Suspended particle characteristics during a severe storm event

Storm events are key disturbances in coastal and estuarine systems, capable of drastically altering hydrographic conditions and suspended particulate matter (SPM) dynamics. However, high-resolution, in situ data during such events remain scarce due to logistical constraints. Here, we present rare observational data from an automated pole-mounted station in the Elbe Estuary (German North Sea coast) that captured hydrographic and particle dynamics during Storm Christian on October 28, 2013. We compare this dataset to other data from the same region collected on a research cruise in 2018 under calm to moderate wind conditions. Our results show that the SPM concentration (SPMC) increased fivefold (from ~400 to 2000 mg/L) during the storm, while the turbidity remained surprisingly stable. Furthermore, we observed a massive increase in inorganic grain size (from ~6 to 100 µm) during the storm, as well as an unusually low organic content (loss on ignition