Estuarine Circulation and Suspended Sediment Transport in Winayh Bay

A multidisciplinary approach was used to examine the dynamics of flow-particles-contaminants in an impacted estuarine environment. An intensive suite of field measurements was acquired along the upper region of Winyah Bay estuary, southeastern USA during October 2001 (low river discharge condition). Our work was focused on examining the relative importance of advection versus remobilization of contaminants within the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) as processes controlling their overall fate. Concurrent measurements of hydrographic properties, currents, sediment concentration and particle size distribution were combined with the geochemical analyses of water samples. Water samples were filtered to measure the concentrations of total suspended sediments (TSS), particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC), and particular nitrogen (PN), as well as stable carbon isotopes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

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Participants

Coastal Processes and Sediment Dynamics (CPSD) Lab

Organic Geochemistry Lab

Boundary Layer Stress & Sediment Transport (BLASST) Lab

Study Area

Winyah Bay (WB), South Carolina is one of the largest estuaries on the eastern coast. It is subjected to semidiurnal tides with a mean range of 1.4 m at the mouth and 1.0 m at the Sampit River entrance. The WB estuary is characterized as a partially-mixed estuary with moderate vertical stratification during high river discharge (winter) and as a well-mixed estuary during low flow.

(from South Carolina DOQQ Archives)
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Methods

A shipborne 1200 kHz RDI Workhorse ADCP was used to map the current structure along the main axis of the estuary. In addition, an instrumented package consisting of a CTD, an optical backscatterance sensor (OBS), and a Laser In-Situ Scattering Transmissometer (LISST) was slowly lowered through the water column at the station. The data were transmitted and logged real time on board the ship.

Research Vessel: Ferrel (NOAA)

   

 

Deploying Instrument Package (CTD, OBS & LISST)

   

 

ADCP for Continuous Current Mapping

   

Results

Publications

Y.H. Kim and G. Voulgaris, in press, Effect of Channel Bifurcation on Residual Estuarine Circulation: Winyah Bay, South Carolina. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

 

M.A. Goni, M.W. Cathey, Y.H. Kim, and G. Voulgaris, 2005, Fluxes and Sources of Suspended Organic Matter in an Estuarine Turbidity Maximum Region during Low Discharge Conditions, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, v. 63, p.683-700.

 

Y.H. Kim and G. Voulgaris, 2005, Tidal Variability of In-Situ Size of Suspended Flocs in an Estuarine Environment, October 16-20, ERF 2005, Norfolk, Virginia.

 

Y.H. Kim, G. Voulgaris, and M.A. Goni, 2005, Estimation of Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) Fluxes Using Acoustic and Optical Sensors in Estuaries, June 19-24, '05 ASLO summer meeting, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

 

Y.H. Kim and G. Voulgaris, 2003, Estimation of Suspended Sediment Concentration in Estuarine Environments using Acoustic Backscatter from an ADCP, Coastal Sediments '03, May. 18-23, Clearwater beach, FL, p. .

  

Y.H. Kim, G. Voulgaris, R. Styles, M, Cathey and M. Goni, 2003, Transport and Flux of Suspended Sediments in a Partially-Mixed Estuary, Winyah Bay, SC, South Carolina Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Clemson, March 21, Clemson, p. .

  

Y.H. Kim, G. Voulgaris, R. Styles, M, Cathey and M. Goni, 2003, Sediment and Organic Carbon Fluxes in an Impacted Estuary, Winyah Bay, SC: I. Physical Conditions, Southeast Coastal Ocean Science Conference, Jan. 27-31, Charleston, SC, p. 111.

 

M, Cathey, M. Goni, Y.H. Kim, R. Styles and G. Voulgaris, 2003, Sediment and Organic Carbon Fluxes in an Impacted Estuary, Winyah Bay, SC: II. Chemical Interactions, Southeast Coastal Ocean Science Conference, Jan. 27-31, Charleston, SC, p. 106.

R. Styles, R., D. Hooker, G. Voulgaris, Y.H. Kim, M. Goni and M. Cathey, 2003, Topographically-induced Lateral Variations in the Salinity and Current Structure in Winyah Bay, SC, Southeast Coastal Ocean Science Conference, Jan. 27-31, Charleston, SC, p. 106.   กก