Estudo de sedimentos transportados em suspensão na desembocadura do rio Lava para o estuário Bons Sinais no bairro Chuabo Dembe na cidade Quelimane

Abstract

The present work aims to study the variation of suspended sediment concentrations along the Lava River in the Chuabo Dembe neighbourhood in the city of Quelimane. Field activities were conducted during spring and neap tide cycles along the Lava River. Water samples were stored in plastic bottles containing 500 ml of volume and collected over a period of 12 hours, specifically from 6 am to 5 pm. Samples were collected at two points in the channel, specifically at the mouth of the channel (point A) and at the Inhangome bridge (point B). The samples were then preserved and transported to the laboratory of the Higher School of Marine and Coastal Sciences for analysis and determination of suspended sediments, and then the analyses and data processing were carried out in Microsoft Excel. According to the observed results, during the tidal cycles, the maximum value of suspended sediment concentration corresponding to 800 mg/L was recorded during the spring tide and the minimum value of 200 mg/L during the spring tide and neap tide. The results showed no significant differences between the means of suspended sediments at points A (at the mouth of the channel) and B (at the Inhangome bridge). The results also showed that the flux of suspended sediment is greater during spring tide compared to neap tide along the channel.