Laboratory measurements of instantaneous sediment concentration under waves

An optical instrument which detects the light attenuation in sediment-laden flows has been developed to measure the instantaneous and time-average suspended concentration of cohesive sediments. In a flume test with natural muds, the device showed that the instantaneous sediment concentration oscillated with the waves but that the amplitude decreased rapidly with the distance above the mud bed. Strong sediment motion was found near the benthic boundary layer. This indicates a weak vertical turbulent diffusion in the upper portion of the water column in a pure wave erosion process. It is concluded that the probe design can be easily modified and the apparatus can be deployed for both laboratory and field measurements