Suspended Sediment Measurements Research Articles

Some Backscatter Modeling Issues Complicating the Sonar‐Based Monitoring of Suspended Sediments in Rivers

AbstractThe measurement of suspended sediments from acoustic backscatter was originally developed in marine science for monitoring near‐bottom suspensions usually composed of sand particles. In the last decade, there has been a growing interest in adapting these techniques to rivers. The so‐called “solid particle theory” developed in oceanography mainly applies to suspensions of non‐cohesive solid particles producing incoherent backscatter signal. So far, this theory has been used for interpreting river backscatter even if it relies on assumptions that are not obviously met in rivers. This study uses a set of measurements made on the Rhône River in France to discuss the typical issues which challenge the interpretation of sound backscattering for monitoring suspended sediments in rivers. Large discrepancies between model outputs and measurements for frequencies lower than 2.5 MHz suggest that other scattering processes including flocculation and air micro‐bubbles may have a large impact on acoustic backscatter and attenuation. Deviations of the backscatter echo distribution from Rayleigh statistics were observed, suggesting that the assumption of incoherent backscattering is not always met. This work calls for the development of a more complete theory for interpreting river backscatter.

Mobile evaporite enhances the cycle of physical–chemical erosion in badlands

Abstract. Chemical weathering driven by physical erosion is a natural process that strongly affects chemical and solid matter budgets at the Earth's surface. However, the influence of extreme climatic erosion on chemical weathering dynamics is poorly understood. Badland landscapes formed in highly erodible substrates have the potential to respond to individual events on scales that are rapid enough for direct observation. Here, we assess the geochemical and grain-size composition of suspended sediment and riverine chemistry measurements collected from two catchments during the 2017 Nesat and Haitang typhoons in southwestern (SW) Taiwan. During the typhoons, the Na+ concentration covaried with suspended sediment concentration (SSC), which we attributed to sodium-induced deflocculation. Evaporite weathering at peak rainfall is succeeded by peak silicate weathering at maximum discharge. Overall, our observations suggest that initial weathering of near-surface evaporite enhances the physical erosion of silicate rock during extreme rainfall events.

Suspended Sediments in Environmental Flows: Interpretation of Concentration Profiles Shapes

In environmental flows, field and laboratory measurements of suspended sediments show two kinds of concentration profiles. For coarse sediments, a near-bed upward convex profile is observed beneath the main upward concave profile. In this study, we consider two 1-DV models, namely, the classical advection–diffusion equation (ADE) based on the gradient diffusion model, and the kinetic model. Both need sediment diffusivity, which is related to the eddy viscosity, and an y-dependent β-function (i.e., the inverse of the turbulent Schmidt number). Our study shows that the kinetic model reverts to the classical ADE with an “apparent” settling velocity or sediment diffusivity. For the numerical resolution of the ADE, simple and accurate tools are provided for both the sediment diffusivity and hindered settling. The results for the concentration profiles show good agreement with the experimental data. An interpretation of the concentration profiles is provided by two “criteria” for shapes. The main for steady open-channel flows shows that the shape of the concentration profiles in the Cartesian coordinate depends on the vertical distribution of the derivative of R (the ratio between the sediment diffusivity and the settling velocity of the sediments): dR/dy > −1 for the upward concave concentration profile while dR/dy < −1 for the near-bed upward convex profile. A generalization is proposed for oscillatory flows over sand ripples, where the time-averaged concentration profiles in the semi-log plots are interpreted by a relation between the second derivative of the logarithm of the concentration and the derivative of the product between the sediment diffusivity and an additional parameter related to the convective sediment entrainment process.

Suspended sediment load estimation in a severely eroded and data poor catchment

AbstractSoil erosion rates are high in many parts of Southern Africa, and are likely to rise because of climate change. Suspended sediment loads (SSL) and yields (SSY) are used to measure and benchmark soil erosion and/or sediment transport rates and determine trajectories of change. Some modelled SSY are available for Southern African catchments, but there is a dearth of contemporary observed data. Northern hemisphere approaches to suspended sediment measurement and the calculation of loads and yields are often unsuited to Southern Africa: locally appropriate methods are required. The manual, flood‐focused suspended sediment sampling programme that we implemented in the eroded and data‐scarce Tsitsa River catchment (Eastern Cape, South Africa) monitored four sub‐catchments from December 2015 to June 2019 at a sub‐daily timestep. We used a discharge‐weighted interpolation SSL estimator, investigating the effects of catchment area, hydrological regime, and sampling strategy on SSL, SSY, and variability, comparing our estimates with modelled results. Discharge increased with catchment area whilst flashiness (expressed by the Richards‐Baker Flashiness Index) mainly decreased, and was similar to that of North American catchments. The sampling frequency required to maintain precision was inversely related to catchment area. Mean annual SSL ranged from 18 121 t year−1 in the 204 km2 Gqukunqa River catchment to 984 267 t year−1 in the 1452 km2 Inxu River catchment. Mean annual SSY ranged from 61 t km2 year−1 in the 432 km2 Pot River catchment to 678 t km2 year−1 in the Inxu River catchment. Data stratification to limit sampling to wet‐season flows did not significantly impact SSL estimates, but year‐round sampling is required to maintain the citizen‐technician sampling network through regular income. Modelled SSY estimates were higher than our measured estimates. Our approach to suspended sediment sampling, load and yield estimation is robust, sustainable, precise, and can be adapted for similar, remote catchments.

Temporal and spatial variability of suspended sediment rating curves for rivers draining into the Ethiopian Rift Valley

AbstractQuantification of suspended sediment dynamics is a proxy for the intensity of soil erosion processes in a catchment. However, direct measurement of suspended sediments is difficult. Long‐term‐based discharge‐suspended sediment relationships often fail to provide sufficiently accurate results due to the temporal variations in sediment supply. This study evaluates temporal variations in suspended sediment‐discharge relations for six stations in two selected catchments within the Gamo Highlands in the southern Ethiopian Rift Valley. During a three‐year period (2018–2020), discharge was monitored at a 10‐min interval using a TD‐diver, while 1938 samples of suspended sediment concentration were taken at specific events. Observed suspended sediment concentration varied between 0.04 and 130 kg m−3 for discharge ranging between quasi‐zeros to 339 m3 s−1. The results show that pooled annual datasets lead to unsatisfying sediment rating curves and large errors in estimated sediment load. However, stratification of the data into three rainy season periods strongly improved the performance of the sediment rating curves. The development of a vegetative cover throughout the rainy season largely controls sediment supply from hillslopes to the river channel and hence the shape of the sediment rating curves. Furthermore, localized bank erosion and gully head dynamics also lead to important interannual changes in sediment rating curves within one river system, as well as between different rivers. Thus, attention should be given to possible errors due to high temporal and spatial variability while using discharge‐suspended sediment relations to quantify sediment load.

Field testing a High-Frequency acoustic attenuation system for measuring fine suspended sediments and algal movements

Acoustic measurements of suspended sediment have the potential to allow remote, autonomous monitoring of sediment movements at much higher temporal resolution than traditional manual sampling methods. Although suspended sands present a challenging measurement problem due to their logarithmic distribution with depth, fine clay sediments are distributed evenly throughout a stream cross section, making them amenable to point measurements. In order to improve measurement capabilities for fine sediments in stream channels, The National Center for Physical Acoustics at The University of Mississippi has developed a remote, autonomous acoustic system to monitor fine sediments transported in streams. The system was tested on the Middle Rio Grande near San Acacia, New Mexico, and in Goodwin Creek in Panola County, Mississippi. The acoustic instruments were compared to sediment concentrations from physical samples in both deployments. Diurnal patterns were found in the acoustic signals from the Middle Rio Grande, and a follow up experiment at The University of Mississippi Biological Field Station was used to investigate the potential effects of algal biomass on acoustic attenuation measurements. The results showed diurnal patterns in attenuation were associated with patterns in light, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. These results combined with information from the literature indicate diel movement of algal colonies in the water column of some water bodies may interfere with high-frequency acoustic measurements in natural environments and that acoustic methods have the potential to allow ecological researchers to evaluate mass algal movements in the field. Results from Goodwin Creek demonstrate that the acoustic system is able to provide measurements of sediment concentration with high temporal resolution that track well with expected sediment transport patterns in response to discharge hydrographs.

A conceptual-model-based sediment connectivity assessment for patchy agricultural catchments

Abstract. The accelerated sediment supply from agricultural soils to riverine and lacustrine environments leads to negative off-site consequences. In particular, the sediment connectivity from agricultural land to surface waters is strongly affected by landscape patchiness and the linear structures that separate field parcels (e.g. roads, tracks, hedges, and grass buffer strips). Understanding the interactions between these structures and sediment transfer is therefore crucial for minimising off-site erosion impacts. Although soil erosion models can be used to understand lateral sediment transport patterns, model-based connectivity assessments are hindered by the uncertainty in model structures and input data. Specifically, the representation of linear landscape features in numerical soil redistribution models is often compromised by the spatial resolution of the input data and the quality of the process descriptions. Here we adapted the Water and Tillage Erosion Model and Sediment Delivery Model (WaTEM/SEDEM) using high-resolution spatial data (2 m × 2 m) to analyse the sediment connectivity in a very patchy mesoscale catchment (73 km2) of the Swiss Plateau. We used a global sensitivity analysis to explore model structural assumptions about how linear landscape features (dis)connect the sediment cascade, which allowed us to investigate the uncertainty in the model structure. Furthermore, we compared model simulations of hillslope sediment yields from five subcatchments to tributary sediment loads, which were calculated with long-term water discharge and suspended sediment measurements. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the assumptions about how the road network (dis)connects the sediment transfer from field blocks to water courses had a much higher impact on modelled sediment yields than the uncertainty in model parameters. Moreover, model simulations showed a higher agreement with tributary sediment loads when the road network was assumed to directly connect sediments from hillslopes to water courses. Our results ultimately illustrate how a high-density road network combined with an effective drainage system increases sediment connectivity from hillslopes to surface waters in agricultural landscapes. This further highlights the importance of considering linear landscape features and model structural uncertainty in soil erosion and sediment connectivity research.

Efficacy of Synthetic Sediment Graph Developed using Various Modified Time-Area Methods

Suspended sediment (SS) is an essential indicator for assessing watershed health. However, the temporal variation of SS, called sediment graph (SG) using readily available data, is not always considered, particularly in un-gauged watersheds, which are many in developing countries. Since field measurements of SS are time-consuming and costly, the synthetic SG seems to be a promising alternative. Therefore, it is essential to have reliable SS data for watershed management. This study aimed at simulating SGs through conceptual analysis of soil erosion and sediment yield at the watershed scale. To that end, soil erosion, sediment yield, and sediment routing were modeled using 38 storm events collected during 2011 and 2019 at the Galazchai Watershed in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Initially, the Time-Area Method (TAM) was applied, and then two strategies were considered to improve the TAM performance, including RUSLE and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) using gradient ratio and WaTEM/SEDEM methods. Comparing simulated SGs with recorded ones showed that the SDR-based method had the lowest relative error in time to peak and base time, but the peak value had the highest relative error. Results also showed that TAM developed using the spatially distributed travel time method had a better performance than the channel longitudinal profile method. Overall, TAM could not simulate the temporal variation of sediment and needs further research.

Comment prélever les sédiments en suspension dans les cours d’eau ?

Measurement of suspended sediment is an important issue for river management. Suspended particles can be mineral or organic and of natural or artificial origin. They have different sizes that are often described by a median diameter. To quantify the concentrations of suspended particles or their composition, samples are taken at one or more points of the cross section. These samples can be either instantaneous or averaged over time, at a single point, or integrated over depth. The choice of sampling technique should be adapted to the size of the river, the purpose of the study and the available samplers. This article presents some characteristics of the samplers currently used in the Rhône watershed and raises the question of the harmonisation of practices for suspended solids sampling in rivers. This harmonisation is necessary in order to be able to compare and discuss the calculated suspended sediment fluxes in order to understand and manage them.

Using Optical Water-Type Classification in Data-Poor Water Quality Assessment: A Case Study in the Torres Strait

For many years, local communities have expressed concerns that turbid plume waters from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea may potentially deliver mine-derived contaminants to the Torres Strait, an ecologically and culturally unique area north of the Australian mainland. Information on suspended sediment transport and turbidity patterns are needed in this data-limited region to identify and manage downstream ecosystems that may be at risk of exposure from the Fly River runoff. This study used MODIS satellite time series and a colour-classification approach to map optical water types around the data-poor Gulf of Papua and Torres Strait region. The satellite data were supported by field data, including salinity and suspended sediment measurements, and used together in qualitative water quality assessments to evaluate the habitats that are likely exposed to Fly River discharge and/or derived sediments. It showed that the Fly River influence in the Torres Strait region is largely limited to the north-east corner of the Torres Strait. The drivers of turbidity vary between locations, and it is impossible to fully separate direct riverine plume influence from wave and tidally driven sediment resuspension in the satellite maps. However, results indicate that coastal habitats located as far east as Bramble Cay and west to Boigu Island are located in an area that is most likely exposed to the Fly River discharge within the region, directly or through sediment resuspension. The area that is the most likely exposed is a relatively small proportion of the Torres Strait region, but encompasses habitats of high ecological importance, including coral reefs and seagrass meadows. Satellite data showed that the period of highest risk of exposure was during the south-east trade wind season and complemented recent model simulations in the region over larger spatial and temporal frames. This study did not evaluate transboundary pollution or the ecological impact on local marine resources, but other recent studies suggest it is likely to be limited. However, this study did provide long-term, extensive but qualitative, baseline information needed to inform future ecological risk mapping and to support decision making about management priorities in the region. This is important for ensuring the protection of the Torres Strait ecosystems, given their importance to Torres Strait communities and turtle and dugong populations, and the Torres Strait’s connectivity with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Evaluation of hydropower projects in Balkan Rivers based on direct sediment transport measurements; challenges, limits and possible data interpretation – Case study Vjosa River/Albania

AbstractThe Vjosa River in Albania represents one of Europe's last free‐flowing wild rivers, comprising a mosaic of various habitats and forming a highly dynamic natural ecosystem for flora and fauna, that has largely disappeared from other European rivers outside of Russia. However, due to economic interests, this sensitive and heterogeneous river system is under pressure from potential future use in hydropower, threatening the good hydromorphological and ecological status of the river with reservoir flushing, hydropeaking, colmation, loss of habitats and loss of connectivity. Beside the ecological impacts, this study aims to point out the boundaries for technical and economic issues related to hydropower. Hence, for the first time, sediment transport in the Vjosa River was measured. The results indicate possible consequences of a disturbed sediment regime and loss of capacity caused by the sedimentation of reservoirs. Moreover, subsequent consequences, such as river bed incision downstream of dams as well as progressive coastal erosion, are discussed. By combining data from direct bedload and suspended sediment measurements with long‐term hydrological data, an attempt is made to describe the sediment characteristics of the Vjosa catchment and evaluate potential hydropower plants and resulting reservoir sedimentation using limited data. Based on the presented study, it is aimed to define sediment monitoring standards for requested environmental impact assessments and to highlight possible negative impacts of hydropower projects across the entire Balkan region.

Measurement of suspended sediment concentration in open channel flows based on hyperspectral imagery from UAVs

Since conventional in situ measurements of suspended sediments in the river system are labor-intensive and time-consuming, remote sensing approaches using multi- or hyper-spectral cameras have widely been applied to obtain high-resolution suspended sediment concentration (SSC) distributions in rivers and streams. However, in nature, the properties of heterogeneous sediment, such as the mineral content and particle size distribution, induce a strong variability in the optical images of the suspended sediments. For this reason, the robust estimation of the suspended sediment using the remote sensing technique is challenging due to the optical variability of the suspended sediment. Thus, it is necessary to deal with this variability of the optical images to improve the accuracy of remote sensing-based SSC measurements and extend them to the global estimator. In this study, a robust Machine Learning (ML) model for SSC estimation based on hyperspectral images was developed by considering the optical variability of the suspended sediment in water bodies. A series of field-scale tracer experiments were conducted in open channels with three different sediment types in order to obtain both the SSC using laser diffraction sensors and hyperspectral images using a UAV camera. The experimental results showed that the optical characteristics of SSC were critically heterogeneous due to the properties of the sediment. Using these experimental dataset, four explicit regression models and two implicit ML regression models were developed and compared to select an optimal estimator. Consequently, a Support Vector Regression (SVR) model using relevant spectral bands in a wide wavelength range yielded the most accurate results, with an R2 of 0.90 for the whole dataset. However, linear regression models, which could not consider various spectral bands and the nonlinear effect of the optical variability of SSC, were limited in their ability to retrieve SSC from hyperspectral images. Furthermore, the SVR model accurately reproduced the spatio-temporal SSC distributions in all study cases, including low-visibility suspended sediments, thus successfully resolved the optical variability of SSC with widely selected spectral bands from recursive feature elimination (RFE). The SVR model also successfully retrieved the SSC distribution in uncalibrated rivers. The results of this study demonstrated that the proposed ML regression models based on the hyperspectral imagery achieved a significant improvement in SSC estimation in terms of accuracy and global applicability.

Hydrologic and suspended sediment effects of forest roads using field and DHSVM modelling studies

Forest road hydrologic and surface erosion effects were evaluated using a two-step approach in South Fork Caspar Creek: (1) road runoff and suspended sediment measurements and (2) use of the Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) to examine road scenarios at the watershed scale. Statistical evaluation showed the best multiple linear regression (MLR) model to predict Log10 suspended sediment load (SSL) was from road runoff event peak flow and cube root of maximum turbidity combined with road characteristics of either cutslope cover or road surface type. MLR using road dimensions and event precipitation, without runoff or turbidity, suggested the best model to predict Log10 SSL used road length times slope squared (LS2), road surface type, and cutslope area. DHSVM simulations for three different road drainage scenarios for two road networks were used to evaluate hydrologic and suspended sediment effects. The 2018 road network represented road networks placed high on slopes away from watercourses and a pre-1974 road network lower on the hillslopes with high numbers of watercourse crossings and streamside roads. Forest harvest of South Fork Caspar Creek (SFC) was predicted by DHSVM to increase storm peak flows by 1.5% to 11% relative to pre-harvest, no-road peak flows. The 2018 road network, with 13% of road length adjacent to watercourses, was predicted to make < 2% increase in peak flows. In contrast, the pre-1974 road network scenario, with 58% of road length adjacent to watercourses, was predicted to increase peak flows as much as 46%. There were low levels of suspended sediment contributions, 23–86 kg/ha/yr, predicted from the 2018 road network scenario with few road watercourse crossings. The pre-1974 road network was predicted to contribute 347 – 2158 kg/ha/yr, depending on road drainage scenario.

Monitoring of Suspended Sediments in a Tropical Forested Landscape With Citizen Science

Catchments are complex systems, which require regular monitoring of hydro-chemical parameters in space and time to provide comprehensive datasets. These are needed to characterize catchment behavior on a local level, make future projections based on models, implement mitigation measures and meet policy targets. However, many developing countries lack a good infrastructure for hydrological monitoring since its establishment is costly and the required resources are often not available. To overcome such challenges in data scarce regions like Kenya, a participatory citizen science approach can be a promising strategy for monitoring water resources. This study evaluates the potential of using a contributory citizen science approach to explore spatiotemporal turbidity and suspended sediment dynamics in the Sondu-Miriu river basin, western Kenya. A group of 19 citizen scientists was trained to monitor turbidity using turbidity tubes and water levels with water level gauges in six nested subcatchments of the Sondu-Miriu river basin. Over the course of the project, a total of 37 citizen scientists participated and contributed to the overall dataset of turbidity. The sampling effort and data contribution varied from year to year and among participants with the majority of the data (72%) originating from 8 (22%) citizen scientists. Comparison between citizen-scientist collected suspended sediment data and measurements from automated stations showed high correlation (R2 &amp;gt; 0.9) which demonstrates that data collected by citizen scientists can be comparable to data collected using expensive monitoring equipment. However, there was reduced precision of the measurements of suspended sediment concentrations at low and high levels attributed largely to the detection limitations of the turbidity tubes and citizen scientists not capturing major sediment export events. Suspended sediment concentrations were significantly higher downstream (109 ± 94 mg L−1), a subcatchment dominated by agriculture and rangeland with low forest vegetation cover, as compared to a subcatchment with high forest cover (50 ± 24.7 mg L−1). This finding indicates that forest cover is a key landscape feature to control suspended sediment concentrations in the region. Future citizen science projects should focus on motivation and engagement strategies and the application of robust methods with improved detection limits and resolution to advance hydrological monitoring.

Effect of particle size distribution on Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter backscatter for suspended sediment measurements

The capability of acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs) to estimate suspended sediment concentration has been widely investigated using glass microspheres of the same size or well-sorted fractions in experimental studies. Sediment mixtures in the natural environment may have various types of grain size distribution. This study aims to investigate experimentally the acoustic response to probability distributions in suspension including quite coarse sediment fractions up to a diameter of 300 μm. Modification of scattering and attenuation characteristics by introducing a size distribution is evaluated using the formulations given in the literature. In laboratory experiments, three different types of sediment size distributions constituting a wide size range of non-cohesive quartz sediments, namely uni-modal mass distribution, bi-modal mass distribution, and uniform number distribution, were generated. Acoustic backscatter measurements were made by immersing the ADV in a circulation tank filled with mixtures of sediments with known concentration and particle size distribution. Acoustic estimates of suspended sediment parameters obtained for different particle size distributions are compared with those for mono-size particle suspensions to show the effect of introducing a size distribution in suspension. The acoustic response from size distributions agrees with the general theoretical behavior such that the slope of the calibration curve decreases as the sediment size increases. The scattering and attenuation properties are modified compared to the mono-size suspension with the same mean size. In a region close to the geometric scattering regime, the backscattering coefficients for the particle size distributions are around 34% lower than those for mono-size particles, which results in lower backscattering strengths compared to the mono-size suspensions under the same concentration conditions. The sediment attenuation coefficient showed a smaller reduction (11%), resulting in a negligible change in the calculated signal corrected for water and sediment attenuation compared to the values for mono-size suspension of the same particle size. The information on the form of the probability distribution and the sorting of sediments in suspension is important for acoustic estimates of suspended sediment parameters. Introducing a particle size distribution affects the scattering properties more significantly than the attenuation properties for the geometric scattering regime.

Tracing suspended matter in Tiab estuary applying ANN and Remote sensing

Knowledge about deposition and sedimentation in estuaries is important since these environments are favorable domain for human activity. Variety of hydrodynamic parameters causes sedimentation/deposition in an estuary among them tidal current. It is therefore necessary to monitor these processes in estuaries and provide strategies to control the rate of sedimentation/deposition. Several methods are available to measure total suspended solids (TSS). Using combined methods of direct and indirect suspended sediment measurements in this research, we achieved a reliable method to study the suspended sediment status in an estuary located northern of the Persian Gulf, known as Tiab estuary. Field measurements were performed as two scheduled cruises one in October and one in November 2015. Current velocity and turbidity were recorded using RCM9 device and optical backscatter sensor. Water samples were collected using Niskin Bottle. Measurements were carried out both along the estuary and stationery. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) in combination with Linearity method has been applied to reproduce sufficient SS data. The ANN feed-forward back-propagation provides reliable TSS values with the RMSE and correlation coefficient of 0.137 and 0.943, respectively. Results show that the estuary is flood dominated, thus in general the estuary is under constant sedimentation. Applicability of satellite imagery of Sentinel to trace TSS in this estuary is investigated and improved. The difference between the SST rate in the four tidal phases, including high and low tide and flood and ebb phase, was examined using the NSMI-index. We found the average NSMI index in high tide is 0.216, in the low tide is 0.278, in flood phase is 0.302, and in ebb phase is 0.295. Both field and satellite data show that the concentration of TSS in the ebb phase increases, and in the low and high tide decreases. Both results also revealed that the accumulation of TSS in the meandered area is relatively high.

Direct, continuous measurements of ultra-high sediment fluxes in a sandy gravel-bed ephemeral river

A dearth of field measurements exists from sandy gravel-bed rivers. Laboratory experiments suggest that sediment mixtures with a large sand component are particularly efficient at transporting bedload downstream. To evaluate transport processes in these environments, we constructed a sediment monitoring research facility with the ability to continuously monitor sediment fluxes. The Arroyo de los Pinos is a gravel-bed ephemeral channel with a large (>30%) sand component in New Mexico, USA. This field station incorporates direct measurements of bedload flux using Reid-type slot samplers with high quality measurements of suspended sediment, water depth, water velocity, and grain size. Measurements are collected at a stable cross section constructed for long-term, consistent monitoring.Instantaneous bedload flux is high compared to global averages, as high as 12 kg s−1 m−1. Suspended sediment is also high, peaking at 100,000 mg L−1, with evidence of clockwise hysteresis. The Pinos nondimensional bedload flux rates are similar to those in other ephemeral channels, but the high sand content allows equal mobility at relatively shallow water depths and high rates of bedload transport during hydrograph recession. Bedload flux responded hysteretically, higher at equal shear stresses during stage rise. This is likely caused by an inadequate use of the depth-slope product for calculation of bed shear, steeper friction slopes during the rising limb, or both.These first monitored sediment transporting flash flood events reveal a channel that is very active during short periods of time. On average, the Arroyo de los Pinos flows 12–24 h during 3–5 events every year. However, in these brief periods, the channel is hyper-efficient at transporting bedload and suspended sediment at rates that are orders of magnitude higher than perennial counterparts.

Land degradation by erosion occurred after irrigation development in the Harran plain, Southeastern Turkey

A study was made to determine the erosion problem and determine the amount of suspended sediment transport in the drainage channels of the Harran Plain by conducting periodic suspended sediment sampling and discharge measurements in the field between 1997 and 2017. When irrigation in the Harran Plain started in 1990, the production of the agricultural goods quadrupled within a few years. Unfortunately, excessive amounts of irrigation water supplied to irrigate crops also led to the erosion of the soil in the fields by surface runoff. Furthermore, the mixture of clay, silt, and fine sand in the topsoil from certain areas accumulated in the tertiary and secondary drainage systems and reduced the effectiveness of the drainage system. Analysis of the suspended sediment measurements between 1997 and 2017 showed that the yearly averaged sediment transported to Syria by the main drainage canal of the Harran Plain varied between 128 ton.day−1 to 1268 ton.day−1, and the average of the 21-year measurement is about 682 ton.day−1. The logarithmic plot of the suspended sediment rating curve showed that as the discharge of the Cullap Creek increases, the sediment transport rate also increases linearly. It means excess furrow irrigation could cause substantial topsoil loss. Sediment erosion resulting from rainfall events in the Harran Plain is also computed using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The results showed that rainfall erosion from the Harran Plain is 131.5 ton.day−1. A comparison of this value with the 21-year value of average sediment erosion by irrigation shows that approximately 20% of sediment erosion from the Harran Plain was caused by rainfall events, and the remaining 80% was caused by excess irrigation water in the area. A 2D numerical model was constructed with MIKE 21 software applying Van Rijn Method to calculate suspended sediment load due to irrigation, and it allowed to calculate the load with a 6.47% error. Grouping the irrigated and non-irrigated periods and applying independent t test, a statistical approach constituted and resulted in 79.2% of suspended sediment load is caused by irrigation. The numerical model and statistical analysis supported the findings of field data and RUSLE Model results. The study showed that the main reason of the topsoil loss in the Harran Plain is the excess furrow irrigation.

Intensive landscape-scale remediation improves water quality of an alluvial gully located in a Great Barrier Reef catchment

Abstract. Gully erosion can be a major disruptor to global fluvial sediment budgets. Gully erosion in the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef is attributed to ∼40 % of fine suspended sediment pollution to the freshwater and marine ecosystems downstream. Mitigating this source of erosion will have a lasting positive impact on the water quality of connected rivers and the receiving marine environment. Here we conduct a preliminary evaluation of the ability of intensive landscape-scale gully remediation to reduce suspended sediment and associated nutrient export from a catchment draining to the Great Barrier Reef. The gully remediation method was a first attempt, in the region, at investing a high level of financial (total cost of remediation AUD ∼90 000) and logistical effort (e.g. intensive earthworks, including the establishment of an on-site quarry) to develop long-lasting erosion mitigation measures (i.e. regraded, compacted, and battered gully walls, rock armouring of banks and channel, and installation of rock check dams). A novel suspended sediment monitoring network, comprised of a suite of new and established automated monitoring methods capable of operating in remote environments, was used to evaluate the water quality of a remediated gully, a control gully, and their respective catchments. The recently developed pumped active suspended sediment (PASS) sampler optimised to sample ephemeral water flows was deployed in gully outlets and catchment runoff flow paths. This study demonstrates how the combination of low- and high-cost water quality monitoring techniques can be deployed in a configuration that ensures sample collection redundancy and complementary data collection between methods. Monitoring was conducted during two consecutive wet seasons and, thus, can only provide preliminary information. Monitoring over longer timescales (i.e. 5–10 years) will need to be carried out in order to validate the findings discussed herein. Samples collected from the remediated gully had significantly lower suspended sediment concentrations compared to the control gully, providing preliminary evidence that the remediation works were successful in stabilising erosion within the gully. Dissolved and particulate nutrient concentrations were also significantly lower in the remediated gully samples, consistent with the decreased suspended sediment concentrations. The novel combination of suspended sediment measurements from both the gully channels and overland flows in the surrounding gully catchments suggests that sediment and nutrients at the remediated site are likely sourced from erosion processes occurring within the catchment of the gully (at relatively low concentrations). In contrast, the primary source of suspended sediment and associated nutrients at the control gully was erosion from within the gully itself. This study demonstrates the potential of landscape-scale remediation as an effective mitigation action for reducing suspended sediment and nutrient export from alluvial gullies. It also provides a useful case study for the monitoring effort required to appropriately assess the effectiveness of this type of erosion control.

Application of artificial bee colony algorithm for particle size distribution measurement of suspended sediment based on focused ultrasonic sensor

A new focused ultrasonic sensor is proposed, based on which the measurement system for particle size distribution measurement of suspended sediment is established. Compared with the traditional ultrasonic sensors, the one used in this paper is equipped with piezoelectric transducer (PZT) on an arc-shaped shell, to concentrate ultrasonic beams on one measurement point. The sensor is used to measure the particle size distribution of suspended sediment. The experiments were carried out on water-sediment mixtures with different particle size distribution. Due to multiple parameters and non-linearity of the ultrasonic attenuation model, the artificial bee colony (ABC) inversion algorithm is used to estimate particle size distribution, thus improving measurement accuracy. The particle sizes obtained by sieving method are seen as reference values. The results indicate that whether the suspended particles are subject to a unimodal distribution, uniform distribution or random distribution, the particle size distribution obtained by ABC inversion algorithm is consistent with the result obtained by the sieve method. The results demonstrate that the method has good utility and accuracy within the low concentration range.