Research Initiation Awards: Impact of wave on the dynamics of a coastal plume

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The Research Initiation Award project entitled - Impact of Wave on the Dynamics of a Coastal Plume - has the goal to use observational data and numerical modeling experiments to answer three questions about coastal plume dynamics: do wave fields modify coastal plume dynamics; do the river plumes impact on the surface gravity wave field; and is the interaction between the wave field and bathymetry a key factor for the formation of coastal plume dynamics? The research seeks to obtain an understanding of plume dynamics, estuary-ocean water exchange and estuary/coastal wave-current interaction, including the estuarine dynamics of Maryland Coastal Bays and Chesapeake Bay. The educational goal of the project is to increase the engagement of African American undergraduate students in ocean and coastal science research.Many previous plume studies have been focused on correlations between external forcing such as wind or river runoff and plume dynamics. The novelty of this project is its approach to consider the effects of a wave field on plume dynamics and circulation processes. The observational data will provide the historic analysis between plume dynamics for different wave types under other similar external forcing. High resolution numerical models will analyze the effects of waves, such as wave height, period, direction and the plume formation to complement the observational data to enhance an understanding of the effect of waves on plume formation. An understanding of plume dynamics is critical to the understanding of such issues as nutrient loading and eutrophication, bacterial contamination of beaches, carbon exchange and juvenile fish, crab and oyster recruitment. The nearshore circulation induced estuarine plume dynamics could be potentially linked to the life histories of estuarine dependent fish migrations. Given the important relationship of river plumes with the larval transport and fish migration, this work has implications for the shelf-to-estuary transport of pollutants and/or the larval transport and survival of important marine species.