Failure of a sediment‐trapping device

Abstract

Theoretical and practical aspects of the construction of a new apparatus for intercepting sedimentary particulate fluxes are described. Twenty‐five square boxes, brim‐filled with artificial sediment, were positioned on a table about 1 m above the bottom of a lake so that, collectively, they presented a continuous (0.7 m2) interface with the water which was intended to generate boundary‐layer characteristics modeling those of natural lacustrine sediments. Results indicate that the box traps nevertheless seriously underestimated the net sedimentary flux.

A conceptual framework for predicting the occurrence of sediment focusing and sediment redistribution in small lakes

“…total flux minus resuspension loss, to the sediment surface. In practice these traps are difficult to use (Reynolds and Godfrey 1983) but, after exposure at a range of different depths, the mean can be calculated by weighting each trap catch by the lake surface area it represents and summing. Long term flux measurements in such lakes are easier to make.…”

Field calibration and performance of sediment traps in a eutrophic holomictic lake

“…However, traps employed in environments where sediment resuspension is important can provide erroneous estimates of primary sedimentation. Sediment trapping is rarely a straightforward procedure and results can be difficult to interpret (Deevey et al, 1977;Reynolds & Godfrey, 1983).…”