scholarly journals Assessing water quality of the Chesapeake Bay by the impact of sea level rise and warming

2017 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 012001 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Wang ◽  
L Linker ◽  
H Wang ◽  
G Bhatt ◽  
G Yactayo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The competing impacts of climate change and nutrient reductions on dissolved oxygen in Chesapeake Bay

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac D. Irby ◽  
Marjorie A. M. Friedrichs ◽  
Fei Da ◽  
Kyle E. Hinson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Dissolved Oxygen ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Freshwater Flow ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract. The Chesapeake Bay region is projected to experience changes in temperature, sea level, and precipitation as a result of climate change. This research uses an estuarine-watershed hydrodynamic- biogeochemical modeling system along with projected changes in temperature, freshwater flow, and sea level rise for a 2050 scenario to explore the impact climate change may have on future Chesapeake Bay dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and the potential success of nutrient reductions in attaining mandated estuarine water quality improvements. Results indicate that warming Bay waters will decrease oxygen solubility year-round, while also increasing oxygen utilization via respiration and remineralization, primarily impacting bottom oxygen in the spring. Rising sea level will increase the volume of the Bay, pushing coastal saline water further into the Bay. Changes in precipitation are projected to deliver higher winter and spring freshwater flow and nutrient loads, fueling increased primary production. Together, these multiple climate impacts will lower DO throughout the Chesapeake Bay and negatively impact progress towards meeting water quality standards associated with the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load. However, this research also shows that the potential impacts of climate change will be significantly smaller than improvements in DO expected in response to the required nutrient reductions, especially at the anoxic and hypoxic levels. Overall, increased temperature exhibits the strongest control on the change in future DO concentrations, primarily due to decreased solubility, while sea level rise is expected to exert a small positive impact and increased winter river flow is anticipated to exert a small negative impact.

A Modeling Study of the Impacts of Mississippi River Diversion and Sea-Level Rise on Water Quality of a Deltaic Estuary

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1028-1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongqing Wang ◽  
Qin Chen ◽  
Kelin Hu ◽  
Megan K. La Peyre
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
River Diversion ◽  
And Sea Level ◽  
Modeling Study

scholarly journals The impact of sea-level rise on organic matter decay rates in Chesapeake Bay brackish tidal marshes

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 14689-14708 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Kirwan ◽  
J. A. Langley ◽  
G. R. Guntenspergen ◽  
J. P. Megonigal
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Tidal Marshes ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Rates Of Decay ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The balance between organic matter production and decay determines how fast coastal wetlands accumulate soil organic matter. Despite the importance of soil organic matter accumulation rates in influencing marsh elevation and resistance to sea-level rise, relatively little is known about how decomposition rates will respond to sea-level rise. Here, we estimate the sensitivity of decomposition to flooding by measuring rates of decay in 87 bags filled with milled sedge peat, including soil organic matter, roots and rhizomes. Experiments were located in field-based mesocosms along 3 mesohaline tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Mesocosm elevations were manipulated to influence the duration of tidal inundation. Although we found no significant influence of inundation on decay rate when bags from all study sites were analyzed together, decay rates at two of the sites increased with greater flooding. These findings suggest that flooding may enhance organic matter decay rates even in water-logged soils, but that the overall influence of flooding is minor. Our experiments suggest that sea-level rise will not accelerate rates of peat accumulation by slowing the rate of soil organic matter decay. Consequently, marshes will require enhanced organic matter productivity or mineral sediment deposition to survive accelerating sea-level rise.

scholarly journals The impact of sea-level rise on organic matter decay rates in Chesapeake Bay brackish tidal marshes

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1869-1876 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Kirwan ◽  
J. A. Langley ◽  
G. R. Guntenspergen ◽  
J. P. Megonigal
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Tidal Marshes ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Rates Of Decay ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The balance between organic matter production and decay determines how fast coastal wetlands accumulate soil organic matter. Despite the importance of soil organic matter accumulation rates in influencing marsh elevation and resistance to sea-level rise, relatively little is known about how decomposition rates will respond to sea-level rise. Here, we estimate the sensitivity of decomposition to flooding by measuring rates of decay in 87 bags filled with milled sedge peat, including soil organic matter, roots and rhizomes. Experiments were located in field-based mesocosms along 3 mesohaline tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Mesocosm elevations were manipulated to influence the duration of tidal inundation. Although we found no significant influence of inundation on decay rate when bags from all study sites were analyzed together, decay rates at two of the sites increased with greater flooding. These findings suggest that flooding may enhance organic matter decay rates even in water-logged soils, but that the overall influence of flooding is minor. Our experiments suggest that sea-level rise will not accelerate rates of peat accumulation by slowing the rate of soil organic matter decay. Consequently, marshes will require enhanced organic matter productivity or mineral sediment deposition to survive accelerating sea-level rise.

scholarly journals The competing impacts of climate change and nutrient reductions on dissolved oxygen in Chesapeake Bay

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 2649-2668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac D. Irby ◽  
Marjorie A. M. Friedrichs ◽  
Fei Da ◽  
Kyle E. Hinson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Dissolved Oxygen ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Freshwater Flow ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change ◽  
Oxygen Concentrations

Abstract. The Chesapeake Bay region is projected to experience changes in temperature, sea level, and precipitation as a result of climate change. This research uses an estuarine-watershed hydrodynamic–biogeochemical modeling system along with projected mid-21st-century changes in temperature, freshwater flow, and sea level rise to explore the impact climate change may have on future Chesapeake Bay dissolved-oxygen (DO) concentrations and the potential success of nutrient reductions in attaining mandated estuarine water quality improvements. Results indicate that warming bay waters will decrease oxygen solubility year-round, while also increasing oxygen utilization via respiration and remineralization, primarily impacting bottom oxygen in the spring. Rising sea level will increase estuarine circulation, reducing residence time in bottom waters and increasing stratification. As a result, oxygen concentrations in bottom waters are projected to increase, while oxygen concentrations at mid-depths (3 < DO < 5 mg L−1) will typically decrease. Changes in precipitation are projected to deliver higher winter and spring freshwater flow and nutrient loads, fueling increased primary production. Together, these multiple climate impacts will lower DO throughout the Chesapeake Bay and negatively impact progress towards meeting water quality standards associated with the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load. However, this research also shows that the potential impacts of climate change will be significantly smaller than improvements in DO expected in response to the required nutrient reductions, especially at the anoxic and hypoxic levels. Overall, increased temperature exhibits the strongest control on the change in future DO concentrations, primarily due to decreased solubility, while sea level rise is expected to exert a small positive impact and increased winter river flow is anticipated to exert a small negative impact.

THE IMPRINT OF SEA-LEVEL RISE AND LAND-USE CHANGE ON OYSTER HABITATS IN A SMALL TRIBUTARY CREEK OF THE UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soely Luyando-Flusa ◽  
◽  
Christopher J. Hein ◽  
Leslie Reeder-Myers ◽  
Torben Rick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Small Tributary
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document