A novel estimation method for SPM in China eastern coastal waters based on conventional hydrological profile measurements

Abstract Suspended particulate matter concentration (SPM) in coastal waters is of great importance for studying sediment resuspension and sediment transportation, especially for the profile distribution in bodies of water. The traditional SPM profile-obtaining method that uses a turbidity meter introduces large uncertainty for pigment particle-dominated waters. This research used a large amount of profile data on optical properties and hydrological measurements parameters (conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD), chlorophyll and turbidity), which were measured synchronously in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea; the data were used to analyze the relationships between the vertical distribution of the particulate backscattering ratio and the vertical distribution of pycnocline, chlorophyll and turbidity and to distinguish pigment particles and sediment particles in the vertical distribution. After considering the particle types, we also developed a novel method that exclusively depended on conventional hydrological measurements. The results show that the new method is simplified and effective and could significantly improve the accuracy of SPM estimations in coastal waters.