Exploring suspended sediment dynamics: local catchments to global river basins

Presented by Rajaram Prajapati: University of Pittsburgh, Department of Geology and Environmental Science

Suspended sediment is a vital component of riverine systems, supporting ecological habitats, nutrient transport, and geomorphic processes. However, suspended sediment transport dynamics vary significantly across scales: in small catchments, transport is rapid and localized, driven by storm events and land-use changes, whereas in large basins, it is governed by complex, hierarchical processes shaped by distant sources, intermediate sediment storage, and varied climatic and anthropogenic factors. This study employs innovative monitoring approaches tailored to these scales. For small streams, we integrated low-cost in-situ sensors, smartphone technology, and citizen science to monitor suspended sediment concentration (SSC), focusing on sensor calibration for diverse sediment types and developing a novel SSC monitoring method using smartphone imagery. At a global scale, satellite-derived SSC data spanning over 38 years were analyzed to investigate long-term trends and the influence of human activities, climate, and basin characteristics on SSC variability. This      research advances our understanding of SSC dynamics and offers scalable, cost-effective      solutions for sediment monitoring and      management across diverse contexts.