The sediment resuspension was completely monitored by the
selected sampling strategy (Fig. 2, left). The elevated SPM concentrations
in the first part of the sampling campaign reflect the erosion
of soils and groyne field sediments upstream the sampling
site. Its amount depends on the respective matter deposit. In the
further course of the sampling campaign continuously decreasing
SPM concentrations could be explained by both, dilution of the
concentration by increasing discharge and discharge of SPM into
the flood plains of the River Elbe (Krüger et al., 2005). The high proportion
of LOI within the SPM reflects the high organic content of
SPM which is caused by the plankton rich, eutrophic River Elbe
(Hardenbicker et al., 2014). The decreased content of LOI within
the SPM at the fourth sampling day is probably due to the entry
of re-suspended inorganic material from the lock- and weir systems
of the tributary Saale (see also Table 1). The cluster analysis
of sampling days confirms findings of former chemometric assessment
of a flood in 2005 (Baborowski et al., 2012b). They stress the
importance of a well planned sampling strategy for the complete
recording of the sedimentary resuspension during the flood event.