Bedload Monitoring of Ephemeral Streams

We will deploy broadband and node seismometers along reaches of ephemeral streams in New Mexico and Israel in conjunction with modern in-stream measurements of sediment transport. Bedload flux is fundamental to river dynamics and landscape evolution, yet representative measurement of this key parameter is inhibited by its spatial and temporal variability as well as the challenge of sampling in high-energy environments without altering transport. Surrogate methods are a promising approach, yet calibration remains a challenge, and the lower grain size limit of detection is uncertain. This project will build up from direct bedload measurements, to acoustic surrogates, to seismic monitoring, providing vital field data that will enable the advance of fluvial seismology.