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Downlooking Acoustics

Downlooking acoustics is a method for estimating suspended sediment.

The downlooking acoustic method can be used if discrete data is needed. 

A cross-sectional illustration of the river showing different acoustic instruments.

The downlooking method uses acoustic backscatter data recorded by a downlooking acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), and they are related to discrete point samples of suspended- sediment concentration (SSC). The appeal of the downlooking acoustics method in relation to continuous SSC monitoring is that it measures much more of a river cross section and the variability therein and results in a discrete estimate of SSC in the cross section at a given point in time. The high spatial resolution visualizations of suspended sediment from the downlooking acoustics method are unmatched by any other physical or acoustic method.

Image of two people in a boat on a river with a suspended sediment sampler and an acoustic Doppler current profiler.

 

An illustration of and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and water sampler for the down-looking acoustics method

 

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