Louis Bowers

Wind-driven response of the Hudson River Plume and its effect on dissolved oxygen concentrations

The Lagrangian Transport and Transformation Experiment (LaTTE) study of the Hudson River Plume has now completed 2 of its 3 field seasons. The interdisciplinary study is being conducted in a sustained coastal research observatory that provides a spatial and temporal context for adaptive shipboard sampling. Observations from the second LaTTE field season are used here to describe the processes responsible for a previously unexplained recurrent hypoxia region along the New Jersey coast.

Analysis of the wind resource off New Jersey for offshore wind energy development

The state of New Jersey has the goal of producing 23% of its energy from renewable sources by 2021. Offshore wind is envisioned as being part of that renewable portfolio. To meet this goal New Jersey passed the nations first offshore wind renewable energy standard which requires that at least 1,100 megawatts (MW) by 2021. Currently NJ has 0 MW of offshore wind energy. In order to reduce the risk associated with installing these turbines, the Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory has undertaken a two year study of the ocean winds and currents to provide insight to the wind farm developers to the best locations for siting the wind turbines. A 13 MHz HF radar network was installed to measure the surface currents every 2 km out to a range of 60 km from the coast. These surface current measurements were validated against surface wind measurements from available meteorological stations. The surface currents will then be used to validate the surface winds from a weather model that has been created for this program.

Rutgers university coastal ocean observation laboratory (RU-COOL) advanced modeling system developed to cost-effectively support offshore wind energy development and operational applications

Studies are underway that are evaluating the offshore wind resource along the coast of New Jersey in an effort to determine the variability of the wind resource. One major source of variability is the sea-land breeze circulation that occurs during periods of peak energy demand. The sea breeze front, driven by the thermal difference between the warm land and relatively cooler ocean during hot summer afternoons, propagates inland and under weak atmospheric boundary layer wind conditions can affect much of the state. However, little is known about the offshore component of the sea breeze circulation. A large zone of subsidence over the coastal ocean, and subsequent divergence near the surface, is known to occur in unison with the inland-propagating sea breeze front. RU-COOLs unique monitoring and modeling endeavors are focused on exploring the details of these offshore dynamics of the sea breeze circulation and its development during both coastal upwelling and non-upwelling events. A case study from the August 13, 2012 is analyzed in this paper; coastal upwelling resulted from persistent south to southeasterly winds for days. In addition, a sea breeze front formed in the afternoon, propagating inland and producing a zone of weak winds offshore that coincides with the targeted area of offshore wind development. Model results, using unique declouded satellite sea surface temperature data, are validated inshore against weather radar and offshore against coastal ocean radar (CODAR). Small-scale offshore wind variability is resolved and verified in the model, which will be critical for producing accurate and reliable offshore wind resource assessments and precise operational forecasts for the future.

Impact of ocean observations on hurricane forecasts in the Mid-Atlantic: Forecasting lessons learned from Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene followed a track that curved northward over the Bahamas and ran directly over the U.S. east coast from Cape Hatteras to New England in August of 2011, causing severe storm surges, intense inland flooding, loss of life and over

Observing storm-induced sediment resuspension processes in the mid-atlantic bight with Slocum Gliders

8 billon in storm damage. While the ensemble of atmospheric forecast models accurately predicted the hurricane timing and track, the hurricane intensity was consistently over-predicted. Data from the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) were used to better understand the potential impact of the Mid-Atlantic Bights coastal ocean on the Hurricane Irene intensity forecast.

Glider observations of sediment resuspension in a Middle Atlantic Bight fall transition storm

Storm-induced sediment resuspension events are examined using physical/optical sensors deployed on Slocum Gliders. Two types of storm response are found. In summer, the intense seasonal stratification limits sediment resuspension even during hurricanes. In contrast, winter storms suspend sediment throughout the full water column. The fall transition between seasons starts with surface cooling that preconditions the shelf for mixing during fall storms. Focusing on a classic fall northeaster, sediment resuspension was limited to below the weakening pycnocline early in the storm. After the pycnocline was eroded, particles immediately filled the water column. The optical signals suggest that suspended particles are likely similar materials, which implies the reduced slope of the backscatter profiles is caused by an increase in vertical transport or turbulent mixing. Wave bottom orbital velocities during this time were decreasing, and glider vertical velocities show no indication of enhanced vertical velocities reflecting full water column Langmuir cells. We conclude the enhanced mixing is related to the interaction of the surface and bottom boundary layers as the stratification is eroded, and the observed variability is associated with the tide.