Harmonic analysis of suspended particulate matter in the Menai Strait (UK)

V. Krivtsov, J. Gascoigne and S.E. Jones

Ecological Modelling, 2008, vol. 212, issue 1, 53-67

Abstract: An application of harmonic analysis is presented to estimate M2 and M4 tidal constituents of various suspended particulate matter (SPM) fractions in a marine ecosystem. The data were collected on two cruises in August and September 2004. In both sets of data there appeared to be clearly identifiable advection (i.e. semidiurnal increases in concentrations), resuspension (i.e. quarterdiurnal increases in concentrations), and flocculation (e.g. increases in median diameter at slack waters) signals. In most cases, the simulations on M2 and M4 components (estimated using harmonic analysis) explained a considerable proportion of variance (typical r2 is 0.4–0.65). However, some of the variables examined (e.g. median diameter in deeper layers) could not be modelled satisfactorily using the method chosen. In August, the amplitude of the M4 component was invariably lower than of the M2 component, thus indicating that advection signal dominated the overall dynamics observed. In September, however, this pattern was reversed for small and medium-sized particle diameters, thus indicating that resuspension for this fractions was prevalent. Another remarkable difference between the two data sets is the considerable difference between the estimated advection phases, which were, in general (and variable depending on the specific fraction), approximately 8 and 5h after LW in August and September, respectively. These differences might have been partly related to the differences in the exact sampling locations, seasonal changes between the two cruises, local processes in the Menai Strait, and/or preceding meteorological conditions. The results are discussed in terms of their importance for the Menai Strait biota.

Keywords: Suspended particulate matter; Marine ecosystem; Advection gradient; Resuspension; LISST; Tidal analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304380007005108
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:212:y:2008:i:1:p:53-67

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.10.039

Access Statistics for this article

Ecological Modelling is currently edited by Brian D. Fath

More articles in Ecological Modelling from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().