Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8870820 | Marine Pollution Bulletin | 2018 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
Numerical experiments using a 3D model of fine sediment transport in the Great Barrier Reef region indicate deposition of the bulk mass of catchment sediments from river plumes within a few tens of kilometres from river mouths. A very fine fraction of easily resuspended catchment sediment has a capacity to propagate over much greater distances reaching out into the mid-shelf and outer-shelf regions. The model suggests such particles, instrumental to the development of low density flocs in the marine environment, can play a critical role in altering optical properties of water masses over the shelf during wet years. The mid-term (4â¯year) impact of Great Barrier Reef catchments on the probability of suspended sediment concentration exceeding the ecologically significant trigger value of 2â¯mg/L is confined to inshore regions adjacent to river mouth locations.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Oceanography
Authors
N. Margvelashvili, J. Andrewartha, M. Baird, M. Herzfeld, E. Jones, M. Mongin, F. Rizwi, B.J. Robson, J. Skerratt, K. Wild-Allen, A. Steven,