Characteristics of Surface Currents in a Shallow Lagoon–Inlet–Coastal Ocean System Revealed by Surface Drifter Observations
Characteristics of Surface Currents in a Shallow Lagoon–Inlet–Coastal Ocean System Revealed by Surface Drifter Observations
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DOI：
10.1007/s12237-022-01086-6
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发表时间：
2022-05
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Katherine Fitzenreiter;Miaohua Mao;Meng Xia
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Katherine Fitzenreiter;Miaohua Mao;Meng Xia
浅水泻湖-河口-海岸海洋系统中的环流对物质输运具有重要意义（例如，碎屑、污染物和幼虫）。为了研究该系统中的表面流，我们在2017年和2018年期间在马里兰州沿海海湾系统（MCB）的不同潮汐阶段和风力条件下部署了35个表面漂流物。考虑到风和潮汐是河口和海岸环流的两个重要驱动力，分析了它们对表层漂流物运动轨迹的影响。观测结果表明，表层漂流物主要在落（涨）潮流期间出（入）湖，并在大洋城湾外缘形成了长度为1.5 km的顺时针循环运动。在弱风条件下，潮汐主要负责OCI附近的漂流物运动，而长风和潮汐都是重要的相对较大的钦科蒂格湾和后湾附近。在强风条件下，海面漂流物的移动一般是顺着风向。在浅水泻湖系统中，随着潮汐的减弱，风对表层漂流物的相对影响在远离邻近入口的区域逐渐增强。进一步的调查表明，最快和最慢的表面漂流物分别在小OCI和潮汐减弱的后湾附近。表层漂流子直接观测具有空间范围广、时间序列长的特点，可以为表层流场模拟提供有力的支持。加强对MCBs中的沿海物理海洋学的了解，可以有益于类似的系统和沿海海洋社区。
The circulation in a shallow lagoon–inlet–coastal ocean system is significant to material transports (e.g., debris, pollutants, and larvae). To study surface flows in this system, we deployed 35 surface drifters at various tidal phases and wind conditions during 2017 and 2018 in the Maryland Coastal Bays system (MCBs). Given that winds and tides are two important drivers of estuarine and coastal circulation, their influences on surface drifter trajectories were analyzed. Observations indicate that surface drifters exit (enter) the lagoon mostly during ebb (flood) currents, and clockwise circular movements at a length scale of 1.5 km formed at the outer edge of Ocean City Inlet (OCI). Under weak wind conditions, tides are primarily responsible for drifter movements near OCI, whereas both the long-fetch winds and tides are important near the relatively larger Chincoteague Inlet and backbays. Under strong wind conditions, surface drifter movements generally follow wind directions. In the shallow lagoonal system, relative effects of winds on surface drifters gradually become stronger in the regions further away from the adjacent inlet as tides are weaker. Further investigations indicate that the fastest and slowest surface drifters are near the small OCI and backbays with the weakened tides, respectively. The direct surface drifter observations that cover a wide spatial range and long time series can provide strong support to surface current simulations. Enhanced understanding of coastal physical oceanography in the MCBs can be beneficial to similar systems and coastal ocean communities.