Further studies of the field settling velocities of Thames mud

This report describes work undertaken to meet an important need in the successful modelling of siltation processes and prediction of siltation rates. Most previous work on settling of solids from suspension has been laboratory based with little or no attempt to corroborate results in the field. Mr M W Owen developed an appropriate field instrument in 1969 and carried out a limited amount of field measurement, which indicated that settling velocities of cohesive sediments were 10 times higher than previously measured in laboratory tests.