@article{fdi:010077982,
  title = {{S}uspended sediment properties in the {L}ower {M}ekong {R}iver, from fluvial to estuarine environments},
  author = {{L}e, {H}. {A}. and {G}ratiot, {N}icolas and {S}antini, {W}illiam and {R}ibolzi, {O}livier and {T}ran, {D}. and {M}eriaux, {X}. and {D}eleersnijder, {E}. and {S}oares-{F}razao, {S}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {M}ekong river is one of the largest rivers in the world, which flows through six countries of {S}outheast {A}sia ({C}hina, {M}yanmar, {L}aos, {T}hailand, {C}ambodia and {V}ietnam). {I}ts hydro-sedimentary regime is changing rapidly, as a consequence of a regional shift of land use (agriculture, road, etc.), damming, sand mining and climate changes, among others. {T}his study assesses the behavior of particles transported in suspension in the {L}ower {M}ekong {R}iver ({LMR}), along approximately 1700 km from fluvial to estuarine environments. {S}uspended sediment properties were estimated, simultaneously with hydrodynamic conditions, during three field campaigns. {I}n addition, further investigations were performed in the laboratory to assess the structures of particles (flocculated or not), their capacity to flocculate (and the impacts on siltation), under a wide range of sediment concentration (20-30,000 mg.{L}-1). {T}his study confirms that suspended sediment transported in the {LMR} are predominantly (75% by volume) flocculi (or freshly eroded soils aggregates), with median aggregated particle size in the range 10-20 mu m and median settling velocity of the order of 0.01-0.1 mu m s(-1). {T}hese flocculi are robust under the hydrodynamic conditions (turbulence and suspended sediment concentration - {SSC}) existing in the {LMR}. {L}aboratory investigations reveal the existence of a threshold sediment concentration (400 mg.{L}-1), beyond which flocculation and sedimentation increase of orders of magnitudes. {T}hus, concentration that exceeds this threshold might promote the formation of so-called fluid mud layers. {B}ecause of the nonlinear response of flocculation and sedimentation with {SSC} and considering the ongoing changes at a regional scale in the {LMR}, higher occurrence of fluid mud layers in the fluvial upstream waterbodies might be anticipated, and a lower occurrence in estuaries and alongshore where the concentration decrease. {T}he geomorphology could be impacted, with an over-siltation in dams and an exacerbated erosion of the muddy-mangrove coast.},
  keywords = {{M}ekong ; {LISST} ; {SCAF} ; {F}luid mud layer ; {F}locculation ; {S}ettling velocity ; {VIET} {NAM} ; {CAMBODGE} ; {MEKONG} {COURS} {D}'{EAU}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{E}stuarine {C}oastal and {S}helf {S}cience},
  volume = {233},
  numero = {},
  pages = {106522 [14 ]},
  ISSN = {0272-7714},
  year = {2020},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.ecss.2019.106522},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010077982},
}