Summary
Settling velocities of suspended particulate matter (SPM) were measured at four sites in the German Bight. A newly developed settling tube with a sample volume of 28 litres was used. According to the settling characteristics, the SPM could be divided into (a) a permanent (background) component with low settling velocities (<0.01 mm·s−1) and (b) a component variable in time with high settling velocities (>0.1 mm · s−1). The time variability of the fast settling SPM component resulted either from patchiness or from advection of a horizontal gradient past the site.
Zusammenfassung
Die Sinkgeschwindigkeit von Schwebstoffen (suspended particulate matter, SPM) wurde an vier Positionen in der Deutschen Bucht mit Hilfe eines neuentwickelten Sinkrohrs mit einem Probennahmevolumen von 28 Litern gemessen. Gemäß seiner Sinkeigenschaften konnte das SPM unterteilt werden in eine permanente (Hintergrund-) Komponente mit geringer Sinkgeschwindigkeit (<0,01 mm·s−1) und eine zeitvariable Komponente mit hohen Sinkgeschwindigkeiten (>0,1 mm·s−1). Die zeitliche Variabilität der schnell sinkenden SPM-Komponente war entweder auf starke Inhomogenität («Patchiness») oder auf Advektion eines horizontalen Gradienten über den Meßpunkt zurückzuführen.
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Puls, W., Kühl, H., Frohse, A. et al. Measurements of the suspended matter settling velocity in the German Bight (North Sea). Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift 47, 259–276 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02737787
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02737787