Characteristics of sediment resuspension in Lake Taihu, China: A wave flume study

Lake Taihu is a typical shallow lake which frequently happens sediment resuspension induced by wind-induced waves. The experiments are carried on to simulate the wave disturbance processes in wave flume by setting a series of wave periods (1.2 s, 1.5 s, 1.8 s) and wave heights (2 cm, 10 cm). It aims to analyze the characteristics of sediment resuspension and the mechanisms of nutrients release and to evaluate the effects of sediment dredging on sediment resuspension and nutrients release in Lake Taihu. The results show that wave shear stress during 2 cm and 10 cm wave height processes ranges 0.018-0.023 N/m2 and 0.221-0.307 N/m2, respectively. Wave shear stress has no significant differences between wave periods. Wave height has much more effects on sediment resuspension. Wave height of 2 cm could induce total suspended solids (TSS) reaching up to 5.21 g/m2 and resuspension flux of sediment (M) up to 1.74 g/m2. TSS sharply increases to 30.33-52.41 g/m2 and M reached up to 48.94 g/m2 when wave height reaches to 10 cm. The disturbance depth under different sediment bulk weights ranges from 0.089 to 0.161 mm. Variation of suspended solids in 3 layers (1 cm, 5 cm, 20 cm above sediment interface) has no significant differences. Organic matter, TN and TP have positive relationship with SS. Organic matter is only accounted for 5.7%-7.3% of SS. The experiments under different sediment bulk densities (1.34 g/cm3, 1.47 g/cm3 and 1.59 g/cm3) find that TSS and M fall by 44.2% and 39.8% with sediment bulk density increasing, respectively. Total TN, DTN, TP and DTP decrease by 24.3%-33.6%. It indicates that sediment dredging could effectively reduce SS concentration and nutrient levels in water column. The researches provide a theoretical basis for sediment dredging to control the shore zone of Lake Taihu for lake management.