Acoustic instrumentation for measuring near-bed sediment processes and hydrodynamics

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology Vol. 285; pp. 105 - 118
• Main Authors: Betteridge, Kyle F.E., Williams, Jon J., Thorne, Peter D., Bell, Paul S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 12.02.2003
• Subjects: Acoustics; Hydrodynamics; Processes; Sediments; Hydrodynamics; Acoustics; Processes; Sediments
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0981(02)00522-1

Improved understanding and modelling of interactions between biological and physical processes has required progress in the understanding of sediment processes and their relationship to bedforms, hydrodynamics and benthic biology. Recently, simultaneous, co-located in situ measurements of suspended sediments, near-bed velocities and bed morphology have been made possible using new acoustic instruments, including a triple frequency acoustic backscatter system, (ABS); a uniaxial, and triple axis, coherent Doppler velocity profiler, (CDVP); a sand ripple imager (SRI); and a sand ripple profiler (SRP). Together these instruments measure the relevant hydrodynamic and sediment parameters necessary to investigate sediment processes in the bottom metre above the bed, with centimetric resolution. The range of data from such instruments is required to fully understand the related processes occurring near the seabed. The outcome of such measurements should improve our understanding of benthic processes in general.