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Sediment plume model—a comparison between use of measured turbidity data and satellite images for model calibration

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Abstract

In this study, we built a two-dimensional sediment transport model of Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan, Canada. It was calibrated by using measured turbidity data from stations along the reservoir and satellite images based on a flood event in 2013. In June 2013, there was heavy rainfall for two consecutive days on the frozen and snow-covered ground in the higher elevations of western Alberta, Canada. The runoff from the rainfall and the melted snow caused one of the largest recorded inflows to the headwaters of the South Saskatchewan River and Lake Diefenbaker downstream. An estimated discharge peak of over 5200 m3/s arrived at the reservoir inlet with a thick sediment front within a few days. The sediment plume moved quickly through the entire reservoir and remained visible from satellite images for over 2 weeks along most of the reservoir, leading to concerns regarding water quality. The aims of this study are to compare, quantitatively and qualitatively, the efficacy of using turbidity data and satellite images for sediment transport model calibration and to determine how accurately a sediment transport model can simulate sediment transport based on each of them. Both turbidity data and satellite images were very useful for calibrating the sediment transport model quantitatively and qualitatively. Model predictions and turbidity measurements show that the flood water and suspended sediments entered upstream fairly well mixed and moved downstream as overflow with a sharp gradient at the plume front. The model results suggest that the settling and resuspension rates of sediment are directly proportional to flow characteristics and that the use of constant coefficients leads to model underestimation or overestimation unless more data on sediment formation become available. Hence, this study reiterates the significance of the availability of data on sediment distribution and characteristics for building a robust and reliable sediment transport model.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security through the Global Institute for Water Security. We thank Environment Canada, the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, and Alberta Environment for providing the hydrometric and water quality data. We are grateful to MeteoBlue for providing the meteorological data. Thanks to the Limnology Laboratory at the University of Saskatchewan for providing the water turbidity and temperature data. Thanks also to the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Saskatchewan for providing the bathymetry data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Institute for Water Security and School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada

    Amir Sadeghian, Howard Wheater & Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt

  2. Global Institute for Water Security and Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Jeff Hudson

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  1. Amir Sadeghian
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Correspondence to Amir Sadeghian.

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Sadeghian, A., Hudson, J., Wheater, H. et al. Sediment plume model—a comparison between use of measured turbidity data and satellite images for model calibration. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 19583–19598 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9616-y

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