Details of Award
NERC Reference : NER/D/S/2003/00706
The chemical and physical behaviour of lanthanide-labelled clays in marine waters and their use as tracers for fine sediment transport.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor K Spencer, Queen Mary University of London, Geography
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr J Taylor, University of Sussex, Sch of Life Sciences
- Grant held at:
- Queen Mary University of London, Geography
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Earth
- Overall Classification:
- Marine
- ENRIs:
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- Properties Of Earth Materials
- Sediment/Sedimentary Processes
- Technol. for Environ. Appl.
- Abstract:
- Accurate measurement of fine sediment transport pathways in the coastal environment is a critical step towards understanding the response of coastal morphology to extreme events such as sea level rise, coastal engineering schemes and the dispersion of contaminated sediments liberated by dredging activities. Traditionally, the measurement of sediment transport pathways has been achieved by using sediment trend analysis or sediment tracing with fluorescent sands, but these techniques are unsuitable for the fine sediment fraction due to the cohesive nature of clays. Consequently, the measurement of transport pathways of fine sediment and in particular the clay fraction has proved problematic. The aim of this project is to develop a geochemically labelled clay mineral whose physical properties are identical to the marine sediment it is intended to mimic. This tracer sediment will then be demonstrated in the field and used to measure transport pathways of the fine sediment fraction. Lanthanide-labelled clays have previously been used as sediment tracers in freshwater environments and previous research by the project team (Spencer et al., in review) indicates that they are also suitable as marine sediment tracers. The sorption, desorption and fractionation of lanthanide metals onto clay mineral surfaces will be studied in the laboratory to gain a better understanding of the chemical behaviour of the tracer in the marine environment. The subsequent labelled sediments will then be tested in the laboratory to ensure that their physical properties are similar to natural sediments. Finally, data generated during a small-scale controlled release of the tracer sediment will be compared to detailed hydrodynamic models of the field area to determine how effective the tracer sediment will be at predicting dispersion of the fine-grained sediment fraction.
- NERC Reference:
- NER/D/S/2003/00706
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- EO Programmes Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Connect B
This grant award has a total value of £149,858
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S | Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| £3,118 | £86,917 | £19,841 | £39,981 |
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