Author(s): J. D. G. Marr; S. R. Johnson; C. R. Ellis; T. J. Randle; R. C. Hilldale
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Abstract: Quantification of sediment transport in rivers is critically important to many areas of river engineering and restoration. Here we report on an effort to develop a technology for continuous monitoring of bedload transport in rivers that utilizes advanced technologies for measuring sound and vibrations generated by impacts of moving gravel on a steel plate mounted in the bed of a river. The premise of the technology assumes that the frequency of vibration or sound is correlated with the mean size of particles in transport and the intensity of the sound (volume) is correlated with flux rate. The study involves exploration of field-deployable sensor technologies and data acquisition hardware, development of advanced, real-time, time series analysis techniques, and full-scale laboratory testing and calibration of the system in a large gravel-recirculation channel. The sensors tested in the study include a hydrophone, accelerometer, and geophone. Data acquisition techniques were developed for high frequency sampling of gravel impacts, and through the research we developed timeseries analysis techniques that allow real-time estimates of bedload.
Year: 2009