Monitoring of suspended sediment concentration using vessels and remote sensing

Abstract

Two methods for continuous monitoring of the surface suspended sediment concentration (SSSC) along routine ship routes are considered; one by deploying the monitoring instrument on the underwater part of a ferryboat, and the other by pumping surface water through the instrument located on ship. These methods have been field tested for different vessels including a chartered fishing boat, a ferry operating near the coast and an, open-water car ferry. Experience derived from the tests and implementation of the methodologies for a semiautomated observation system for SSSC are described, and the problems of each method are discussed. The monitoring of SSSC using ferryboats is costt-effective when properly integrated with satellite remote sensing in collecting valuable information for initial and boundary conditions of sediment transport models, and also for understanding sedimentation processes in coastal waters with high waves and strong tidal currents. © 2000 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.