Interactions between a benthic tripod and waves on a sandy bed

In the past the amount of local disturbance to hydrodynamic and sediment processes by instrumented benthic frames has not been investigated. Here, in a series of tests on sandy beds in a large wave flume, measurements of wave-induced flows, turbulence, bedforms and suspended sediments have been obtained from the large tripod frame STABLE and from a control site away from the influence of the frame. Present measurements show surprisingly small modifications by the frame to local hydrodynamic conditions, bed morphology and vertical profiles of suspended sediment.