Puget Sound Oceanography

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Puget Sound Oceanography

• An introduction by Fritz Stahr Christian
  Sarason
• Outline
• estuary definition
• examples - PS, SF Bay, Chesapeake
• tides other cycles (view model runs)
• exercise with real data

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An estuary is...
A place where river(s) meets the ocean...
that has surrounding land and a limited opening...
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An estuary is...
A place where river(s) meet the ocean that has
surrounding land and a limited opening...
Puget Sound is an estuary it is connected to
the Pacific ocean through the Straits of Juan de
Fuca.
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U.S. Estuary Examples
Chesapeake Bay
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Different bathymetry makes for different
circulation and mixing
Standard deep mouth - e.g., Chesapeake, Tampa
SF Bay
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Different river flow makes for different
circulation and mixing
High river flow weak tides strong salt wedge
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A quick reminder on tides in Puget Sound...
Each day there are two high and two low tides
here, but theyre unequal...we call it
semi-diurnal mixed.
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A quick reminder on tides in Puget Sound...
Every other week, the phase or type of tidal
range changes between spring - large
differences between high and low- and neap -
smaller differences. This plays a role in
circulation within the Sound.
Predicitons for Seattle, WA 24 Feb 2004 - 21
Mar 2004
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Lets see some of this in Puget Sound via a
numerical model - courtesy of Mitsuhiro Kawase,
UW and Christian Sarason, OIP