Using ROMS to Model the Distribution of Hypoxic Water in Narragansett Bay, RI USA

1
Using ROMS to Model the Distribution of Hypoxic
Water in Narragansett Bay, RI USA
Deanna Bergondo and Chris Kincaid University of
Rhode Island Narragansett, RI 02852
USA dbergondo_at_gso.uri.edu
University of Rhode Island
2
Narragansett Bay

• Three drowned river valleys West Passage, East
  Passage and Sekonnet River
• Five major rivers Tauton, Blackstone, Pawtuxet,
  Woonasquatucket, and Moshassuck
• Mean salinity of 29-31ppt
• Tends to be moderately stratified in summer,
  though some areas can be highly stratified and at
  some times there can be strong mixing

3
Narragansett Bay

4
Bullock Reach - July 2001
5
Bullock Reach - August 2002
6
Hypoxia in Narragansett Bay
Wind
Moderate to High Q Low Tidal Range Low to
Moderate Wind from the North
Wind
Low to Moderate Q High Tidal Range Moderate Wind
Wind
High Tidal Range Strong Wind
7
Narragansett Bay
8
Greenwich Bay Fish Kill
Pollution, rain created a toxic bathtub in
Greenwich Bay Remedies will be neither easy nor
cheap, environmentalists say. Sunday, August
24, 2003 BY NEIL SHEA and DANIEL
BARBARISIJournal Staff Writers
http//www.savebay.org/index_next.asp
Photo by Tom Ardito Narragansett Bay Estaury
Program
9
Greenwich Bay Fish Kill
Photo by Tom Ardito Narragansett Bay Estaury
Program
10
Hypoxia in Narragansett Bay 2003
11
Hypoxia in Narragansett Bay 2003
Bergondo, Kester, Stoffel, and Woods, Marine
Chemistry, In Press
12
Model Domain
Grid 0.5 km x 118 y 70 z 10
13
Flow Through Providence River Transect
Depth (m)
Wind from North
Depth (m)
Distance across channel (km)
14
Flow Through Providence River Transect
Depth (m)
West
East
Wind from South
Depth (m)
West
East
Distance across channel (km)
15
Tracking Hypoxic Water
6 m/s from SW
6 m/s from NE
16
Tracking Hypoxic Water
17
ADCP Data
Under what conditions is water flushed from the
Providence River into the Upper Bay and Greenwich
Bay?
18
Future Work

• Create higher resolution grid for the Upper Bay
  and Providence River
• Incorporate data assimilation to the model
• Apply the Fasham based biological model to
  Narragansett Bay - compare with the results of
  the Kremer and Nixon ecological model and field
  data
• Use model to simulate nitrogen-reduction
  experiments taking place in the Bay

19
(No Transcript)
20
North Prudence Transect
21
ADCP Data from Providence River
22
Tracking Hypoxic Water