Acoustic Measurements of Suspended Sediments in Estuaries

Sediment flux measurements are essential for estimating the environmental impact of erosion and depositional processes. In the coastal areas, sediment measurements are required to assess siltation of backwaters, sandbar formation across mouths of rivers, accretion and erosion of coastline from coastal structures, impacts of dredging operations, watershed loadings into the coastal zone and fate and transport of toxic chemicals. Sediments play a significant role in defining the interrelationships between the physical, chemical, biological and environmental factors. In rivers, lakes and estuaries, sediment is an important water quality indicator, not only as a pollutant but also as a transport or catalytic agent for other forms of pollution, especially toxics. The feasibility of measuring sediment loads over the entire cross-section in open channel flows, in particular estuaries, using acoustic measurements was studied.