A simple and inexpensive turbidity meter for the estimation of suspended sediment concentrations

• Published in: Hydrological Processes
• Main Authors: Lawler, Damian M., Brown, Robert M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1992
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.3360060204; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fhyp.3360060204; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hyp.3360060204

Abstract The relatively high cost of commercially available turbidity meters has inhibited detailed and intensive research on spatiotemporal patterns of suspended sediment transport. We describe here the electronic and physical design of an inexpensive turbidity sensor which is easy to construct, simple to interface with portable millivolt meters, dataloggers, computers, or chart recorders, consumes exceptionally small currents, and is robust and reliable. the very low individual cost allows a large number of sensors to be distributed throughout the water body of interest to facilitate turbidity mapping. Turbidity profilers to detect vertical or lateral turbidity changes in rivers, lakes, estuaries, or near‐shore zones are also shown to be feasible. Test data are presented from a highly turbid glacial river in southern Iceland.