Dynamics of turbid buoyant plumes and the feedbacks on near‐shore biogeochemistry and physics

Abstract

The near‐shore waters of the New York/New Jersey Bight in April 2005 exhibited distinct regions of turbid water with clearly differing optical properties associated with the Hudson River plume. We examined the effect of variable light attenuation on the hydrodynamics and ecological response of the Hudson River plume and its environs using field observations and a 3‐dimensional bio‐physical model. Important feedback mechanisms between the attenuation of light and the resulting impact on the mixed layer depth were revealed from the modeling results. High concentrations of chlorophyll, detritus and colored dissolved organic matter in the upper water column as a result of enhanced stratification increase the attenuation of light and modify the buoyancy driven circulation. This further impacts the growth of phytoplankton in the model and subsequently modifies the vertical profile of the attenuation coefficient, which in turn feeds back into the overall heat budget.