Tag: Earth Sciences

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Orlando Alberto Ricetti Neto

Title: A study on the Effects of Beach Replenishment at Wallops Island, VA

Abstract: The Wallops Island beach and surrounding area was recently replenished with sand dredged from offshore locations to reduce the impacts of erosion from longshore currents and storms that frequent the region during fall and winter. This sand has been observed to accumulate and fill the Chincoteague Inlet channel, reducing the navigable depth. This requires frequent and costly de-silting of the channel and the Accomack County requests a study to quantify the source and direction of sediment flow to the Inlet channel. We plan to use our existing collaboration between NASA and the ChiconteagueBay Field Station to design, implement and produce a 3D bathymetric cross- section of the area mentioned above for the purpose of assessing the present location and height of sand that has been distributed by the longshore current and storms. This initial study will help us locate and identify regions where sand is accumulating and eroding. We propose employing a vessel-mounted multibeamsonar system to survey the area for the purpose of developing digital elevation models of bathymetry. This will provide a baseline model for future surveys to help determine the extent and rate of silt deposits about the channel.

Keywords: Multibeam, Seabed mapping, Bathymetry, Beach nourishment

 

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Nathan Murry

Title: Coastal Bays and Sea Level Rise: a Long-term analysis of Chincoteague Bay Barrier Island System.

Abstract: The physical setting and dynamic processes of Coastal Bays provide the foundation for a complex and productive ecosystem. Stresses to the Coastal Bays system, and management challenges for the coming century, are related largely to the increasing pace of development in the coastal zone, and the prospect of accelerated sea level rise driven by global warming. The Chincoteague Bay, ideally located behind barrier islands support a critical habitat for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl, many important commercial and recreational fishing and numerous rare and threatened plant and animal species. Against this background, a 50-100 year storm can exert a powerful influence by reshaping and restructuring the barrier islands and Coastal Bays. In this study, we plan to illustrate how Hurricane Sandy exerted such an influence on the Chincoteague Bay. Using long-term tidal data, we will show how storm surges from Hurricane Sandy inundated and altered low lying areas of the region.

Keywords: sea level, coastal bay, Chincoteague

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Nathan Murry

Title: Airborne LiDAR Data Assessment of Wallops Island, Virginia

Abstract: The Virginia eastern shore & Delmarva Peninsula are ideal test locations for developing adaptive conservation approaches and strategies for analyzing the effect of sea level rise on coastal ecology and municipal establishment. This work will use remote sensing LiDAR data collected by the NASA Wallops Flight Facility to develop various digital models of the elevation and terrain (surface and bare-earth) of Wallops and the surrounding areas. The digital model developed are used to map current distributions of important coastal habitats, create beach profiles, and detail areas likely to experience the greatest impact from sea level rise. The goal of this study is to understand the effects of sea level rise particularly for migratory birds &their habitats.

Keywords: Virginia, liDAR, conservation, coastal habitat

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Natalie Midzak

Title: Examining the Nocturnal Stable Boundary Layer and Low-Level Jet during PECANh2>

Abstract: This presentation reports the preliminary findings acquired at Fixed-PISA 3 (FP3) during the PECAN field campaign obtained by the Millersville University Atmospheric Research and Aerostat Facility. Data from FP3, supported by those from other fixed and mobile PISAs, allow for a detailed characterization of the structure and evolution of the boundary layer from late afternoon through early morning, including the development of the LLJ. Three case studies of the Great Plains LLJ will be presented that highlight differences between weak (13 m/s), moderate (25 m/s), and strong (31 m/s) LLJs, and the underlying structure and evolution of the nocturnal boundary layer. Preliminary results suggest that LLJs formed solely by differential heating over sloped terrain are relatively weak; conversely, relatively strong LLJs are synoptically-forced. In addition, the isallobaric wind component is found to play an integral role in the inertial oscillation of the LLJ.

Keywords: low-level jet, PECAN, boundary layer meteorology

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Cara Geiger

Title: Validation and Analysis of MW_IR OI SST product over the Indian Ocean

Abstract: Satellite derived Sea Surface Temperature (SST) fields are very important in many research studies in the air-sea interaction field for numerical weather prediction, ocean circulation, modeling, and biogeochemical analysis. One product made available to the scientific community is the 9 km microwave (MW) and infrared (IR) optimally interpreted (OI) SST product. The capability to see through clouds with the MW combines with the high spatial resolution of the IR to produce the MW_IR OI SST product, which has many potentials in the Northern Indian Ocean to predict monsoons that affects more than one billion people. In this study, we extract SST data from co-located satellite and buoys both spatially and temporally in the Bay of Bengal to compile a large set of data. Both the satellite and in-situ data are then quantified for error estimation and analysis. Error fields are compared to understand how the SST product can relate to other parameters like air temperature and wind speed and how it can benefit other scientific studies in the same region.

Keywords: SST, satellite, buoy, Indian Ocean

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Angela Ditri

Title: Validation and Analysis of MW_IR OI SST product over the Indian Ocean

Abstract: One of the novel SST product that is available to the scientific community is the 9 km microwave plus infrared (MW_IR) OI SST product that combines the through-cloud capabilities of the microwave data (MW) with the high spatial resolution of the IR SST data. All OI SST values are corrected using a diurnal model to create a foundation SST that represents a 12 noon temperature. The constant cloud cover, strong stratification, and variable wind fields experienced in the Indian Ocean makes such a SST product attractive for a range of scientific issues including improving short and long term forecast of the Indian Monsoons, and biogeochemical studies. In this study, we have compiled and quality controlled a huge data-set of in situ and satellite collocated SST fields and ancillary data from the Indian Ocean. In this poster, we show the results of our validation of satellite with the in situ SST fields, relate the errors to the foundation SST with other parameters like the wind speed, air temperature and radiation fields. We demonstrate how this SST product can immensely benefit the various scientific studies in the Indian Ocean region.

Keywords: Sea Surface Temperatures , Indian Ocean