Evolution of sediment plumes in the Chesapeake bay and implications of climate variability.
Fluvial sediment transport impacts fisheries, marine ecosystems, and human health. In the upper Chesapeake Bay, river-induced sediment plumes are generally known as either a monotonic spatial shape or a turbidity maximum. Little is known about plume evolution in response to variation in streamflow and extreme discharge of sediment. Here we propose a typology of sediment plumes in the upper Chesapeake Bay using a 17 year time series of satellite-derived suspended sediment concentration. On the basis of estimated fluvial and wind contributions, we define an intermittent/wind-dominated type and a continuous type, the latter of which is further divided into four subtypes based on spatial features of plumes, which we refer to as Injection, Transport, Temporary Turbidity-Maximum, and Persistent Turbidity-Maximum. The four continuous types exhibit a consistent sequence of evolution within 1 week to 1 month following flood events. We also identify a "shift" in typology with increased frequency of Turbidity-Maximum types before and after Hurricane Ivan (2004), which implies that extreme events have longer-lasting effects upon estuarine suspended sediment than previously considered. These results can serve as a diagnostic tool to better predict distribution and impacts of estuarine suspended sediment in response to changes in climate and land use.
†NOAA/NESDIS/Center for Satellite Applications and Research, 5830 University Research Court, College Park, Maryland 20740, United States.|‡Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, 5825 University Research Court, College Park, Maryland 20740, United States.
Guangming
G
Zheng
†NOAA/NESDIS/Center for Satellite Applications and Research, 5830 University Research Court, College Park, Maryland 20740, United States.
Paul M
PM
DiGiacomo
‡Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, 5825 University Research Court, College Park, Maryland 20740, United States.
Sujay S
SS
Kaushal
†NOAA/NESDIS/Center for Satellite Applications and Research, 5830 University Research Court, College Park, Maryland 20740, United States.
Marilyn A
MA
Yuen-Murphy
‡Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, 5825 University Research Court, College Park, Maryland 20740, United States.
Shuiwang
S
Duan
D061006:Bays; D002980:Climate; D017753:Ecosystem; D055868:Floods; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008396:Maryland; D045483:Rivers; D063809:Satellite Imagery; D014768:Virginia; D014919:Wind