Computer analysis of the spread of pollution on Long Island Beaches

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7316429· OSTI ID:7316429

Tingle, A G

In June 1976 large quantities of garbage and sewage-type debris were washed ashore on most southern Long Island beaches. The floatable debris, of unknown source, threatened industry and public health. In an effort to trace the source, the trajectories of floatables from a variety of hypothetical release points in the New York Bight were simulated using a one-layer ocean model that computes currents, given the bottom topography and the observed winds. It was then assumed that the surface material moves as the vector sum of the currents and 3% of the wind. It was found that the initial beaching was probably due to debris floating in the Bight Apex, and that material from as far south as Atlantic City could have washed ashore during late June. An examination of historical wind records indicated that the persistent southwest winds observed during this period could recur about each three years.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-0016
• OSTI ID: 7316429
• Report Number(s): BNL-50651
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580500* -- Oceanography-- (1980-1989)
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
COASTAL REGIONS
COASTAL WATERS
CURRENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
LAND POLLUTION
MASS TRANSFER
METEOROLOGY
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
MUNICIPAL WASTES
NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
OCEANOGRAPHY
POLLUTION
SEAS
SEWAGE
SHORES
SURFACE WATERS
TRAJECTORIES
USA
WASTES
WATER CURRENTS
WATER POLLUTION
WIND