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Shipboard measurements of sediment stability using a small annular flume—Core Mini Flume (CMF)

Shipboard measurements of sediment stability using a small annular flume—Core Mini Flume (CMF)
Shipboard measurements of sediment stability using a small annular flume—Core Mini Flume (CMF)
Estimates of bed stability in coastal environments are essential to physical, biological, and chemical investigations of cohesive sediments. The Core Mini Flume (CMF), a 200 mm diameter annular flume has been designed to undertake sediment stability experiments on collected intact sediment box cores. Bed properties were assessed for replicate box cores at 3 contrasting sites in UK coastal waters (Tyne [in 2011 and 2012], Plymouth and Celtic Deep), each covering a maximum area of 80 m2. No significant horizontal spatial variations were found for grain size, bulk density, porosity, or oxygen penetration at the sites. Resuspension experiments performed on replicate cores yielded highly replicable results for each site, giving average erosion thresholds of 0.33 ± 0.02 (Tyne 2011), 0.215 ± 0.03 (Tyne 2012), 0.23 ± 0.01 (Plymouth), and 0.09 ± 0.006 (Celtic Deep) Pa and erosion depths of 10.7 ± 1.7, 6.63 ± 1.10, 3.65 ± 0.95, and 4.6 ± 0.5 mm. Using an already established methodology, the CMF allowed detailed replicate experiments to be performed on-board ship rapidly after sediment collection, while minimizing the time spent at each station. The use of intact box cores minimized the disturbance to the bed often associated with recovering material to a laboratory or remoulding a bed. We have demonstrated that the convenience of laboratory-based methodologies can be combined with the benefit of prompt investigations on undisturbed beds complete with overlying in situ water to produce robust measurements of sediment stability.
1541-5856
604-615
Thompson, C.E.L.
2a304aa6-761e-4d99-b227-cedb67129bfb
Couceiro, F.
234f83a2-8265-4a21-81ad-5af41bcbd6ff
Fones, G.R.
5b71916c-4859-4a6f-b9ad-b6b1f541cbfa
Amos, C.L.
d0a18a13-bccd-4fdc-8901-aea595d4ed5c
Thompson, C.E.L.
2a304aa6-761e-4d99-b227-cedb67129bfb
Couceiro, F.
234f83a2-8265-4a21-81ad-5af41bcbd6ff
Fones, G.R.
5b71916c-4859-4a6f-b9ad-b6b1f541cbfa
Amos, C.L.
d0a18a13-bccd-4fdc-8901-aea595d4ed5c

Thompson, C.E.L., Couceiro, F., Fones, G.R. and Amos, C.L. (2013) Shipboard measurements of sediment stability using a small annular flume—Core Mini Flume (CMF). Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 11, 604-615. (doi:10.4319/lom.2013.11.604).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Estimates of bed stability in coastal environments are essential to physical, biological, and chemical investigations of cohesive sediments. The Core Mini Flume (CMF), a 200 mm diameter annular flume has been designed to undertake sediment stability experiments on collected intact sediment box cores. Bed properties were assessed for replicate box cores at 3 contrasting sites in UK coastal waters (Tyne [in 2011 and 2012], Plymouth and Celtic Deep), each covering a maximum area of 80 m2. No significant horizontal spatial variations were found for grain size, bulk density, porosity, or oxygen penetration at the sites. Resuspension experiments performed on replicate cores yielded highly replicable results for each site, giving average erosion thresholds of 0.33 ± 0.02 (Tyne 2011), 0.215 ± 0.03 (Tyne 2012), 0.23 ± 0.01 (Plymouth), and 0.09 ± 0.006 (Celtic Deep) Pa and erosion depths of 10.7 ± 1.7, 6.63 ± 1.10, 3.65 ± 0.95, and 4.6 ± 0.5 mm. Using an already established methodology, the CMF allowed detailed replicate experiments to be performed on-board ship rapidly after sediment collection, while minimizing the time spent at each station. The use of intact box cores minimized the disturbance to the bed often associated with recovering material to a laboratory or remoulding a bed. We have demonstrated that the convenience of laboratory-based methodologies can be combined with the benefit of prompt investigations on undisturbed beds complete with overlying in situ water to produce robust measurements of sediment stability.

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More information

Published date: November 2013
Organisations: Geology & Geophysics

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 361853
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/361853
ISSN: 1541-5856
PURE UUID: ba2b1d9a-0ee2-4246-84ee-764afcbd5903
ORCID for C.E.L. Thompson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1105-6838

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Date deposited: 04 Feb 2014 15:12
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:05

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Contributors

Author: C.E.L. Thompson ORCID iD
Author: F. Couceiro
Author: G.R. Fones
Author: C.L. Amos

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