Particle dispersal in the New York Bight Apex

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6870371

Hopkins, T S; Dieterle, D A

A three-dimensional baroclinic circulation model, in conjunction with a particle-in-cell dispersion model, is used to simulate the distributions of various sized particles dumped into the New York Bight Apex. The flow is forced by seasonally representative values of the wind, density, and external sea level fields. Various simulation runs are conducted that track approx. 43,000 particles over approx. 8 day time periods. The movement of the individual particles is specified in a Lagrangian sense using interpolated values of the modeled Eulerian flow. Particle size and mass distribution is simulated by assigning of sinking velocities and abundance to corresponding portions the total particles. The simulation runs are intended to answer certain waste management questions, such as the best and worst environmental conditions for dumping, the dispersal patterns for the river-borne effluent, the depositional sorting of particles, and the retention and dispersal in the pycnocline. Dispersal patterns vary markedly according to forcing conditions, but by no means result in random (optimal) geographic distributions. Depositional pathways for fine (< 3m/d sinking) and heavy particulates are very different. These and other aspects relating to the utility and relevance of this model to waste management strategy in the New York Bight are discussed. 14 references, 17 figures.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6870371
• Report Number(s): BNL-34890; CONF-8405226-1; ON: DE84014564
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring &amp; Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CURRENTS
DISTRIBUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NEW YORK BIGHT
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
SEAS
SIMULATION
SIZE
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SURFACE WATERS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER CURRENTS