Applications

Sediment transport (dredging/dumping, geomorphology)

Sediment transport modelling is used for example to calculate the transport of dumped dredging material at the Belgian coast. Each year, millons of tons of sediment is dredged in harbours and fair channels along the Belgian coast. An important part of the material is dumped back into sea. To better understand the dispersion of the material after dumping, a sediment transport model is used to simulate the dispersion.

A recent study (Fettweis et al., 2007) has shown that sediment transport in the Southern North Sea can be modelled using a combination of satellite imagery, in situ measurements and numerical models. The BELCOLOUR-2 satellite products that are used for these purposes are maps of TSM, Total Suspended Matter (g/m3), also called SPM, Suspended Particulate Matter or TSS, Total Suspended Solids. TSM concentration is a standard end product that can be acquired from an ocean colour sensor such as MERIS, SeaWiFS and MODIS.

TSM products are used to validate the Sediment Transport Model and to determine boundary counditions in the model. Up till now this could only be done with information from in-situ measurements at sea performed during a few weeks/year as punctual samples. The advantage is that the BELCOLOUR TSM products can give a snap shot of the whole Southern North sea area and this for all days with a clear sky.

See also VITO’s RESORT (REmote sensing for Seasonal and Overseas Retrieval of TSM) project page.