Embayment Hydrodyanmics

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Embayment Hydrodyanmics

• Edwin A. Cowen, Francisco J. Rueda, Alexandra T.
  King, Kristi L. Kull, Peter J. Rusello
• Civil Environmental Engineering Cornell
  University

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Embayment Processes

• Barotropically (water surface elevation gradient)
  driven flows
• Baroclinically (density gradient) driven flows
• Event driven flows ? upwelling!
• The effects of macrophytes on transport

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Barotropically Driven Transport
S1
S2
S3
Wind
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Water Column Temperature Response at S2
S1
S2
S3
Wind
Depth
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Ebb and Flood Flow Volumes are not the Same ?
Every Cycle has a Net Exchange!
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Baroclinically Driven Transport
1
2
1
2
7
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
8
S2
S1
Top
Channel temperature
Bottom
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Event Driven Flows ? Upwelling!
S1
S2
S3
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How Frequently does Upwelling Occur?
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Temporal Variability of Exchange Rates
Numerical estimates Volume of Lake Ontario
water that penetrates in LS in 4-day simulations
starting on listed Release day
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Contribution to Total Transport
Echange flows always dominate!
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What we are Doing to Promote Integrated Research

• Macrophytes
• Working with Bob Johnson to characterize effects
  of spatial and temporal patterns of macrophyte
  abundance on residence time.
• Working with Bill Philpot to develop remote
  sensing techniques for quantifying macrophyte
  mass.

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8-23
8-21
Release on 8-20-2002 1600h
8-29
8-26
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What we are Doing to Promote Integrated Research

• Macrophytes
• Working with Bob Johnson to characterize effects
  of spatial and temporal patterns of macrophyte
  abundance on residence time.
• Working with Bill Philpot to develop remote
  sensing techniques for quantifying macrophyte
  mass.
• Phytoplankton
• Working with Ellners group to develop models
  that incorporate realistic phytoplankton vertical
  migration with what hydrodynamic models

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Upwelling Driven Exchange Appears to Correlate
with Secchi Disk Depth Reduction Nutrient Flux
Driven Biological Growth?
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What we Hope to Achieve on the Interdisciplinary
Front

• What water residence time scale(s) correlate to
  the residence time of living organisms in the
  embayment?
• What water residence time scale is the relevant
  time scale for population dynamics?
• Is it possible to establish a unique physical
  time scale that captures the dependence of the
  ecosystem (as a whole) on water exchange
  processes?

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What we are Planning to Promote Interdisciplinary
Research?

• Continue our study of Sterling Pond and the
  hydrodynamics critical links to rooted
  macrophytes.
• Begin to look at the effect of Lake Ontario water
  on phytoplankton (chlorophyll-a) levels in Little
  Sodus Bay (Hairston, Driscoll we would love
  your help!).
• Begin to look at the effect of spatial
  variability in hydrodynamic fluxes on spatial
  variability of phytoplankton (chlorophyll-a)
  levels

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A Really Interesting Link?

• Look at the front between Lake Ontario and
  Embayment water that exists in all connected
  embayments as a key ecological feature and
  location of strong primary productivity

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