Flocculation characteristics of suspended Mississippi River mud under variable turbulence, water and salt sources, and salinity: a laboratory study

Muddy sediment constitutes a major fraction of the suspended sediment mass carried by the Mississippi River. Thus, adequate knowledge of the transport dynamics of suspended mud in this region is critical in devising efficient management plans for coastal Louisiana. We conducted laboratory tank experiments on the sediment suspended in the...

Suspended Particulate Matter Formation And Accumulation In The Delta: From Monitoring To Modelling

Coastal areas are subjected to major anthropogenic influences, as they are traditionally economically important regions, which is reflected by the presence of harbours, especially at river mouths. The Dutch coastal area is influenced by the discharge of fresh water from the Rhine river that creates the Rhine Region Of Freshwater Influence (Rhine...

Can flocculation reduce the dispersion of deep sea sediment Plumes?

For green energy transition, the industry seeks alternative resources for nickel and cobalt, the main ingredients for energy storage devices and other applications. Polymetallic nodules lying at the abyssal plain are rich in these mineral resources, which leads to an increased interest in deep-sea mining (DSM) of polymetallic nodules. During the...

A holistic approach to predict, measure and reduce environmental pressures of polymetallic nodule collection

There is an expected increase in demand of critical raw materials, e.g. nickel and cobalt, mainly driven by the shift towards renewable energy solutions and the increase in production of electric vehicles. That trend has raised the interests for the mining of polymetallic nodules. The most extensive nodule depostions are found on the abyssal...

Effect of flocculation on turbidity currents

Flocculation between inorganic sediment, salt ions and microscopic organic<br/>matter present in the marine environment might play an important role in the<br/>dynamics of turbidity currents. The ability to predict, understand, and potentially<br/>leverage the effect of flocculation on turbidity currents will help to minimize the<br/>impact of...

Dispersion of Benthic Plumes in Deep-Sea Mining: What Lessons Can Be Learned From Dredging?

Over the past decade, deep-sea mining (DSM) has received renewed interest due to scarcity of raw materials. Deep-sea mining has been spurred by the need for critical resources to support growing populations, urbanization, high-tech applications and the development of a green energy economy. Nevertheless, an improved understanding of how mining...

Seasonal Variations in Flocculation and Erosion Affecting the Large-Scale Suspended Sediment Distribution in the Scheldt Estuary: The Importance of Biotic Effects

Many estuaries exhibit seasonality in the estuary-scale distribution of suspended particulate matter (SPM). This SPM distribution depends on various factors, including freshwater discharge, salinity intrusion, erodibility, and the ability of cohesive SPM to flocculate into larger aggregates. Various authors indicate that biotic factors, such...

Multiscale physical processes of fine sediment in an estuary

This study presented in this book investigates micro- and macro- scale physical processes of a large-scale fine sediment estuarine system with a moderate tidal range as well as a highly seasonal-varying freshwater inflow. Based on a series measured, experimented and modeled results, the research highlights that (i) along-channel fresh-salt...

Effect of algae on flocculation of suspended bed sediments in a large shallow lake. Consequences for ecology and sediment transport processes

Lake Markermeer, a large shallow lake in The Netherlands, suffers from turbidity and ecology problems. As part of a study aiming to mitigate these problems, we study flocculation processes in the lake; in particular, the possible mutual flocculation between algae and re-suspended bed sediments. We show that sediment re-suspended from the bed of...

Evolution of the floc size distribution of cohesive sediments

This thesis focuses on the flocculation process of cohesive sediment (mud) and in particular on the time evolution of the floc size distribution. Mud is mainly observed in estuarine environment and its settling velocity is strongly affected by its floc size distribution. Small flocs (1-50 micrometers) have a very small settling velocity and tend...

Variable fractal dimension: A major control for floc structure and flocculation kinematics of suspended cohesive sediment

While the fractal dimension of suspended flocs of cohesive sediment is known to vary with the shear rate, electrochemical properties of the sediment and environment, geometrical restructuring, and presence of organic matter, experimental data presented in this work suggest changes in fractal dimension also during floc genesis at constant...

Flocculation Dynamics of cohesive sediment

Cohesive sediment suspended in natural waters is subject not only to transport and deposition processes but also to reactions of flocculation, \textit{i.e.} aggregation of fine particles, and breakup of aggregates. Although aggregation and breakup occur at small and very small length scales compared to transport and deposition, flocculation can...

Clay properties

In this report an overview will be given of the basic properties of (suspended) clay particles. In section 2 the structure of clay minerals will be described. The forces between suspended particles (section 3) and the possible consequences of them, flocculation or deflocculation (sections 4 and 5) will be discussed next. Section 7 will deal with...

Development of silt measuring methods: Acoustic attenuation during salt flocculation of fine sediment particles