Hydrology Commons^™

On The Contribution Of The Gulf Stream To High Frequency Coastal Sea Level Variability, Tal Ezer

CCPO Publications

Long-term Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream (GS) variability were linked in past studies to coastal sea level (CSL) change along the U.S. East Coast - a weakening GS can lead to rise in CSL and increased coastal flooding. However, high frequency variability (HFV) in CSL is, in most cases, attributed to atmospheric weather events. This study is focused on HFV (intraseasonal variations with periods between similar to 1 week and similar to 2 months) in the GS and in CSL. First, wavelet and spectral analysis of observations of the Florida Current transport and CSL characterized the HFV in the data, …

Basal Melting Variability Of The Ross Ice Shelf From Mixing Ratios Of Simulated Water Masses (1993-2018) And Potential Climatic Drivers, Enrico Pochini, Andrea Bergamasco, Florence Colleoni, Manuel Bensi, Giorgio Budillon, Pasquale Castagno, Michael S. Dinniman, Pierpaolo Falco, Emanuele Forte, Vedrana Kovačević, Stefanie L. Mack

CCPO Publications

Several water masses circulate under the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS), the largest ice shelf in Antarctica, each causing basal melting with a specific spatio-temporal pattern. To investigate these patterns and their variability, we applied a mixing ratio analysis to simulated water masses from a new numerical ocean model of the Ross Sea. The simulation, which was run over 26 years (1993–2018) and which includes the RIS cavity, shows good agreement with seaborne and mooring observations. The total RIS basal melt rate is 90 Gt/yr on average, and is caused mostly by High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW) (68%), which enters the …

Regional Oceanographic Controls On Water Column Nitrogen Fixation In Northern Australian Waters, Douglas G. Capone, Ajit Subramaniam, Yubin Raut, Joseph P. Montoya, Margaret R. Mulholland, Rachel Ann Foster, Miles Furnas, Edward J. Carpenter

OES Faculty Publications

Large blooms of the diazotrophic cyanobacteria, Trichodesmium, have been re-ported along the north coast of Australia and are readily evident in remote sensing images. During a research cruise in November 1999, we sampled from Townsville to Broome, examined Trichodesmium population densities and their rates of carbon and N₂ fixation alongside microscopy-based cell counts of them and other cyanobacte-rial diazotrophs. Additionally, we also enumerated the picophytoplankton community using flow-cytometry, measured bulk chlorophyll concentrations, carbon and N₂ fixation rates, and water column hydrography, enabling comparison of diazotrophic and picophytoplankton functional groups across the system. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis of physicochemical oceanographic …

Drivers Of Phytoplankton Bloom Interannual Variability In The Amundsen And Pine Island Polynyas, Guillaume Liniger, Delphine Lannuzel, Sébastien Moreau, Michael S. Dinniman, Peter G. Stutton

CCPO Publications

The Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) experiences both the highest ice shelf melt rates and the highest biological productivity in West Antarctica. Using 19 years of satellite data and modelling output, we investigate the long-term influence of environmental factors on the phytoplankton bloom in the Amundsen Sea (ASP) and Pine Island (PIP) polynyas. We test the prevailing hypothesis that changes in ice shelf melt rate could drive interannual variability in the polynyas' surface chlorophyll-a (chl a) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP). We find that the interannual variability and long-term change in glacial meltwater may play an important role in …

The Shoreline Protection Potential Of Oyster Reefs: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jessica R. Fergel, Robert E. Isdell, Gabriella Dipetto, Karinna Nunnez, Sean T. Gregory, Evan Hill, Donna Marie Bilkovic

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Nature-based solutions for erosion control that incorporate oyster reefs, alone or in combination with other habitats, are an increasingly popular approach due to their potential to protect shorelines and enhance oyster production. However, the extent to which natural or constructed oyster reefs provide shoreline protection remains unclear. We conducted a global systematic literature review and meta-analysis to summarize and evaluate the potential of oyster reefs in attenuating waves, promoting sediment accretion, and/or reducing shoreline erosion. Factors extracted from studies included shoreline protective measures examined, oyster reef structure type, and oyster reef tidal location. The results of the meta-analysis showed generally …

A Hybrid Cnn-Lstm Surrogate Model For Hyper-Resolution Spatiotemporal Flood Forecasting In Norfolk, Virginia, Yidi Wang, Jonathan L. Goodall, Chetan Kumar, Diana Mcspadden, Sergio A. Barbosa, Binata Roy, Ali Shahabi, Navid Tahvildari

Data Science Faculty Publications

Study region

Norfolk, Virginia, United States

Study focus

Accurate and timely flood forecasting is essential for enhancing resilience in coastal urban areas in the context of increasing frequency and intensity of rainfall, sea level rise and urbanization. This study presents a hybrid deep learning-based surrogate model that integrates Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to enable real-time spatiotemporal flood forecasting. The model leverages CNN to capture spatial features from inputs such as elevation and Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), while LSTM processes time-series inputs of rainfall and tide data to capture temporal features.

New hydrologic insights for …

Applying Transfer Learning For Street-Scale Nuisance Flood Forecasting In Coastal-Urban Environments, Binata Roy, Jonathan L. Goodall, Diana Mcspadden, Chetan Kumar, Steven Goldenberg, Yidi Wang, Malachi Schram

Data Science Faculty Publications

An important challenge with Machine Learning (ML) is its transferability; that is, whether an ML model trained on one set of data can be applied to a second set of data without requiring full retraining of the model. Transfer Learning (TL) addresses this challenge by transferring knowledge learned in the source domain (the data it was trained on) to the target domain (a second set of data that is statistically different but related, which the model was not trained on). This study investigates the use of TL for street-scale nuisance flood forecasting by exploring whether an ML model trained for …

Climate Change Impacts On Hydrology In The Upper James Watershed, Imiya Mudiyanselage Chathuranika, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Hydrological modeling of the Upper James Watershed (UJW), Virginia, is critical for predicting water availability, flood management, agriculture, ecosystem protection, and hydropower production under increasing climate change. The Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) is applied to evaluate climate change impacts on key hydrological components within the watershed. Future climate conditions were assessed for the near (NF: 2026-2050), mid (MF: 2051-2075), and far (FF: 2076-2100) periods using three Global Climate Models (GCMs) under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways SSP 2-4.5 and SSP 5-8.5. Climate data were bias-corrected using the Linear Scaling Method (LSM) and used to drive the HEC-HMS model. Results project …

Flood-Season Surface Water-Groundwater Interactions Across Distinct Geomorphic Units In A Yellow River Great Bend Tributary Basin, Yinlong Wang, Ruizhong Gao, Debin Jia, Xixi Wang, Tingxi Liu, Xiaomin Liu, Shiming Bai

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Surface water-groundwater interactions are complex in the Great Bend region of the Yellow River. Clarifying water exchange and source differences among geomorphic units is important for understanding regional hydrological processes and improving water resources management. In this study, the Wulanmulun River Basin, a typical tributary of the Yellow River, was selected as the study area. A total of 90 water samples were collected, including 25 river water samples, 43 groundwater samples, and 22 precipitation samples. Gibbs diagrams, multivariate statistical analysis, PMF, and MixSIAR models were used to investigate the hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics, source contributions, and transformation relationships of surface …

Multi-Isotope Tracing Reveals Nitrate And Sulfate Sources And Fate Across Contrasting Activity Zones In A Semi-Arid Basin Of Northern China, Chang Yue, Ruizhong Gao, Limin Duan, Tianke Su, Xixi Wang, Tingxi Liu, Guoqiang Wang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

In semi-arid surface water-groundwater systems, nitrate (NO₃^–) and sulfate (SO₄²^–) are jointly influenced by natural processes and anthropogenic activities, yet how their sources, transformations, and export vary across contrasting activity zones remains insufficiently understood. Integrating hydrochemistry, multiple stable isotopes, a Bayesian isotope mixing model, and representative-section flux analysis, this study investigated the source compositions, transformation processes, and export differences of NO₃^– and SO₄²^– in the Dahei River Basin.   New hydrological insights for the region: Results showed greater SO₄²^– enrichment in high-activity zones, whereas NO₃^– exceedance was more prominent in low-activity zones. In …

Short-Term Response Mechanisms Of Water Quantity And Quality Of Daihai Lake Under Temperature-Driven Changes, Hao Zhang, Xiaohong Shi, Xianhua Li, Junping Lu, Ruizhong Gao, Xixi Wang, Shuhao Zhang, Longmei Xie, Yu Liu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Temperature-driven mechanisms involving complex feedback and lag that affect the evolution of hydrological processes and ecological functions in cold- and arid-region lakes represent a core scientific issue in current hydrology and lake ecology research. In this study, based on month-scale temperature and environmental factor data from Daihai Lake in Inner Mongolia from January to December 2023, statistical methods (redundancy analysis, Tukey's test analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling), time series analysis methods (dynamic time warping), and machine learning methods (random forest) were combined. A hierarchical and phased response framework was constructed that encompassed driver identification, path tracing, lag characterization, and …

Seasonal And Geologic Controls On Submarine Groundwater Discharge-Derived Nutrient Fluxes To Two Coastal Embayments, Moira Taylor, Joseph J. Tamborski, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Nathaniel Maynard

OES Faculty Publications

Submarine groundwater discharge and porewater exchange are critical but often overlooked sources of nutrients to coastal systems. This study investigates how sediment permeability and summer-winter seasonal dynamics influence the magnitude and biogeochemistry of nutrient fluxes from submarine groundwater discharge and porewater exchange. Reaction rates in the subterranean estuary were used to identify the transformations and drivers of nutrient loading in two geologically distinct embayments in the U.S. East Coast: the highly permeable Peconic Bay estuary (NY), and the surficially fine-grained coastal embayments of the southern Delmarva Peninsula (VA). We applied radium isotope mass balances to distinguish total submarine groundwater discharge …

Autonomous Float Data Reveal Decoupled Trends In Chlorophyll And Stratification In The Indian Ocean, Marufa Ishaque, Sophie Clayton, John Klinck

OES Faculty Publications

Recent studies have shown that the Indian Ocean is warming significantly, but how this warming impacts primary production is largely unresolved due to a relative lack of depth-resolved biological observations. In this study, we have used Biogeochemical-Argo data from 2013 to 2022, comprising over 9,000 individual profiles, to examine regional patterns and trends in depth-integrated chlorophyll, depth-integrated net primary production and stratification in the northern and Equatorial Indian Ocean. Our analysis shows that water column stratification is increasing in the majority of the study area, with the highest rate of increase observed in the western Bay of Bengal. At the …

Recirculated Submarine Groundwater Discharge Dominates Nutrient Inputs And Enhances Eutrophication Risk In A Coastal Lagoon, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Clara Ruiz-González, Marc Diego-Feliu, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Daniel Romano-Gude, Andrea G. Bravo, Júlia Dordal-Soriano, Javier Gilabert, Sophia Bergeler, Celine Lavergne, Gemma Casas, Marisol Manzano, Jordi Garcia-Orellana, Valentí Rodellas

OES Faculty Publications

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a widely recognized pathway for nutrient transport to coastal systems. Prior studies overlook the unique biogeochemical signatures of different SGD pathways, neglecting their differences in biogeochemical transformations and spatiotemporal factors. Here, we present an integrated assessment of nutrient delivery through three SGD pathways (fresh SGD, long‐scale recirculated SGD, and short‐scale porewater exchange), alongside surface water inputs, to evaluate their seasonality and impact on nutrient dynamics in a coastal lagoon. We conducted five field surveys in March, July, and November 2021, July 2024, and March 2025 in the Mar Menor lagoon, an ecosystem facing severe ecological …

Unintended Consequences Of Estuarine Management Within The Trajectory Of Recovery: Examples From The Chesapeake Bay, Jessica S. Turner, Fei Da, Molly M. Mitchell

OES Faculty Publications

Estuaries are vital ecosystems that support biodiversity, human populations, and economic activities such as fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. Managing estuarine systems often involves interventions to regulate sediment and nutrient inputs with the goal of improving water quality, and subsequently the economic values of the estuary. However, these management strategies can produce unintended consequences. The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary recovering from eutrophication which provides clear case studies for these patterns. In the Chesapeake Bay, decreased sediment inputs, resulting from shoreline stabilization and watershed modifications, can impair marsh resilience to sea level rise and disrupt sediment-light-algal interactions affecting water clarity. Likewise, …

Changepoint Analyses Confirms Global Tropical Cyclone Frequency Decline, Michael Wehner, Thomas Fisher, Norou Diawara, Robert Lund

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Changes in tropical cyclone frequencies as the climate warms is a topic of significant current debate [1, 2]. There is no accepted theory of how tropical cyclogenesis might respond to a warmer ocean-atmosphere system as multiple controlling factors exist [3–7]. Anthropogenic warming of surface ocean temperatures due to increased greenhouse gas concentrations [8] increases the potential for tropical cyclogenesis [9–11]; however, realized cyclogenesis also requires an initial local disturbance [12–16] to develop. Most multi-decadal tropical cyclone permitting climate models (i.e. resolutions of 15-50km) exhibit frequency decreases in warmer climates, despite the increase in tropical cyclogenesis potential [17–25]. In this paper, …

Using Radium Isotopes To Compare Nutrient Inputs Via Submarine Groundwater Discharge To Offshore Export On The West Florida Shelf, Andrew L. Lindgren

OES Theses and Dissertations

Radium isotopes have been used to trace submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and associated nutrient and metal inputs into the coastal ocean. They have also been used to estimate rates of diffusive mixing and export fluxes of dissolved constituents offshore. However, use of both approaches in tandem to determine the fate of groundwater inputs after they enter the coastal ocean is still relatively unexplored. Radium isotopes and nutrients were measured in two cross-shelf cruises on the West Florida Shelf in different seasons and in quarterly sampling of offshore wells. Through 226Ra mass balance and 223Ra-derived diffusive mixing rates, inputs of nutrients …

Topographic Forcing Of Submesoscale Instability In The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Laur Ferris, Donglai Gong, John Klinck

CCPO Publications

Subpolar frontal zones are characterized by energetic storms, intense seasonal cycles, and close connectivity with surrounding continental shelf topography. At the same time, predicting the ocean state depends on appropriate partition of resolved and parameterized dynamics, the latter of which requires understanding the dynamical processes generating diffusivity throughout the water column. While submesoscale frontal instabilities are shown to produce turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and mixing in the surface boundary layer (SBL) of the global ocean, their development in complex dynamical regimes (e.g., elevated preexisting turbulence, large ageostrophic shear, or in proximity to topographic boundaries) is less understood. This study investigates …

Surface Currents In The Mid-Atlantic Bight: The Role Of The Gulf Stream Versus Wind, Tal Ezer

CCPO Publications

Surface currents of the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) were studied using high frequency radar (HFR) observations at 6 km resolution during a five-year period (2020-2024). The study's focus on the role of the Gulf Stream (GS) contrasts with most past studies that focused on the seasonal wind-driven currents. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analyses of the daily HFR currents were conducted with and without the GS, revealing modes of current variability linked to the seasonal wind pattern and storms versus modes linked to GS variability. The remote impact of the GS on coastal currents is complex, with different impacts seen on different …

Applying Transfer Learning For Street-Scale Nuisance Flood Forecasting In Coastal-Urban Cities, Binata Roy, Jonathan L. Goodall, Diana Mcspadden, Chetan Kumar, Steven Goldenberg, Yidi Wang, Malachi Schram

VMASC Publications

An important challenge with Machine Learning (ML) is its transferability; i.e., whether a ML model trained on one set of data can be applied to a second set of data without requiring full re-training of the model. Transfer Learning (TL) addresses this challenge by transferring knowledge learned in the source domain (the data it was trained on) to the target domain (a second set of data that is statistically different but related, which the model was not trained on). This study investigates the use of TL for street-scale nuisance flood forecasting by exploring whether a ML model trained for one …

Integrated Valuation Of The Ecological, Social And Economic Benefits Provided By A Multifunctional Nature-Based Solution, Laura Costadone, Shan Zhang

ODU Articles

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer multifunctional approaches to address climate change and environmental challenges, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional gray infrastructure. Despite their promise, widespread adoption remains limited, in part due to an incomplete understanding of their full costs and benefits relative to conventional infrastructure. Traditional benefit–cost analyses often overlook non-monetized benefits and the interconnected ecosystem services provided by NbS. This study introduces a methodological approach to quantify both the physical and monetary value of ecosystem services and co-benefits delivered by an NbS project. We applied an integrated valuation framework to a case study in Virginia Beach, VA, USA, where …

Revealing Rainfall Partitioning Characteristics Of Shrubs In Semi-Arid Sandy Land: Based On In-Situ Measurement Data, Hu Liu, Limin Duan, Yongzhi Bao, Xin Tong, Huimin Lei, Zhiming Han, Wenrui Zhang, Xixi Wang, V. P. Singh, Tingxi Liu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Rainfall is partitioned by the vegetation canopy into three components: throughfall, stemflow, and canopy interception, which profoundly influence key hydrological processes, including vegetation growth, groundwater recharge, water cycling, and regional water balance. However, research comparing the applicability of throughfall measurement methods in semi-arid shrub communities remains scarce, and quantitative analyses of rainfall partitioning processes based on in-situ observations are still inadequate. This study focuses on the sand-fixing pioneer vegetation of semi-arid sandy land, Caragana microphylla, and conducts simultaneous throughfall measurements using the rain gauge method and the trough method to compare the differences between the two approaches. Based on …

Efficacy Of Stress Acclimation Techniques In Coastal Wetland Plants (Spartina Alterniflora And S. Patens): Implications For Restoration And Nursery Production, Taylor M. Sloey, Kylie D. Gieser, Kaitlyn Pounders, Sofía E. Báez, Jennifer L. Whytlaw

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The implementation of coastal nature-based features, created wetlands, and wetland restoration has increased globally over recent years. Many of these projects have been successful in meeting their goals, however, when projects fail, it is often attributed to mortality of transplanted vegetation. Transplant mortality may be due to inappropriate timing, poor site selection, or abiotic stressors associated with transplant shock. Science-backed guidelines have been well established in many coastal regions regarding site specifications and species selection, but nursery practices for reducing transplant shock remain inconsistent. In this study, we tested a combination of four salinity acclimation treatments and two inundation acclimation …

Integrating Satellite-Based Precipitation Analysis: A Case Study In Norfolk, Virginia, Imiya M. Chathuranika, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In many developing cities, the scarcity of adequate observed precipitation stations, due to constraints such as limited space, urban growth, and maintenance challenges, compromises data reliability. This study explores the use of satellite-based precipitation products (SbPPs) as a solution to supplement missing data over the long term, thereby enabling more accurate environmental analysis and decision-making. Specifically, the effectiveness of SbPPs in Norfolk, Virginia, is assessed by comparing them with observed precipitation data from Norfolk International Airport (NIA) using common bias adjustment methods. The study applies three different methods to correct biases caused by sensor limitations and calibration discrepancies and then …

Spatiotemporal Evolution Of Surface Water Quality And Driving Factors Across Varying Levels Of Human Interference In A Major Subbasin Of The Yellow River Basin, China, Longmei Xie, Ruizhong Gao, Xixi Wang, Limin Duan, Lijing Fang, Hui Tong, Chang Yue, Tingxi Liu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Study region

The Dahei River Basin, a sub-basin of the Yellow River Basin, was selected for this study. Encompassing population centers and villages in Inner Mongolia, it supports vital ecosystems and underscores the need to address its unique challenges in water management and protection.

Study focus

This study examines surface water quality dynamics in the Dahei River Basin, a key aspect of sustainable water management. Predicting spatiotemporal variations and driving factors remains challenging. Using 2013–2023 datasets on water quality, hydrology, and meteorology, the composite pollution index (CPI), ANOVA, and generalized additive models were applied to provide insights for effective management. …

The Relative Contribution Of Deep And Shallow Benthic Sources To Iron Supply In The Ross Sea, With Specific Emphasis On The Ross Bank, Blair J.W. Greenan, Michael S. Dinniman, Dennis J. Mcgillicuddy Jr., Peter N. Sedwick, Stefanie L. Mack, Walker O. Smith Jr.

OES Faculty Publications

Summer primary productivity in the Ross Sea is limited by the availability of dissolved iron (DFe) in the euphotic zone. Previous studies have suggested that benthic sources dominate the supply of DFe to the upper water column in the southern Ross Sea polynya. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether these benthic sources are derived from shallow banks or deeper areas of the continental shelf. Our study combines analysis of in situ observations near Ross Bank with a physical ocean model simulation in an overlapping summertime period to investigate the vertical supply of DFe. Two passive tracer dyes …

Tidal Flooding Contributes To Eutrophication: Constraining Nonpoint Source Inputs To An Urban Estuary Using A Data Driven Statistical Model, Alfonso Macías-Tapia, Margaret R. Mulholland, Corday R. Selden, Sophie Clayton, Peter W. Bernhardt, Thomas R. Allen

OES Faculty Publications

In coastal urban areas, tidal flooding brings water carrying nutrients and particles back from land to estuarine and coastal waters. A statistical model to predict nutrient loads during tidal flooding events can help estimate nutrient loading from previous and future flooding events and adapt nutrient reduction strategies. We measured concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in floodwater at seven sentinel sites during 15 tidal flooding events from January 2019 to September 2020. The study area was the Lafayette River watershed in Norfolk, VA, USA, which is prone to tidal flooding and is predicted to experience more frequent and intense …

Dust Deposition To The Sargasso Sea: A Comparison Of Estimates Using Aluminum In The Surface Ocean Versus Aerosols And Rainwater, T. E. Williams, P. N. Sedwick, B. M. Sohst, K. N. Buck, S. Caprara, R. J. Johnson, D. C. Ohnemus, J. A. Resing, L. E. Sofen, A. Tagliabue, B. S. Twining

OES Faculty Publications

As a major component of mineral aerosol that partially dissolves in seawater, aluminum (Al) has been used to estimate time-averaged dust fluxes to the ocean, based on dissolved aluminum (DAl) concentrations and an assumed replacement time of DAl (tau DAl) in the surface mixed layer, along with the fractional solubility (Als) and mass abundance of Al in dust. We apply this method in the Bermuda region using seasonal water-column DAl concentrations, and compare our results with fluxes estimated from Al measured in Bermuda aerosols and rain. Inventories of DAl over the maximum mixed-layer depth of 200 m and empirically derived …

Evidence Of Mineral Alteration In A Salt Marsh Subterranean Estuary: Implications For Carbon And Trace Element Cycling, J. J. Tamborski, M. J. Eagle, M. T. Thorpe, M. A. Charette, B. L. Kurylyk, S. Rahman, K. D. Kroeger, J. O'Keefe Suttles, A. G. Mann, T. W. Brooks, Z. A. Wang

OES Faculty Publications

Subterranean estuaries (STE) in salt marshes are biogeochemically active zones where interactions between terrestrial groundwater and seawater drive complex cycling of carbon and trace elements, influenced by mineral dissolution. These systems, characterized by fine-grained organic-rich peat overlying permeable coastal aquifers, play a crucial role as a blue carbon sink, yet their geochemical dynamics remain poorly understood. We investigated dissolved trace elements, carbon, silica, and radium isotopes in a salt marsh STE (Sage Lot Pond, Waquoit Bay, MA) over seasonal and annual cycles. Our results reveal that groundwater and estuarine water circulation through marsh peat and aquifer sediments leads to enrichments …

Seasonality Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge Pathways In A Coastal Lagoon Revealed By Radium Isotopes: The Importance Of Porewater Exchange In Summer, Júlia Rodriguez-Puig, Valentí Rodellas, Marc Diego-Feliu, Andres Alcolea, Joaquín Jiménez-Martínez, Irene Alorda-Montiel, Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass, Francisco Pereira, Marisol Manzano, Javier Gilabert, Jordi Garcia-Orellana

OES Faculty Publications

Chemical fluxes supplied by Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) can be relevant for coastal ecosystems, particularly lagoonal environments. An appropriate understanding of SGD requires constraining the magnitude and composition of its different pathways. However, the evaluation of SGD pathways is often limited to independent estimations, lacking a comprehensive understanding of the groundwater processes at play. In this study, we combined a Ra mass balance and hydrogeological modeling to simultaneously estimate different SGD pathways flowing into a coastal lagoon. We assessed water fluxes derived from fresh SGD, long-scale recirculation of seawater, and porewater exchange (PEX) into Mar Menor, a highly anthropized coastal …