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Contenu archivé le 2022-12-23

Mass transfer through the submarine canyons

Objectif

The investigation of shelf/deep sea exchanges is one of the most actual problems of modern oceanography due to its important role in global bio-geochemical cycling and refining of coastal waters from antropogenic pollution. Usually the shelf and deep sea waters are separated by strong along-shore currents associated with density fronts that considerably reduce the shelf/deep sea exchanges. Submarine canyons, intersecting the paths of these currents may destroy locally their dynamical balance thus, giving a way for the intensive cross shelf/continental slope motions, water and matter exchange.

The main objectives of the project are the qualitative and quantitative description of the water dynamics and sediment transport in submarine canyons on the basis of field experimental studies, mathematical and laboratory modelling together with the estimation of the canyons possible impact on the shelf/deep sea water, suspended matter and pollutant exchanges.

The data of the long-term experimental studies of currents and sediment transport in two distinct submarine canyons (Foix and Palamos) in the Balearic sea (North Western Mediterranean) along with the 3-D data of hydrographic, biologic and geochemical ship-borne sampling of these canyons would be used for the analysis. Different analytical - numerical and laboratory models would be developed to describe the water dynamics and sediment transport in the canyon area. These models may be divided in two categories: mesoscale and small-scale.

The mesoscale models would describe the influence of canyons on the coastal currents taking into account the Coriolis effects, stratification and bottom friction. The small-scale models would describe the physical processes of entrainment (detrainment) of ambient water and sediments into the bottom stratified flow and interaction of this flow with the pycnocline, intersecting the bottom. The models of both categories would be inter-related: the results of numerical calculations would be tested by the comparison with the results of similar laboratory experiments and with the field observational data.

The following basic results are expected.

1. The description of the space-time variability of currents in the submarine canyons Foix and Palamos areas under the influence of external factors such as meteorological (wind, heat and mass exchange with the atmosphere), oceanographic (local bottom topography, shelf/slope currents (including gravity currents), mesoscale eddies, thermohaline stratification. The determination of the characteristics of suspended matter and pollutant transport (including contribution of fluvial material) associated with canyon currents.
2. The development of analytical-numerical and laboratory models capable to reproduce the basic fluid dynamical processes and sediment transport in the presence of submarine canyons
3. The determination on the base of mathematical and laboratory modelling of the main dynamical regimes of the coastal flows in the presence of the different submarine canyons (particularly, similar to the Catalan sea canyons mentioned above). The description of the stratified currents (including the bottom gravity currents) in the canyon area and their influence on the up-slope and down-slope water and sediment transport.
4. The estimate of the canyon impact on the shelf/deep sea exchange processes on the base of combined analysis and inter-comparison of the field observations, mathematical and laboratory modelling results.

The proposed research (36 months duration) would be carried out by joint efforts of 5 research teams (2 EC and 3 NIS) matured in experimental field observations, data processing, mathematical and laboratory modelling of stratified and rotating fluid dynamics and sediment transport. All of them have a solid scientific background and the adequate equipment to fulfil the planned studies and to obtain the declared results.

Appel à propositions

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Régime de financement

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Coordinateur

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient?ficas
Contribution de l’UE
Aucune donnée
Adresse
Passeig Maritim, 37-49
08003 Barcelona
Espagne

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Coût total
Aucune donnée

Participants (4)