Land based sources of pollution//source estimates

Alan E Strong Alan.E.Strong at noaa.gov
Wed Oct 3 13:25:49 EDT 2001


Alina -- An interesting observation.....Folks we have been working with in the GBR
see evidence of increased pressure offshore in the recent decade....does this mean
greater sea-breezes from increased ocean-land temperature/pressure differences?  It
may also have something to do with PDO...that the latest GRL tells us is equatorally
driven!?

We hope to be looking at this more closely in the years ahead...

Cheers,
Al

"Alina M. Szmant" wrote:

> Bob and others:
> ...
> I have a hypothesis that I have been bandying around for a few years that
> it's been more windy since the mid 1980s and 1990s which could be an effect
> of global warming (more heat, more wind) [this is based on a gut impression
> that in spite of having bigger and better boats than I had access to in the
> 1970's, we have more days that we are weathered out now than a few decades
> back].   More frequent or more severe storms all year long could result in
> lower overall water clarity in areas like the Florida Keys where there is
> lots of sediment to resuspend (I gave a presentation about all this in
> Bali, but mea culpa, mea culpa I haven't written it up yet).  If those of
> you that like to work with climate data would have access to good wind
> records, I suggest someone look at the frequency and duration of higher
> wind events over the past 50 years or more, by passing the data thru some
> kind of filter that looks for the higerh energy events (e.g. 15+ knots for
> 24+ hrs):  it takes a minimum period of high winds to really get things
> stirred up, but if the rough conditions persist for too long, suspended
> sediments are likely flushed out of the system).  Thus, not enough
> resuspension could result in fine sediments building up to eventually
> become a problem (nutrients will also build up); frequent moderate energy
> events may make the system turbid a lot of the time depending on whether
> net flow rids the system of the resuspended fines; occasional major events
> help flush the system of both sediments and nutrients.  Thus wind regimes
> (and their change over time as climate changes) could make a big difference
> in the environment conditions reefs have to deal with, and their "health".
> ...
>
> Alina Szmant

**** <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< ******* <>< *******
Alan E. Strong
Acting Chief, Oceanic Research & Applications Division
Team Leader, Marine Applications Science Team (MAST)
Phys Scientist/Oceanographer
  NOAA/NESDIS/ORA/ORAD -- E/RA3
  NOAA Science Center -- RM 711W
  5200 Auth Road
  Camp Springs, MD 20746-4304
        Alan.E.Strong at noaa.gov
             301-763-8102 x170
              FAX: 301-763-8572
  http://orbit-net.nesdis.noaa.gov/orad

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