U.S.-Brazil Cooperative Research on Dynamic Characteristics of Coastal Lagoons: Lagoa de Araruara, Rio de Janeiro

该奖项支持南卡罗来纳大学的Bjorn KJerfve与巴西尼特罗伊联邦弗卢米嫩塞大学的Bastiaan Knoppers合作开展的物理海洋学研究。这项工作将包括测量弗卢米嫩塞海岸线上最大的沿海泻湖的动态特征。在计划中的密集开发开始之前，为泻湖的动态建立一个基线是至关重要的。这个泻湖是高盐度的，与海洋隔绝(不像有混合区的河口)。要测量的特征包括盐度结构、沉降率(径流)、风效应、营养物质浓度、温度和蒸发率以及潮汐动力学。这些数据将与之前进行过海洋学和生态学研究的其他淡水和微咸水泻湖的数据进行比较。世界各地都有沿海泻湖，特别是在新英格兰和美国的墨西哥湾沿岸。并不是所有的泻湖都处于干旱气候中，但气候变化会影响水文和生态过程，对这个高盐度例子的研究将扩大这种影响的范围。它还将增加正在进行的广泛的生物、化学、地质和地理工作，以及正在对这些泻湖进行的健康、社会学和经济学研究的调查。对这些数据的建模和使用将有助于发展对泻湖系统中的线性和非线性过程的预测能力。KJerfve在水文学和生态学方面的经验将补充巴西多学科小组的经验，特别是Knoppers的生物地球化学工作。学生将在巴西参与这项工作，一些学生将在美国攻读博士学位，跟踪这项实地工作。

This award supports cooperative research in physical oceanography to be conducted by Bjorn Kjerfve of the University of South Carolina in collaboration with Bastiaan Knoppers of the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niteroi, Brazil. The work will consist of the measurement of the dynamic characteristics of the largest coastal lagoon along the Fluminense coastline. It is vital to establish a base line for lagoon dynamics before planned intense development begins. This lagoon is hypersaline, being choked off from the ocean (unlike estuaries where there is a mixing zone). Characteristics to be measured include salinity structure, sedimentation rates (runoff), wind effects, nutrient concentration, temperatures and evaporation rates and tidal dynamics. These data will be compared to those taken in other fresh and brackish water lagoons in which previous oceanographic and ecological studies have been carried out. There are coastal lagoons around the world, notably in New England and the Gulf coast of the U.S. Not all of them are in arid climates but climatic variability affects hydrological and ecological processes and the study of this hypersaline example will extend the range of such effects. It will also add to the extensive biological, chemical, geological and geographical work in progress as well as investigations in health, sociology and economics studies underway on these lagoons. Modelling and the use of this data will help develop predictive capability for linear and nonlinear processes in lagoon systems. Kjerfve's experience in hydrology and ecology will complement those of the Brazilian multidisciplinary team and in particular the biogeochemical work of Knoppers. Students will participate in the work in Brazil and some will follow this field work with Ph.D. studies in the U.S.