Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Influence Of Suspended Particle Properties On Optical Properties And Resultant Water Clarity Along A Partially-Mixed Estuary, York River, Virginia, Usa, Kelsey Fall, Carl Friedrichs, Grace M. Cartwright, David Bowers

Presentations

The Chesapeake Bay and its associated tidal tributaries are among the many coastal systems where degraded water clarity is a major concern. Despite long-term decreases in sediment input, water clarity has continued to deteriorate, especially in the southern Bay. Here it is proposed that the disconnect between water clarity and sediment input is related to the dynamic nature of locally suspended estuarine particles, as well as the interaction between suspended organic particles and inorganic solids. Typical estuarine particles are not single solid particles, but clusters of inorganic and organic particles and water (i.e., flocs). Floc properties (such as size, composition, …