scholarly journals Turbulent Exchange Characteristics in the Hypolimnion Layer of Lake Ontario

2001 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Messon B. Gbah ◽  
Y.R. Rao ◽  
Raj C. Murthy
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Sediment Resuspension ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Turbulent Structures ◽  
Nepheloid Layer

Flow regime and turbulence characteristics in a hypolimnion of Lake Ontario are determined using time series current measurements from a vertical string of moored current meters and a bottom mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). The diffusion and turbulent structures of the water column are parameterised in terms of horizontal exchange coefficients for momentum (Kx and Ky) during these deployments. The analysis suggests that the structure of the turbulent fluctuations is isotropic. The kinetic energy and horizontal exchange coefficients decrease with depth. The mean flow at all moorings appears to be strongly correlated with the zonal surface wind stress. Fifteen to twenty metres above the bottom, the flow is marked by an increase in kinetic energy, turbulence intensities, and eddy viscosity coefficients. Strong episodic wind impulse decreases horizontal exchange coefficients through the water column but probably enhances the vertical mixing due to increase in current shear. It is suggested that the associated current-induced sediment resuspension may contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a Nepheloid layer in Lake Ontario.

scholarly journals Turbulence and hypoxia contribute to dense biological scattering layers in a Patagonian fjord system

Ocean Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1185-1206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iván Pérez-Santos ◽  
Leonardo Castro ◽  
Lauren Ross ◽  
Edwin Niklitschek ◽  
Nicolás Mayorga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Turbulent Kinetic Energy ◽  
Tidal Flow ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Eddy Diffusivity ◽  
Diel Vertical Migrations

Abstract. The aggregation of plankton species along fjords can be linked to physical properties and processes such as stratification, turbulence and oxygen concentration. The goal of this study is to determine how water column properties and turbulent mixing affect the horizontal and vertical distributions of macrozooplankton along the only northern Patagonian fjord known to date, where hypoxic conditions occur in the water column. Acoustic Doppler current profiler moorings, scientific echo-sounder transects and in situ plankton abundance measurements were used to study macrozooplankton assemblages and migration patterns along Puyuhuapi Fjord and Jacaf Channel in Chilean Patagonia. The dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy was quantified through vertical microstructure profiles collected throughout time in areas with high macrozooplankton concentrations. The acoustic records and in situ macrozooplankton data revealed diel vertical migrations (DVM) of siphonophores, chaetognaths and euphausiids. In particular, a dense biological backscattering layer was observed along Puyuhuapi Fjord between the surface and the top of the hypoxic boundary layer (∼100 m), which limited the vertical distribution of most macrozooplankton and their DVM, generating a significant reduction of habitat. Aggregations of macrozooplankton and fishes were most abundant around a submarine sill in Jacaf Channel. In this location macrozooplankton were distributed throughout the water column (0 to ∼200 m), with no evidence of a hypoxic boundary due to the intense mixing near the sill. In particular, turbulence measurements taken near the sill indicated high dissipation rates of turbulent kinetic energy (ε∼10-5 W kg−1) and vertical diapycnal eddy diffusivity (Kρ∼10-3 m2 s−1). The elevated vertical mixing ensures that the water column is well oxygenated (3–6 mL L−1, 60 %–80 % saturation), creating a suitable environment for macrozooplankton and fish aggregations. Turbulence induced by tidal flow over the sill apparently enhances the interchange of nutrients and oxygen concentrations with the surface layer, creating a productive environment for many marine species, where the prey–predator relationship might be favored.

scholarly journals Turbulence and hypoxia contribute to dense zooplankton scattering layers in Patagonian Fjord System

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iván Pérez-Santos ◽  
Leonardo Castro ◽  
Nicolás Mayorga ◽  
Lauren Ross ◽  
Luis Cubillos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ◽  
Eddy Diffusivity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dense Layer ◽  
The North ◽  
Diel Vertical Migrations ◽  
And Migration

Abstract. The Puyuhuapi Fjord is an atypical fjord, with two mouths, located in northern Patagonia (44.7° S). One mouth lies to the south, close to the Pacific Ocean, whilst the second connects with the Jacaf Channel to the north where a shallow sill inhibits deep water ventilation contributing to the hypoxic conditions below ~ 100 m depth. Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler moorings, scientific echo sounder transects, and in-situ abundance measurements were used to study zooplankton assemblages and migration patterns along Puyuhuapi Fjord and Jacaf Channel. The acoustic records and in-situ zooplankton data revealed diel vertical migrations of siphonophores, euphausiids and copepods. A dense layer of zooplankton was observed along Puyuhuapi Fjord between the surface and the top of the hypoxic layer (~ 100 m), which acted as a physic-chemical barrier to the distribution and migration of the zooplankton. Aggregations of zooplankton and fishes were generally more abundant around the sill in Jacaf Channel than anywhere within Puyuhuapi Fjord. In particular, zooplanktons were distributed throughout the entire water column to ~ 200 m depth, with no evidence of a hypoxic boundary. Turbulence measurements taken near the sill in the Jacaf Channel indicated high turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates (ε ~ 10−4 W kg−1) and vertical diapycnal eddy diffusivity (Kρ ~ 10−2 m2 s−1) values. These elevated vertical mixing ensures that the water column well oxygenated and promotes zooplanktons aggregation. The sill region represents a major topographic contrast between the two fjords, and we suggest that this is an feature for future research on carbon export and fluxes in these fjords.

scholarly journals Instability Processes in Simulated Finite-Width Ocean Fronts

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 2781-2796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric D. Skyllingstad ◽  
Roger M. Samelson
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Baroclinic Instability ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Surface Fluxes ◽  
Inertial Oscillation ◽  
Finite Width ◽  
Surface Cooling ◽  
Axis Orientation ◽  
Surface Wind Stress

AbstractA simple, isolated front is modeled using a turbulence resolving, large-eddy simulation (LES) to examine the generation of instabilities and inertial oscillations by surface fluxes. Both surface cooling and surface wind stress are considered. Coherent roll instabilities with 200–300-m horizontal scale form rapidly within the front after the onset of surface forcing. With weak surface cooling and no wind, the roll axis aligns with the front, yielding results that are equivalent to previous constant gradient symmetric instability cases. After ~1 day, the symmetric modes transform into baroclinic mixed modes with an off-axis orientation. Traditional baroclinic instability develops by day 2 and thereafter dominates the overall circulation. Addition of destabilizing wind forcing produces a similar behavior, but with off-axis symmetric-Ekman shear modes at the onset of instability. In all cases, imbalance of the geostrophic shear by vertical mixing leads to an inertial oscillation in the frontal currents. Analysis of the energy budget indicates an exchange between kinetic energy linked to the inertial currents and potential energy associated with restratification as the front oscillates in response to the vertically sheared inertial current. Inertial kinetic energy decreases from enhanced mixed layer turbulence dissipation and vertical propagation of inertial wave energy into the pycnocline.

scholarly journals Effects of <sup>238</sup>U variability and physical transport on water column <sup>234</sup>Th downward fluxes in the coastal upwelling system off Peru

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 4919-4936
Author(s):  
Ruifang C. Xie ◽  
Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne ◽  
Insa Rapp ◽  
Jan Lüdke ◽  
Beat Gasser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Coastal Upwelling ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ◽  
Surface Wind Speed ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Poor Correlation ◽  
Carbon Export ◽  
238U Activity

Abstract. The eastern boundary region of the southeastern Pacific Ocean hosts one of the world's most dynamic and productive upwelling systems with an associated oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). The variability in downward export fluxes in this region, with strongly varying surface productivity, upwelling intensities and water column oxygen content, is however poorly understood. Thorium-234 (234Th) is a powerful tracer to study the dynamics of export fluxes of carbon and other elements, yet intense advection and diffusion in nearshore environments impact the assessment of depth-integrated 234Th fluxes when not properly evaluated. Here we use vessel-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler (VmADCP) current velocities, satellite wind speed and in situ microstructure measurements to determine the magnitude of advective and diffusive fluxes over the entire 234Th flux budget at 25 stations from 11 to 16∘ S in the Peruvian OMZ. Contrary to findings along the GEOTRACES P16 eastern section, our results showed that weak surface wind speed during our cruises induced low upwelling rates and minimal upwelled 234Th fluxes, whereas vertical diffusive 234Th fluxes were important only at a few shallow shelf stations. Horizontal advective and diffusive 234Th fluxes were negligible because of small alongshore 234Th gradients. Our data indicated a poor correlation between seawater 238U activity and salinity. Assuming a linear relationship between the two would lead to significant underestimations of the total 234Th flux by up to 40 % in our study. Proper evaluation of both physical transport and variability in 238U activity is thus crucial in coastal 234Th flux studies. Finally, we showed large temporal variations on 234Th residence times across the Peruvian upwelling zone and cautioned future carbon export studies to take these temporal variabilities into consideration while evaluating carbon export efficiency.

scholarly journals Characteristics, Energetics, and Origins of Agulhas Current Meanders and Their Limited Influence on Ring Shedding

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 2294-2314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane Elipot ◽  
Lisa M. Beal
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Energy ◽  
Single Mode ◽  
Cyclonic Circulation ◽  
Recent Analysis ◽  
Altimeter Data ◽  
Western Boundary ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Current Time ◽  
Agulhas Current ◽  
The Mean

AbstractThe Agulhas Current intermittently undergoes dramatic offshore excursions from its mean path because of the downstream passage of mesoscale solitary meanders or Natal pulses. New observations and analyses are presented of the variability of the current and its meanders using mooring observations from the Agulhas Current Time-Series Experiment (ACT) near 34°S. Using a new rotary EOF method, mesoscale meanders and smaller-scale meanders are differentiated and each captured in a single mode of variance. During mesoscale meanders, an onshore cyclonic circulation and an offshore anticyclonic circulation act together to displace the jet offshore, leading to sudden and strong positive conversion of kinetic energy from the mean flow to the meander via nonlinear interactions. Smaller meanders are principally represented by a single cyclonic circulation spanning the entire jet that acts to displace the jet without extracting kinetic energy from the mean flow. Synthesizing in situ observations with altimeter data leads to an account of the number of mesoscale meanders at 34°S: 1.6 yr−1 on average, in agreement with a recent analysis by Rouault and Penven (2011) and significantly less than previously understood. The links between meanders and the arrival of Mozambique Channel eddies or Madagascar dipoles at the western boundary upstream are found to be robust in the 20-yr altimeter record. Yet, only a small fraction of anomalies arriving at the western boundary result in meanders, and of those, two-thirds can be related to ring shedding. Most Agulhas rings are shed independently of meanders.

Photoinhibition of DCMU-Enhanced Fluorescence in Lake Ontario Phytoplankton

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 2144-2154 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Putt ◽  
G. P. Harris ◽  
R. L. Cuhel
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Enhanced Fluorescence ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Light Levels ◽  
Phosphorus Status

Measurement of 1-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) enhanced fluorescence (FDCMU) suggested that photoinhibition of photosynthesis was frequently an artifact of in situ bottle incubations in Lake Ontario phytoplankton. In a seasonal study, FDCMU of all populations was depressed by bright light in an incubator. However, when the euphotic zone did not exceed the depth of the mixed layer, vertical transport of phytoplankton into either low-light or dark regions apparently allowed reversal of photoinhibition of FDCMU. Advantages of FDCMU as a bioassay of vertical mixing include rapidity of response time, ease of measurement in the field, and insensitivity of this parameter to changes in phosphorus status of the population. Because of seasonal changes in the photoadaptive response of natural populations, the rate constants and threshold light levels required to cause the response must be determined at each use if the method is to be quantitative.

Variability of the Horizontal Velocity Structure in the Upper 1600 m of the Water Column on the Equator at 10°W

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 1287-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Bunge ◽  
Christine Provost ◽  
Jonathan M. Lilly ◽  
Marc D’Orgeville ◽  
Annie Kartavtseff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Velocity Component ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ◽  
Horizontal Velocity ◽  
Vertical Shear ◽  
Equatorial Atlantic ◽  
Entire Water Column ◽  
Current Profiler

Abstract This paper presents initial results from new velocity observations in the eastern part of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean from a moored current-meter array. During the “EQUALANT” program (1999–2000), a mooring array was deployed around the equator near 10°W that recorded one year of measurements at various depths. Horizontal velocities were obtained in the upper 60 m from an upward-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and at 13 deeper levels from current meters between 745 and 1525 m. To analyze the quasiperiodic variability observed in these records, a wavelet-based technique was used. Quasiperiodic oscillations having periods between 5 and 100 days were separated into four bands: 5–10, 10–20, 20–40, and 40–100 days. The variability shows (i) a strong seasonality (the first half of the series is dominated by larger periods than the second one) and (ii) a strong dependence with depth (some oscillations are present in the entire water column while others are only present at certain depths). For the oscillations that are present in the entire water column the origin of the forcing can be traced to the surface, while for the others the question of their origin remains open. Phase shifts at different depths generate vertical shears in the horizontal velocity component with relatively short vertical scales. This is especially visible in long-duration events (&gt;100 days) of the zonal velocity component. Comparison with a simultaneous lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP) section suggests that some of these flows may be identified with equatorial deep jets. A striking feature is a strong vertical shear lasting about 7 months between 745 and 1000 m. These deep current-meter observations would then imply a few months of duration for the jets in this region.

scholarly journals Large eddy simulation model for wind-driven sea circulation in coastal areas

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1095-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Petronio ◽  
F. Roman ◽  
C. Nasello ◽  
V. Armenio
Keyword(s):  
Large Eddy Simulation ◽  
Simulation Model ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Eddy Viscosity ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Water Circulation ◽  
Bottom Surface ◽  
Large Eddy Simulation Model ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy

Abstract. In the present paper a state-of-the-art large eddy simulation model (LES-COAST), suited for the analysis of water circulation and mixing in closed or semi-closed areas, is presented and applied to the study of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the Muggia bay, the industrial harbor of the city of Trieste, Italy. The model solves the non-hydrostatic, unsteady Navier–Stokes equations, under the Boussinesq approximation for temperature and salinity buoyancy effects, using a novel, two-eddy viscosity Smagorinsky model for the closure of the subgrid-scale momentum fluxes. The model employs: a simple and effective technique to take into account wind-stress inhomogeneity related to the blocking effect of emerged structures, which, in turn, can drive local-scale, short-term pollutant dispersion; a new nesting procedure to reconstruct instantaneous, turbulent velocity components, temperature and salinity at the open boundaries of the domain using data coming from large-scale circulation models (LCM). Validation tests have shown that the model reproduces field measurement satisfactorily. The analysis of water circulation and mixing in the Muggia bay has been carried out under three typical breeze conditions. Water circulation has been shown to behave as in typical semi-closed basins, with an upper layer moving along the wind direction (apart from the anti-cyclonic veering associated with the Coriolis force) and a bottom layer, thicker and slower than the upper one, moving along the opposite direction. The study has shown that water vertical mixing in the bay is inhibited by a large level of stable stratification, mainly associated with vertical variation in salinity and, to a minor extent, with temperature variation along the water column. More intense mixing, quantified by sub-critical values of the gradient Richardson number, is present in near-coastal regions where upwelling/downwelling phenomena occur. The analysis of instantaneous fields has detected the presence of large cross-sectional eddies spanning the whole water column and contributing to vertical mixing, associated with the presence of sub-surface horizontal turbulent structures. Analysis of water renewal within the bay shows that, under the typical breeze regimes considered in the study, the residence time of water in the bay is of the order of a few days. Finally, vertical eddy viscosity has been calculated and shown to vary by a couple of orders of magnitude along the water column, with larger values near the bottom surface where density stratification is smaller.

scholarly journals Quantifying Suspended Sediment using Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler in Tidung Island Seawaters

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Munandar Manik ◽  
Randi Firdaus
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Suspended Solids ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
In Situ Measurement ◽  
Ocean Current ◽  
Echo Intensity ◽  
Current Profiler

Tidung Island, located near Jakarta Bay, is a tourism and conservation area. It is necessary to keep these seawaters unpolluted. To calculate the level of pollution, it is necessary to know the sediment concentration. Quantifying concentration suspended sediment is important for knowledge of sediment transport. Researchers usually use water sample analysis and optical method for quantifying suspended sediment in seawater. Less accuracies of these methods are due to under sample of seawater and the existence of biological fouling. One promising method to measure concentration of suspended sediment is using Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). ADCP is usually used by oceanographer and hydrographer to measure ocean current. In this research, ADCP with 300 kHz operating frequency was used effectively to measure suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and ocean current simultaneously. The echo intensity received from suspended sediment was computed using sonar equations to quantify SSC. The empirical equation between echo intensity and SSC was found. The SSC value obtained by ADCP was also compared with in situ measurement. The result showed that quantified SSC value obtained by ADCP was nearly equal with SSC obtained from in situ measurement with coefficient correlation of 0.98. The high concentration ranged from 55 mg/L to 80 mg/L at the surface layer to a depth 12 m, moderate concentration ranged from 45 mg/L to 55 mg/L at a depth 12 m to 40 m, and low concentration less than 45 mg/L at a depth greater than 40 m. The distribution of SSC was correlated with ocean current condition. In small currents, suspended solids will settle faster so that the concentration in the water column will decrease. Conversely, if the velocity is high, suspended solids will continue to float carried by the current in the water column so that the concentration is high.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document