Transport and transfer rates in the waters of the continental shelf. [Atlantic Ocean]

Technical Report · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5593311· OSTI ID:5593311

Biscaye, P. E.

Samples and data from previous cruises were analyzed with a view to understanding those biological, chemical, and physical processes which affect energy-related pollutants in the marine environment of the continental margin. Two cruises designed to expand the sample base, measure the time variability of several transfer processes, and to test specific hypotheses on the mechanisms for processes which effect exchange of continental margin with open ocean waters were carried out. Progress was made in understanding the relative roles of nutrients and light in controlling the productivity of important primary biomass (and hence, particle) producers. Progress was also made in understanding the influences of phytoplankton populations on distribution of inorganic nutrients, dissolved oxygen and particulate organic matter. In addition, preliminary results from field work support the hypothesis that most diatom production on the shelf sinks to the bottom where it enters benthic food chains or provides seed populations for subsequent blooms. Radionuclides were studied in water columns and in sediments to develop an understanding of processes associated with suspended solids and with sediments as sinks for radionuclides and other pollutants. Major progress was made on the analysis of hydrographic data from all previous cruises and to evolve a comprehensive picture of the stratification of the waters of the New York Bight. The Co/sub 2/-H/sub 2/0 equilibration system required for the preparation of samples for oxygen isotope analysis was completed. Work has continued in the use of radon as a tracer of small scale water motions and mixing in the definition of the source function needed for modelling the data, in actual modelling of the data, and in defining the range of variability of the radon distributions. (JGB)

• Research Organization: Columbia Univ., Palisades, NY (USA). Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-S-02-2185
• OSTI ID: 5593311
• Report Number(s): COO-2185-12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
580500 -- Oceanography-- (1980-1989)
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
COASTAL WATERS
CURRENTS
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DATA FORMS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGRAMS
DISPERSIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS
GRAPHS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
HYDROLOGY
INFORMATION
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
MIXING
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
POLLUTION
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADON 222
RADON ISOTOPES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
SUSPENSIONS
TABLES
THORIUM ISOTOPES
TRACE AMOUNTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM
UPTAKE
USA
WASTES
WATER CURRENTS
WATER POLLUTION
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES