Satellite assessment of Mississippi River plume variability: Causes andpredictability

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1996

Abstract

The Mississippi River is the largest river in North America and 6thlargest worldwide in terms of discharge. In this study, 5 years (1989-1993)of NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer satellite data were used toinvestigate the variability of the Mississippi River sediment plume and theenvironmental forcing factors responsible for its variability. Plumevariability was determined by extracting tit formation on plume area andplume length from 112 cloud-free satellite images. Correlation and multipleregression techniques were used to quantify these relationships for possiblepredictive applications. River discharge and wind forcing were identified asthe main factors affecting plume variability. Seasonal and interannualvariabilities in plume area were similar in magnitude and correspondedclosely with large changes in river discharge. However, day-to-dayvariability in plume size and morphology was more closely associated withchanges in the wind field. The plume parameters best predicted by themultiple regression models were plume area, east and west of the delta.Predictive models were improved by separating the data into summer and winterseasons. The best predictive model for the western area was obtained duringsummer when 64% of plume variability was explained by river discharge, windspeed, and the east-west wind component. The best model for the eastern plumearea was obtained during summer when river discharge, the north-south andeast-west triad components explained 70% of plume variability. The best modelfor the offshore extent of the sediment plume was obtained daring summer when53% of plume variability was explained by the east-west wind component, riverdischarge, and triad speed. All plume measurements were maximized by eastwardwinds from slightly different directions. During winter, the area and lengthof the western plume was additionally enhanced by offshore winds associatedwith winter storms. Anticyclonic curvature of the plume west of the delta wasobserved in 42 % of the satellite images. This circulation pattern wasobserved primarily in association with westward winds.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Remote Sensing of Environment

First Page

21

Last Page

35

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