Flocculation, Optics and Turbulence in the Community Sediment Transport Model System: Application of OASIS Results

The goal of this research is to develop greater understanding of the how the flocculation of fine-grained sediment responds to turbulent stresses and how this packaging of sediment affects optical and acoustical properties in the water column. Achieving these goals will improve the skill of sediment transport models and hence prediction of underwater visibility. Objectives: 1. Quantify the effects of aggregation dynamics on the size distribution of particles in the bottom boundary layer; 2. Quantify how changes in particle packaging affect the optical and acoustical properties of the water column. 3. Develop models describing the associations between particle aggregation, stress, and the acoustical and optical fields.
Prepared in cooperation with Dalhousie University, Department of Oceanography, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA.