LMER: Research in the Columbia River Estuary: The Role of Estuarine Turbidity Maxima (ETM) Processes Coupling Watershed, Estuary and Ocean

小行星9412028 该项目将继续和扩大以前的四年NSF陆缘生态系统研究（LMER）的研究（1990- 1994年）的重要性，河口湾最大浑浊度（ETM）的河口和沿海生态系统，作为例证的哥伦比亚河口。在这些持续的调查中，该项目将以过去的成果为基础，并将研究集中在五个领域： * 粒子聚集/解聚作为ETM物理学之间的关键联系， 地球化学与生态学; * ETM动力学影响下的地球化学和生态过程 * 对这些过程进行建模，以量化质量、成分和能量通量， （b）在选定的流域和全球气候变化情景方面， * ETM与周围河口生境、流域和 沿海海洋; * 选择与其他河口，特别是LMER网站的比较。 哥伦比亚河口是一个主要的陆地边缘生态系统（河口）的特点，并在许多方面不同于其他LMER网站。由于其独特性和规模，以及大型河流河口对沿海海洋的重要性，比较哥伦比亚河口与LMER站点和其他河口的关键过程和特性，将有助于理解陆缘系统的全球变化及其对人为输入和变化的响应。比较工作将集中在粒子动力学，微生物循环过程，并在LMER系统的营养转移的分析。这些比较的结果将嵌入到一个河口分类系统，ecnompasses物理，沉积学和地球化学方面的温带河口。 ***

9412028 Simenstad This project will continue and expand upon a previous four year NSF Land-Margin Ecosystem Research (LMER) study (1990- 1994) of the importance of estruarine turbidity maxima (ETM) to river estuaries and coastal ecosystems, as exemplified by the Columbia River estuary. In these continuing investigations , the project will build on past results and will concentrate the research on five areas: * particle aggregation/disaggregation as a key linkage between ETM physics, geochemistry and ecology; * biogeochemical and ecological processes affected by ETM dynamics; * modeling of these proecesses to quantify mass, constituent and energy fluxes, and chemical transformations, with respect to selected scenarios of watershed and global climate change; * interactions of ETM with surrounding estuarine habitats, watershed and the coastal ocean; * selected comparisons with other estuaries, particularly LMER sites. The Columbia River estuary is characteristic of a major class of land-margin ecosystmes (river estuaries) and differs in many respects from other LMER sites. Because of its distinctiveness and scale, and the importance of large river estuaries to coastal oceans, comparisons of critical processes and properties in the Columbia River estuary with those of LMER sites and selected oterh estuaries will contribut significantly to understanding global variability in land-margin systems and their responses to anthropogenic inputs and changes. Comparative efforts will focus on analysis of particle dynamics, microbial-loop processes, and trophic transfers across LMER systems. Results of these comparisons will be embedded in an estuarine classificiation system that ecnompasses physical, sedimentological and geochemical aspects of temperate estuaries. ***