SEDflume

Site Characterization

To accurately characterize sediment transport, two of the most important parameters to understand and quantify are the sediment erosion rate and the critical shear stress. Integral’s SEDflume directly measures these parameters in sediment cores obtained in the field or reconstructed in the laboratory. With SEDflume, our team can get the data needed to answer important environmental questions—leading to better site decisions.

Site Characterization | Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies | Sediment Transport | Data Collection | Laboratory Analyses

Erodibility Studies

SEDflume helps measure the erosion rate at site locations. Using SEDflume, we can determine the critical shear stress for erosion and develop a relationship between environmental forces and erosion rates. SEDflume applies an increasing range of shear stresses to a collected sediment core to measure associated erosion rates. This process is applied multiple times over the length of a sediment core to develop a profile of bed properties associated with depth. Supplemental data—including particle size distribution via laser diffraction, bulk density, and loss on ignition—provide a robust data set.

Sediment Transport Models | Spatial Analysis | Geotechnical Studies | Sheer Stress | Erosion Rates

Laboratory Services

We maintain mobile and fixed laboratories to support SEDflume and sediment characterization studies. Samples collected from rivers, lakes, estuaries, and deep ocean systems are analyzed in Integral’s mobile SEDflume laboratory or securely shipped and processed at Integral’s fixed sediment laboratory in Santa Cruz, California.

Our equipment includes a Beckman Coulter LS 13-320 laser diffraction particle size analyzer, which provides sediment size ranges from 0.4 to 2,000 microns. Samples are analyzed for loss on ignition, wet and dry bulk density, and total suspended solids via standard ASTM methods. We also perform consolidation and settling studies.

Sampling | Analysis | Water Content | Bulk Density | Laser Diffraction Analysis | ASTM Methods | Total Suspended Solids | Consolidation and Settling Studies

Surface and Water Column Characterization

Whether our clients need data at the water surface or from the deepest sediment bed, we offer a range of oceanographic instrumentation to collect it. Wind-driven and long-period surface waves are measured with an array of wave buoys and acoustic sensors. Within the water column, key factors such as velocity, total suspended solids, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity can be measured. Metrics on these constituents can help determine flux of material through a system over time, calibrate and validate numerical models, and inform analyses of site-specific long-term trends.

Water Quality Monitoring | ADCP | Acoustics | CTD | Coastal Monitoring | Ocean Waves | Data Collection | Wave Buoy

Monitoring Technologies

We excel at designing and implementing monitoring programs that use the right combination of technologies to meet your needs. In addition to SEDflume, we offer other state-of-the-science instrumentation and methods. These include:

• Optically based In situ Characterization System (OPTICS) to characterize contaminant concentrations and flux.
• Sediment profile and plan view imaging to map physical, geochemical, and biological seafloor conditions.
• Acoustics tools to collect and analyze data using high frequency acoustic vector sensors. Acoustic tools can help to characterize marine mammal activity, anthropogenic sounds, and the general soundscape at an area of interest.

ADCP | OPTICS | SEDflume | Sediment Profile Imaging | Acoustics | Remote Sensing | Aerial Drones | Multiparameter Water Quality Sonde | Spotter | Drifter | Laser Particle Sizer | Real-Time Systems