Jia, Y.G.; Li, H.L.; Meng, X.M.; Liu, X.L., and Shan, H.X., 2012. Deposition-monitoring technology in an estuarial environment using an electrical-resistivity method.

A new method using an electrical-resistivity probe was introduced to monitor sediment deposition. In laboratory and field experiments, a multielectrode probe was mounted in a tank and within a pit, respectively, to measure electrical resistivity with the Wenner array during sediment deposition. The observed positions of water–sediment interface were recorded synchronously. Based on the electrical-resistivity profiles, the positions of the water–sediment interface were interpreted and compared with the observed positions. Physical properties above and below the interface were analyzed as well. The results indicate that the water–sediment interface in the tank descends nonlinearly with time; the probe detects the interface well, with errors ranging from −0.4 cm to 1.7 cm and with a mean rate of 0.41 cm in the laboratory, and performs better in the field. Sediment concentrations in water and crucial parameters regarding sediment, which contribute to deposition or erosion analysis, can be derived from the electrical resistivity measured by the probe. This study presents a new way to investigate coastal sediment dynamics by monitoring sediment deposition and erosion comprehensively and with high resolution.