MODIS imagery as a tool to characterize Iberian river turbid plumes

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event MODIS imagery as a tool to characterize Iberian river turbid plumes Marisela Des1*, Diego Fernández-Nóvoa1, Maite DeCastro1, Renato Mendes1 and Moncho Gómez-Gesteira1 1 University of Vigo, Spain Estuarine systems are governed mainly by density differences due to the interaction between rivers fresh water and ocean salt water. Fresh water frequently flows over the saline water forming a buoyant plume. River discharge transports sediments, pollutants and organic matter, among others, which are dispersed by the buoyant plume. Usually, river plumes spread radially from the mouth, but the Coriolis force tends to displace them to the right in the Northern Hemisphere. Other drivers as river discharge, wind stress, tides, bottom topography and river mouth shape are important forcings on plume behavior, making each plume a particular case of study. The Iberian Peninsula coast is an important fishing and aquaculture area, this activities are highly related to the estuarine systems and the adjacent coastal areas. The aim of this study is to characterize the behavior of the main important Iberian river plumes (Minho, Douro, Tagus, Guadiana, Guadalquivir and Ebro) under its main drivers (river discharge, wind stress and tides) by means of MODIS ocean color images of turbidity over the period 2003-2014. Turbidity values and extension are characteristic of each plume, and they are strongly dependent on sediment carried. River discharge is the main driver affecting turbid plume development. Extension-runoff dependence is moderate or high for all rivers, except Ebro. Large estuaries (Tagus and Guadalquivir) cause a delay between river discharge and plume development. However, plumes of rivers debouching directly into the ocean respond immediately to river discharge variations. Wind stress is the secondary driver and differences between Atlantic and Mediterranean coast were observed. Atlantic turbid plumes show their maximum (minimum) extension under landward (seaward) winds while Mediterranean turbid plumes (Ebro) respond to the opposite pattern. Tide effect is only observed in Atlantic plumes (Minho, Douro, Tagus, Guadiana, Guadalquivir). Semidiurnal tidal cycle has a certain influence on the development of all of them. High tides inhibit the output of freshwater causing a retraction of the turbid band. Fortnightly tidal cycle influence was only observed for Tagus River plume, it is explained in terms of the particular shape of the estuary. Ebro turbid plume development appears to be a particular case. It has a low dependence on river discharge and wind stress and a negligible dependence on tide. This is because its main driver is the Liguro-Provençal coastal current. Keywords: Iberian plumes, MODIS, river discharge, Wind, tide Conference: IMMR | International Meeting on Marine Research 2016, Peniche, Portugal, 14 Jul - 15 Jul, 2016. Presentation Type: Oral presentation Topic: Oceanography and Maritime Technology Citation: Des M, Fernández-Nóvoa D, DeCastro M, Mendes R and Gómez-Gesteira M (2016). MODIS imagery as a tool to characterize Iberian river turbid plumes. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: IMMR | International Meeting on Marine Research 2016. doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.04.00107 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 29 Apr 2016; Published Online: 13 Jul 2016. * Correspondence: Miss. Marisela Des, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain, mdes@uvigo.es Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Marisela Des Diego Fernández-Nóvoa Maite DeCastro Renato Mendes Moncho Gómez-Gesteira Google Marisela Des Diego Fernández-Nóvoa Maite DeCastro Renato Mendes Moncho Gómez-Gesteira Google Scholar Marisela Des Diego Fernández-Nóvoa Maite DeCastro Renato Mendes Moncho Gómez-Gesteira PubMed Marisela Des Diego Fernández-Nóvoa Maite DeCastro Renato Mendes Moncho Gómez-Gesteira Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.