Salt Plug Estuary Fluid Dynamics

Estuaries are semi-enclosed bodies of water (e.g., bays, inlets, lagoons) typically thought of as the meeting zone between freshwater from rivers and saltwater from the ocean. The circulation within an estuary plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem health by facilitating the exchange of estuary waters with the ocean and reducing the residence time of passive tracers. There are multiple ways of quantifying the flow of water including a fixed coordinate system (Eulerian) or a coordinate system that moves with the flow (Lagrangian). The future goals of this project are to compare the transport rates derived from an Eulerian and Lagrangian framework in numerical simulations of an estuary under different forcing conditions. We will apply these methods to a unique type of estuary found in Mediterranean climates - the salt plug estuary.

As part of this project you will learn how geophysical fluid models work (specifically the ROMS model) and about the dynamics governing estuary flow. This spring research will primarily serve as an introduction into estuary dynamics and an opportunity to start working with model output.

The only requirement for this work is that you have experience programming in Python (or MATLAB) and a willingness to learn about estuaries!

Please answer the following questions (< 500 words and < 1 page total, unpolished is ok!) to apply:

1. Why are you interested in the project?
2. What are your career goals (ok if you are unsure!)?
3. What experience do you have with physics, mathematics, computer science and/or environmental science?
4. What is your availability during the spring/summer? This URO is for a lighter load during the spring, but if you are interested in potentially working on a similar project in the summer that would be good to know.