Sources of uncertainty in estimating suspended sediment load

Abstract

An important task in the assessment of suspended sediment load estimates is to qualify and (where appropriate) quantify the uncertainty associated with that estimate. A sediment rating curve is a relationship between suspended sediment concentration and flow used in the calculation of a load estimate. However, this method assumes particular characteristics in the input data. It was found that historical data for the Murrumbidgee River catchment, Australia, did not possess all these assumed characteristics because of variations in suspended sediment sampling methods, a lack of metadata, and a lack of a sufficient number of samples covering the range of flow conditions. These factors inhibited the use of sediment rating curves for developing an appropriate suspended sediment load estimate and its associated uncertainty.