations were greater than 0.98, suggesting that properly calibrated relations can yield accurate time-averaged SSC measurements using Vector measured SNR. An analysis of the general calibration equation indicated that the predicted SSC values are sensitive to changes in the coefficient values for c₁ and c₂. Even small (10%) deviations in coefficient values resulted in 20%-65% changes in the predicted SSC. Variation in c₁ and c₂ values among all four mud mixtures were significant enough that the calibrated equations could not be used interchangeably. This was true even among three samples that had similar particle-size distributions. Translation of raw 32 Hz SNR data to 32 Hz SSC time series produced excessively large variation in the SSC time series. Several smoothing and filtering schemes were examined to reduce the magnitude of these fluctuations to more reasonable levels. Of the methods tested, a two-sided moving average functioned best at removing fine-scale variation while retaining larger-scale trends. A 96-point (3 Hz) averaging window brought 98.6% of the Vector estimated SSC time series values to within ±10% of the time-average physical samples. Impacts of turbulent kinetic energy and sampling volume size on instrument recorded SNR were also empirically examined.     

Particle breakage of artificially crushable materials subject to drained cyclic triaxial loading

Upon cyclic loading, particle breakage of constituent granular materials occurs when the resulting local stresses exceed their strength, which has a significant influence on the deformation of the embankment, foundation and pavement structures. In this study, the artificially crushable materials were tested to investigate the particle breakage properties of these structures when subjected to drained cyclic triaxial loading. Twelve sets of samples were tested at the confining pressures of 100, 125, 150 and 175 kPa and a frequency of 1.0 Hz using a GCTS triaxial system. The cyclic test results indicate that at the same confining pressure, the residual volumetric strain increases with decreasing maximal deviatoric stress q_max at a given ratio of the number of cycles (N) to the number of cycles of failure (N_f). The cumulative crushing ratio R_cc decreases with increasing q_max, leading to a reduction in N_f. The internal frictional angle decreases with increasing R_cc, and R_cc increases with increasing N_f. Furthermore, the confining pressure, maximal cyclic deviatoric stress and N have significant influences on the degree of particle breakage, which leads to volumetric contraction during the cyclic loading process. Finally, the resilient modulus at failure increases linearly with increasing R_cc.     

Alternating field characteristics of pseudo-single-domain (2–14 μm) and multidomain magnetite

We report normalized AF demagnetization curves of anhysteretic remanences (ARM's) produced by 1-, 10- and 40-Oe steady fields and of saturation isothermal remanence (IRM_s) in a suite of dispersed, unannealed magnetite powders with median sizes of 2, 4, 6, 10 and 14 μm (pseudo-single-domain or PSD size range) and 100 μm (multidomain or MD size). Interpreted in the light of the domain structure test first proposed by Lowrie and Fuller [12], the relative stability trend of curves for the 2 μm sample is of single-domain (SD) type, the 1-Oe ARM being most resistant to demagnetization followed by the 10-Oe and 40-Oe ARM's and IRM_s. For the 100-μm sample, the trend is exactly reversed and is of MD-type. In the 4–14 μm samples, hitherto undescribed transitional trends between SD-type and MD-type occur. At 6 μm, 1-Oe, 10-Oe and 40-Oe ARM's preserve an SD-type trend but for all AF's > 75 Oe, IRM_s is more resistant than any of these remanences. At 10 μm, this trend is unmistakable, and only at 14 μm do the 1-Oe, 10-Oe and 40-Oe ARM curves merge. We conclude (1) that the Lowrie-Fuller test distinguishes between small MD grains enhanced by PSD remanence and large MD grains lacking PSD remanence, rather than between SD and MD structures per se, and (2) that in the PSD transition region from 6 to 14 μm in magnetite, IRM_s changes over to MD-type relative stability around 6 μm, whereas 10-Oe and 40-Oe ARM's achieve an MD-type trend around 14 μm, in accord with the predicted field dependence of the PSD threshold size.Our theoretical interpretation assumes that the intrinsic (internal field) coercive force spectra of weak-field and strong-field remanences are identical but that the observed (external field) spectrum is shifted to lower fields as a result of the internal demagnetizing field — NJ_r of the remanence J_r. The effect is slight for weak-field J_r's but substantial for IRM_s. Since all coercivities, high as well as low, are shifted, the result of the Lowrie-Fuller test is determined simply by the shape of the intrinsic coercivity spectrum or the corresponding AF demagnetization curve. Depending on the model of self-demagnetization used, either subexponential or sublinear AF decay curves of weak-field remanence will automatically lead to an MD-type trend, whereas by either model the decay curves that characterize SD and PSD remanences (decaying slowly initially and then more rapidly) will always produce and SD-type trend.     

The settling of resuspended lake sediment related to physicochemical properties of particles of different sizes: Implication for environmental remediation

Sediment resuspension is an important way for shallow lake internal pollution to interact with the overlying water column,and the pollution risks are reasonably related to the retention of resuspended sediment particles in overlying water.In the current study,the settling of resuspended sediment particles was comprehensively investigated under different disturbances using five urban lake sediments.The results show that the particle size distributions of resuspended sediment from different lakes exhibited similar variations during settling with disturbance,although varied settling times were observed under static conditions.During settling with and without disturbance,sediment particle sizes were mainly within 8-63μm at the initial stage,and were<8μm in the later stages of settling.Based on these settling characteristics,the sediment particle size was divided into sand(>63μm),silt(8-63μm),and very fine silt and clay(<8μm)fractions.Kinetic analysis suggested that sediment settling for different particle sizes could be well described by the first-and second-order kinetic equations,especially when settling was disturbed(r²=0.727-0.999).The retention of resuspended sediment could be enhanced as particle sizes decreased and disturbance intensities increased.Furthermore,a water elutriation method was successfully optimized,with separation efficiencies of 56.1%-83%,to separate sediment particles into the defined three particle size fractions.The chemical compositions of sediment were found to change with different particle sizes.Typically,calcium tended to form large-size sediment,while the total contents of aluminum,iron,magnesium,and manganese showed significantly negative correlations with sediment particle sizes(p<0.01)and tended to distribute in small-size particles(e.g.,<8μm).Overall,the sediment particle size related settling dynamics and physicochemical properties suggested the necessity on determining the pollution of resuspended sediment at different particle sizes for restoration of shallow lakes.     

A comparison of ARM and TRM in magnetite

Experiments comparing anhysteretic remanence (ARM) and thermoremanence (TRM) in samples containing natural and synthetic magnetite, whose mean particle sizes range from single domain to multidomain, show that ARM and TRM are very similar (but not identical) in their stabilities with respect to alternating field (AF) demagnetization, temperature cycles in zero field to below magnetite's isotropic temperature near 130°K, and stability with respect to spontaneous decay in zero field. Therefore, for magnetites, ARM can be used to model (with reasonable success) these stability properties of TRM. The field dependence of the acquisition of ARM and TRM shows that the low field susceptibility ratio, χ_ARM/χ_TRM, has a particle size dependence, increasing from 0.1 for certain submicron particles to 2.0 for large multidomain crystals. Even for samples whose remanence is predominantly carried by submicron particles χ_ARM/χ_TRM is highly variable, 0.11 ≤ χ_ARM/χ_TRM ≤ 0.50. Therefore, ARM paleointensity methods which do not take into account the large variability in and the particle size dependence of χ_ARM/χ_TRM are subject to order-of-magnitude uncertainties.     

Domain structure of small synthetic titanomagnetite particles and experiments with IRM and TRM

Stoichiometric titanomagnetites Fe_3?xTi_xO₄ with compositions between x = 0 (magnetite) and x = 0.72 (a titanomagnetite having a Curie temperature of 60°C) have been synthesised using the double-sintering technique in controlled atmospheres. The quality of these materials was tested by various mineralogical and magnetic measurements. Isolated small multidomain (MD) and pseudo-single-domain (PSD) particles within pores of the bulk material were investigated with respect to their domain structures, and threshold sizes for the transition from the PSD to the SD stage determined for titanomagnetites of various compositions by extrapolation from the domain state of small MD grains. The threshold size was found to be 0.7 and 0.5 μm, respectively, for TM72 (x = 0.72) and TM62 (x = 0.62). The threshold size decreases slightly for smaller x values; however, the experimental data obtained to date are not sufficiently reliable to yield precise results.Preliminary experiments concerning hysteresis loops and TRM generation are also reported.     

The erosion rates of cohesive sediments in Venice lagoon,Italy

The stability of cohesive sediments from Venice lagoon has been measured in situ using the benthic flume Sea Carousel. Twenty four stations were occupied during summertime, and a sub-set of 13 stations was re-occupied during the following winter. Erosion thresholds and first-order erosion rates were estimated and showed a distinct difference between inter-tidal and sub-tidal stations. The higher values for inter-tidal stations are the result of exposure that influences consolidation, density, and organic adhesion. The thresholds for each state of sediment motion are well established. However, the rate of erosion once the erosion threshold has been exceeded has been poorly treated. This is because normally a time-series of sediment concentration (C) and bed shear stress (τ₀(t)) is used to define threshold stress or cohesion (τ_crit,z) and erosion rate (E). Whilst solution of the onset of erosion, τ_crit,0, is often reported, the evaluation of the erosion threshold variation through the process of erosion (eroded depth) is usually omitted or not estimated. This usually leads to assumptions on the strength profile of the bed which invariably has no credibility within the topmost mm of the bed where most erosion takes place. It is possible to extract this information from a time-series through the addition of a step in data processing. This paper describes how this is done, and the impact of this on the accuracy of estimates of the excess stress (τ₀(t)–τ_crit,z) on E.     

A preliminary magnetic study of soil samples from west-central Minnesota

Various rock magnetic techniques were applied to characterize magnetically the samples of a soil profile taken from west-central Minnesota. There is a marked change in magnetic properties as a function of depth in the core. X-ray analysis and Curie temperature measurements carried out on the magnetic fractions indicate that magnetite is the dominant iron oxide in both the top soil and the subsoil. The intensity of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) decreases sharply as the depth increases. In contrast, the stability of ARM was found to be higher for the subsoil. The surface soil sample was capable of acquiring a significant amount of viscous remanent magnetization (VRM). The VRM acquisition coefficient (S_a) of the subsoil (S_{a= 3.18 × 10^?6emu g^?1, 3.18 × 10^?6A m² kg^?1}) was about ten times weaker than that of the top soil sample (S_a = 3.868 × 10^{?7emu g?1, 3.868 × 10?7A m2 kg?1}). The magnetic domain state indicator, the ratio of coercivity of remanence to coercive force, H_cr/H_c, was 1.5 and 3.85 for the top soil and subsoil, respectively. It appears that the observed variations in magnetic properties down the present soil core is due only to a difference in grain size. We conclude that the magnetic grains in surface soil samples were more single-domain (SD) like whereas the magnetite grains in the subsoil samples were more likely in pseudo-single-domain (PSD) or small multidomain (MD) range. The observed lower stability for the surface soil samples is attributed to the presence of superparamagnetic grains whose presence was confirmed by transmission electron micrographs.     

Parameterized expressions for an improved Rouse equation

The equilibrium profile of suspended sediment concentration （SSC） in steady, uniform turbulent flow has been extensively studied since the proposition of Rouse equation （Rouse, 1937）. Many researchers keep studying and attempting to improve the Rouse equation by modifying the mixing length concept. Bose and Dey （2009） improved Rouse equation based on the modified sediment diffusivity, however, their proposed sediment diffusivity has two parameters, the depth modification factor α and the reciprocal of the sediment Schmidt number β = 1/S, and the corresponding expressions were not given properly in their paper. This paper aims to parameterize the relevant coefficients, the results shows： （1） α is parameterized from a reasonable approximation by the analysis of surface boundary condition of SSC; （2） considering some effect factors on the settling velocity, β can be expressed by an extended and modified Montes-Ippen formula, and its related parameters are calibrated by substantial data about the relationship between the primary Rouse parameter Z. = ω/ku and its counterpart Z＇ = ω/βku.. Through verification with some experimental and field datasets, and comparison with related formula, the results show that the sediment diffusivity and SSC profiles have a good agreement with measured data used the present parameterized expressions of a and,8, so the present improved Rouse equation is reasonable, and can be applied in practical applications. Finally, an approximation and simplified expression of the improved Rouse equation is deduced by using the approach of perturbation, which can be applied easily for the estimation of suspended sediment transport rate.     

A laboratory study of meteor smoke analogues: Composition, optical properties and growth kinetics

Meteoric smoke forms in the mesosphere from the recondensation of the metallic species and silica produced by meteoric ablation. A photochemical flow reactor was used to generate meteoric smoke mimics using appropriate photolytic precursors of Fe and Si atoms in an excess of oxidant. The following systems were studied: (i) Fe+O₃/O₂, (ii) Fe+O₃/O₂+H₂O, (iii) Fe+Si/SiO+O₃/O₂ and (iv) Si/SiO+O₃/O₂. The resulting nano-particles were captured for imaging by transmission electron microscopy, combined with elemental analysis using X-ray (EDX) and electron energy loss (EELS) techniques. These systems generated particle compositions consistent with: (i) Fe₂O₃ (hematite), (ii) FeOOH (goethite), (iii) Fe₂SiO₄ (fayalite) and (iv) SiO₂ (silica). Electron diffraction revealed that the Fe-containing particles were entirely amorphous, while the SiO₂ particles displayed some degree of crystallinity. The Fe-containing particles formed fractal aggregates with chain-like morphologies, whereas the SiO₂ particles were predominantly spherical and compact in appearance. The optical extinction spectra of the Fe-containing particles were measured from 300 nm<λ<650 nm. Excellent agreement was found with the extinction calculated from Mie theory using the refractive indices for the bulk compounds, and assuming that the fractal aggregates are composed of poly-disperse distributions of constituent particles with radii ranging from 5 to 100 nm. These sizes were confirmed from measurements of the particle size distributions and microscopic imaging. Finally, the particle growth kinetics of the Fe-containing systems exhibit unexpectedly rapid agglomerative coagulation. This was modelled by assuming an initial period of coalescent particle growth resulting from diffusional (Brownian) coagulation to form primary particles; further growth of these particles is then dominated by long-range magnetic dipole–dipole interactions, leading to the fractal aggregates observed. The atmospheric implications of this work are then discussed.     

Potential of turbidity monitoring for measuring the transport of suspended solids in streams

Investigating the transport of suspended solids by water sampling usually leads to an underestimation of loads and an unrealistically high sampling frequency is required to properly characterize temporal trends. An alternative method is to use in situ optical turbidimeters to estimate the suspended solids concentration; however, the relationship between turbidity and suspended solids concentration is potentially confounded by variations in particle size, particle composition and water colour. Field measurements, and laboratory measurements using the type of natural material suspended in streamwater, were made to quantify the influences of these factors on nephelometric turbidity (Hach 2100A) and attenuance turbidity (Partech 7000 3RP MKII). The attenuance turbidity was approximately 2.5 times higher than nephelometric turbidity. The turbidity instruments were most sensitive to dispersions with a median diameter of 1.2-1.4γm. Particle size variation can cause the turbidity to vary by a factor of four for the same concentration of suspended solids. However, the numerous close correlations between turbidity and suspended solids concentration reported previously suggests that either the particle size variations are not usually great, or that particle size variations are often associated with variations in suspended solids concentration. For the same concentration and particle size, organic particles gave attenuance turbidity values two to three times higher than mineral particles. However, shortterm temporal variations from purely organic to purely mineral particle loads are rare in nature, so variations in the percentage of organic matter in the paniculate load will not confound turbidity to this extent. Coloured dissolved organic matter is unlikely to alter the turbidity reading by more than 10%. An adequate relationship between turbidity measured in the field and suspended solids concentration should be expected in most situations. Some variance can be tolerated because a continuous estimate of suspended solids concentration overcomes the problem of infrequent sampling, which is the greatest source of error in the estimation of stream sediment loads.     

In situ measurements of sediment settling characteristics in floodplains using a LISST‐ST

Due to a lack of data on settling velocities (w_s) and grain size distributions (GSDs) in ?oodplain environments, sedimentation models often use calibrated rather than measured parameters. Since the characteristics of suspended matter differ from those of deposited sediment, it is impossible to derive the w_s and GSD from the latter. Therefore, one needs to measure in situ suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs), settling velocities, effective grain sizes and sedimentation ?uxes. For this purpose we used the LISST‐ST, a laser particle sizer combined with a settling tube. In 2002 (twice) and 2004, we located the LISST‐ST with an optical backscatter sensor and sediment traps in two ?oodplains in The Netherlands: one along the unembanked IJssel River, another along the embanked Waal River. Measurements revealed that the SSC in the ?oodplains varied in relation to the SSC in the river channel. Smaller ?ocs dominated the SSC, while larger ?ocs dominated the potential sedimentation ?uxes. The in situ GSD in the IJssel ?oodplain was signi?cantly coarser than in the Waal ?oodplain, while the dispersed median grain sizes were equal for both ?oodplains. Therefore, the dispersed median grain size was two to ?ve times smaller than the effective one. The in situ grain size exhibited a signi?cant positive relationship with w_s, although the w_s for the largest ?ocs showed high variability. Consequently, the variability in sedimentation ?uxes was also large. In the actual sedimentation ?uxes, and hence in sedimentation models, in situ grain sizes up to about 20 µm can be neglected. In ?oodplain sedimentation models the relation between settling velocity and in situ grain size can be used instead of Stokes's law, which is only valid for dispersed grain sizes. These models should also use adequate data on ?ow conditions as input, since these strongly in?uence the suspended sediment characteristics. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.