Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9480676 | Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science | 2005 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
In this paper, the main physical processes involved in the onset of phytoplankton spring blooms are examined in a tide-dominated estuarine embayment, characterized by weak current velocities, using a 1-D ecosystem model (the European Regional Seas Ecosystem Model) coupled with a 3-D physical model (the Princeton Ocean Model coupled with a sediment transport model) via the off-line method. Simulation results show that a reduction in vertical mixing, caused by the episodic input of buoyant, freshwater inflows from a reservoir during the period of neap tides, is the main physical controlling process on the occurrence of spring algal blooms. Furthermore, sensitivity tests using: (1) layered and (2) depth-averaged monthly vertical eddy diffusivity values reveal that the timing of phytoplankton spring blooms in the model is strongly affected by the parameterization of vertical diffusivity.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Geology
Authors
Do-Seong Byun, Xiao Hua Wang, Deirdre E. Hart, Yang-Ki Cho,