Observations of the turbulent structure of a suspension of sand in a tidal current

Measurements of the high-frequency fluctuations in the concentration of sand suspended by a tidal current, taken simultaneously with high-frequency measurements of the horizontal and vertical components of water velocity above the sandy bed of an estuary, have been used to examine the turbulent structure of the suspension, the physical mechanisms which suspend the sediment, and the damping of the turbulent kinetic energy caused by the suspension. The turbulent ''bursting'' phenomenon is found to play an important role in the suspension process.