Parameter Space of the Columbia River Estuarine Turbidity Maxima
Abstract
We present observations of estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) in the North Channel of the Columbia River estuary (OR and WA, USA) covering different river discharge and flood tide conditions. Measurements were made using optical backscattering sensors on two REMUS-100 autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) during spring 2012, summer 2013, and fall 2012. Although significant short term variability in AUV measured optical backscatter was observed, some clustering of the data occurs around the estuarine regimes defined by a mixing parameter and a freshwater Froude number (Geyer & MacCready [2014]). Similar clustering is observed in long term time series of turbidity from the SATURN observatory. We will use available measurements and numerical model simulations of suspended sediment to further explore the variability of suspended sediment dynamics within a frame work of estuarine parameter space.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMEP33A0962M
- Keywords:
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- 1815 Erosion;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1862 Sediment transport;
- HYDROLOGY