Publication Abstract

Measuring suspended sediment concentrations using acoustic backscatter devices

P.D. Thorne, C.E. Vincent, P.J. Hardcastle, S. Rehman and N.D. Pearson

In recent years the requirement to develop a technique for measuring suspended sediment concentration profiles, with similar temporal and spatial resolution to that of electromagnetic current meter measurements of the flow, has led to the development of an acoustic approach. Acoustic backscatter devices have been constructed and deployed in marine environments and measurements of backscattered signal profiles obtained. However, the translation from acoustic returns to suspended load has been an empirical procedure resulting in some uncertainty regarding the accuracy and reliability of the conversion process. To address this problem a series of laboratory measurements of acoustic backscattering from marine suspensions were conducted using two acoustic backscatter instruments operating at 3.0 and 5.65 MHz.

Reference:

P.D. Thorne, C.E. Vincent, P.J. Hardcastle, S. Rehman and N.D, Pearson, 1991. Measuring suspended sediment concentrations using acoustic backscatter devices. Marine Geology, 98: 7-16.