Program and Agenda
Abstract
RIVER INFLUENCES ON THE CIRCULATION, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND MODELING OF A LARGE EASTERN BOUNDARY CURRENT ESTUARY
The Columbia River has a river-dominated estuary, with strong tidal and coastal upwelling influences. With the benefit of an observation and prediction system (SATURN, http://www.stccmop.org/saturn), we provide quantitative insights into the influence of river discharges on ecologically relevant estuarine circulation indicators and on modeling skill. Discharges are regulated for hydropower, flood protection and fisheries, and key regional stakeholders are considering – with the help of modeling – important changes in regulation. Supporting the analysis is a simulation database of estuarine circulation, extending for more than a decade. From that database, circulation indicators such as salinity intrusion length, plume volumes, stratification, exchange fluxes and habitat metrics are computed, and their variability is analyzed against river discharge and other forcing – both qualitatively and through multi-regression analysis. Qualitative linkages are then established among river discharges, their regulation and important ecosystem services – ranging from bio-geochemical cycling to fisheries – that have dependencies on the circulation indicators. Our analysis is contextualized by a characterization of the errors in the construction of the simulation databases, including error dependency on river discharge and other forcing.
Authors
Baptista, A. M., Oregon Health & Science University, USA, baptista@stccmop.org
Karna, T., Oregon Health & Science University, USA, karnat@stccmop.org
Seaton, C., Oregon Health & Science University, USA, cseaton@stccmop.org
Details
Poster presentation
Session #:068
Date: 2/27/2014
Time: 16:00 - 18:00
Location: Poster/Exhibit Hall
Presentation is given by student: No
PosterID: 1026
