Monitoring and analysis of suspended sediment transport dynamics in the Carapelle torrent (Southern Italy)

In Northern Puglia watershed's high rates of suspended sediment loads occur along the hydrographic network during intense rainfall events. In order to monitor this phenomenon an automated station, equipped with a turbidity probe, has been set up in the Carapelle torrent. A laboratory testing stage of the turbidity probe was preliminary designed to evaluate the dual functionality of the instrument (turbidity and suspended solids) in relation with the sediment concentration and the grain size distribution. Successively a field calibration of the instrument was carried out to determine the relationship between optical and gravimetric data and to check the housing device. Afterwards, the high temporal resolution data collected over a 2-year period (2007-2008) were used to analyze the sediment transport dynamics at event scale. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.