Beyond salt: Effects of estuarine circulation and mixing timescales on biogeochemistry

使用理论方法的简化物理学将允许预测沿海环境，特别是其水质对气候变化的反应。这项研究将试图从简化的物理学中得出可靠的结果，这些结果相当于根据成熟的物理学原理在河口建立的复杂三维计算机模型的结果。然后，这项研究将把碳和溶解氧等海洋地球化学变量纳入理论公式，并探讨河口对可能与气候变异有关的过程的不同反应。该项目将支持一名研究生，其结果将有利于区域利益相关者，如渔业和水产养殖管理人员，国家机构和土著people.本研究的目标有两个方面：1）促进河口垂直混合和水平平流之间的联系的理解，和2）调查运输时间尺度和空间结构对河口生态地球化学性质的影响。这项研究将外推Cokelet Stewart（1985）的流出-回流理论，表明水平交换输送与垂直输送是相当的。该方法是将理论应用于理想化和现实的数值模型的输出。粒子追踪实验将进一步确定哪部分水随交换流进入河口，哪部分水向上混合，成为流出的一部分。该研究还将通过箱型模型探索各种汇率的参数空间。该项目将继续资助一名研究生。结果将最终用于河口水质的研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Simplified physics using theoretical approaches will allow prediction of the response of coastal environments, particularly their water quality, to climate variations. This study will attempt to derive reliable results from simplified physics that are equivalent to results from complex three-dimensional computer models in estuaries, based on full-fledged physics principles. The study will then incorporate biogeochemical variables, such as carbon and dissolved oxygen, in the theoretical formulation and explore different responses of an estuary to processes that can be linked to climate variability. This project will support one graduate student and its results will benefit regional stakeholders such as fishery and aquaculture managers, state agencies and indigenous people.The goals of this study are twofold: 1) to advance understanding of the link between vertical mixing and horizontal advection in estuaries, and 2) to investigate the effects of transport timescales and spatial structure on biogeochemical properties in estuaries. The investigation will extrapolate the efflux-reflux theory of Cokelet & Stewart (1985), showing that horizontal exchange transports are comparable to vertical transports. The approach is to apply the theory to the output from idealized and realistic numerical models. Particle-tracking experiments will further determine which portion of the water is brought into the estuary with the exchange flow and which portion is mixed upward, becoming part of the outflow. The study will also explore a parameter space for various exchange rates, via box models. The project will continue to support one graduate student. Results will eventually be useful for studies of water quality in estuaries.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.