Underwater Microscope for Measuring Spatial and Temporal Changes in Bed-Sediment Grain Size

Open-File Report 2006-1360
By: , and 

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Abstract

For more than a century, studies of sedimentology and sediment transport have measured bed-sediment grain size by collecting samples and transporting them back to the lab for grain-size analysis. This process is slow and expensive. Moreover, most sampling systems are not selective enough to sample only the surficial grains that interact with the flow; samples typically include sediment from at least a few centimeters beneath the bed surface. New hardware and software are available for in-situ measurement of grain size. The new technology permits rapid measurement of surficial bed sediment. Here we describe several systems we have deployed by boat, by hand, and by tripod in rivers, oceans, and on beaches.
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Underwater Microscope for Measuring Spatial and Temporal Changes in Bed-Sediment Grain Size
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2006-1360
DOI 10.3133/ofr20061360
Edition Version 1.0
Year Published 2006
Language ENGLISH
Contributing office(s) Western Coastal and Marine Geology
Description 15 p.
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