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Learning about Puget Sound: MIXED

Kate Edwards

UW Applied Physics Lab

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MIXED

Model/measurement integration experiment in estuary dynamics

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MIXED

Who – UW, government scientists

What – Fieldwork, modeling

When – Spring bloom 2003

Why – Biophysical coupling in south Sound

Where – Carr Inlet, south Sound

How – Collaboration … you?

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Motivation

• Study coupled ecosystem of south Sound– Biology, chemistry, circulation, runoff, weather– Role in spring bloom?

• Can we model these processes?– Test hypotheses

• What affects productivity in an area vulnerable to nutrification?

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Water pollution sources

From SPASM web page, http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/spasm/spasm_results.html

South Sound: problems on the horizon

Newton, J.A. 1995. Observations of El Niño weather conditions reflected in the temperatures and salinities of Puget Sound monitoring stations. In Puget Sound Research '95 Proceedings, 2: 979-991.

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Population growth

Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Ecosystem Indicators Report, 2002

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MIXED location: Carr Inlet

July 1990 aerial photo mosaic, USGS website

Tacoma Narrows

Huge Creek

Chambers Creek

Carr Inlet

ORCA

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MIXED components• BioFloat• Ship surveys • Integrated physical model• Aquatic Biochemistry Cycling Model• ORCA• Multiple funding sources, investigators

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BioFloat (Eric D’Asaro, Rick Reynolds)

– Temperature, salinity, radiometer– Oxygen, chlorophyll

BioFloat figures from proposal, personal communication (D’Asaro), and http://opd.apl.washington.edu/~dasaro/Oregon/OregonBio.html

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BioFloat data examples

Growth rate vs available light

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Ship surveys (Jan Newton)

• RV Skookum – 10 stations along BioFloat track (26’ vessel)

• Conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD)

• Oxygen, chlorophyll, nutrients (bottles)

• Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)

Dept of Ecology photo

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Coupled physical model (Mitsuhiro Kawase, Kate Edwards)

• Stratification, circulation of Puget Sound

• Water – Princeton Ocean Model

• Atmospheric forcing – Mesoscale Meteorological Model 5

• River runoff - Hydromet

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Aquatic Biogeochemical Cycling (ABC) model

• Productivity at a single point

• Model biological processes (grazing, productivity)

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time (days)

NO3

Diatoms

Copepods

Jan Newton PRISM seminar, http://www.prism.washington.edu/lc/PRDOCS/retreat2002/

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What do we already know?

• ORCA profiler (2000-present)

• Model output

• WA Department of Ecology stations, PRISM cruises– Monthly stations for several years

• ADCP mooring and sections

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Oceanic Remote Chemical-optical Analyzer (ORCA)

Hourly profiles

Weather observations

Temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll, light

Picture from ORCA website, http://orcabase.ocean.washington.edu/

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Modeling the flow

• Animation of velocity for January

• High mixing due to vertical shear?

• Complicated circulation: what are we seeing at ORCA?

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MIXED recap

• Learn about spring bloom in an area vulnerable to nutrification

• Biological, chemical, physical observations

• Modeling

• Where do you come in?

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Sample projects

• Zooplankton grazing rate in south Sound. Levels before/after bloom?

• Species composition of Carr Inlet. Do micro or macro algae dominate?

• Nutrient analysis, chemistry of Carr Inlet

• Internal tide analysis• Dissipation of tidal energy, mixing• 3D stratification of the Inlet• Internal wave study using satellite data• Other ideas!

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How to learn more• http://www.prism.washington.edu/lc/PRMIXED/

• Email Kate Edwards (edwards@apl.washington.edu)

• Al Devol presentation on ORCA today

• Mitsuhiro Kawase presentation 12/11