Large-scale Sediment Transport and Turbidity in Singapore’s Coastal Waters

Suspended particulate matter has been steadily increasing around Singapore due to extensive human interferences such as dredging, reclamation and fluvial inputs. Increased turbidity particularly threatens coastal ecosystems. This project is identifying a sediment budget for Singapore’s coastal waters to determine the processes responsible for this increase, including sediment sources and sinks.

The sediment budget is determined through a combination of satellite imagery (including maps of surface sediment concentration), ground-referencing (of flow velocities, fine sediment concentration and laboratory analysis) and numerical modeling (of transport of sand and fine particles due to tide-, wind-, density-driven currents and waves). 

This structured analysis and quantification of sedimentation and erosion parameters will provide a better understanding of the uncertainties surrounding sediment sources, distribution and budgets in Singapore coastal waters.

Dr. Liew Soo Chin*, Dr. Chew Soon Hoe, Prof. Cheong Hin Fatt, Dr Lim Guan Tiong, Dr. Jahid Hasan, Ho Jiahui, Boredin Saengtuksin (NUS)
Dr. Han Winterwerp*, Dr. Bas van Maren, Dr. Claire Jeuken (Deltares)

*Principal Investigators

INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS/KEY FINDINGS

Research is in progress.

SPOT-4 image of Singapore showing fluvial plumes in coastal waters 

Turbidity map derived from SPOT-4 data 

PUBLICATIONS

Coming soon