Development of a programmable suspension sampler to improve the monitoring of sediment-transport processes

Abstract

Indirect monitoring of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) by using various instruments should be associated with a reliable calibration process especially in heterogeneous sedimentary environments because their responses vary with several parameters such as particle diameter, SSC, seawater salinity and temperature. A programmable Niskin sampler has been developed for in-situ calibration of solid-state sensors for SSC measurement. A solenoid in the new sampler named Auttle plays the role of manual dropping of the Niskin’s messenger. Its performance has been proved through several field experiments including mooring and instrumented-tripod applications.