Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Khangaonkar, Tarang.
PLUMES2.0 is a revived version of the Visual Plumes model that was developed by Dr. Walter Frick at USEPA. PLUMES2.0 and Visual Plumes are codes that compute initial and far-field dilution of buoyant discharges into receiving fresh or marine environments.
Marine CO 2 removal (CDR) using enhanced-alkalinity seawater discharge was simulated in the estuarine waters of the Salish Sea, Washington, US. The high-alkalinity seawater would be generated using bipolar membrane electrodialysis technology to remove acid and the alkaline stream returned to the sea. Response of the receiving waters was evaluated using a shoreline resolving hydrodynamic model with biogeochemistry, and carbonate chemistry. Two sites, and two deployment scales, each with enhanced TA of 2997 mmol m -3 and a pH of 9 were simulated. The effects on air-sea CO 2 flux and pH in the near-field as well as over the larger estuary wide domain were assessed. The large-scale deployment (addition of 164 Mmoles TA yr -1 ) in a small embayment (Sequim Bay, 12.5 km 2 ) resulted in removal of 2066 T of CO 2 (45% of total simulated) at rate of 3756 mmol m -2 yr -1 , higher than the 63 mmol m -2 yr -1 required globally to remove 1.0 GT CO 2 yr -1 . It also reduced acidity in the bay, ΔpH ≈ +0.1 pH units, an amount comparable to the historic impacts of anthropogenic acidification in the Salish Sea. The mixing and dilution of added TA with distance from the source results in reduced CDR rates such that comparable amount 2176 T CO 2 yr -1 was removed over >1000 fold larger area of the rest of the model domain. There is the potential for more removal occurring beyond the region modeled. The CDR from reduction of outgassing between October and May accounts for as much as 90% of total CDR simulated. Of the total, only 375 T CO 2 yr -1 (8%) was from the open shelf portion of the model domain. With shallow depths limiting vertical mixing, nearshore estuarine waters may provide a more rapid removal of CO 2 using alkalinity enhancement relative to deeper oceanic sites.
Introduction: In temperate regions, one of the most critical determinants of present range-wide genetic diversity was the Pleistocene climate oscillations, the most recent one created by the last glacial maximum (LGM). This study aimed to describe N. luetkeana genetic structure across its entire range (Alaska to California) and test different models of population connectivity within the Salish Sea. This region was colonized after the LGM and has been under increased disturbance in recent decades. Methods: We utilized microsatellite markers to study N. luetkeana genetic diversity at 53 sites across its range. Using higher sampling density in the Salish Sea, we employed a seascape genetics approach and tested isolation by hydrodynamic transport and environment models. Results: At the species distribution scale, we found four main groups of genetic co-ancestry, Alaska; Washington with Vancouver Island’s outer coast and Juan de Fuca Strait; Washington’s inner Salish Sea; and Oregon with California. The highest allelic richness (AR) levels were found in California, near the trailing range edge, although AR was also high in Alaska. The inner Salish Sea region had the poorest diversity across the species distribution. Nevertheless, a pattern of isolation by hydrodynamic transport and environment was supported in this region. Discussion: The levels of allelic, private allele richness and genetic differentiation suggest that during the LGM, bull kelp had both northern and southern glacial refugia in the Prince of Wales Island-Haida Gwaii region and Central California, respectively. Genetic diversity in Northern California sites seems resilient to recent disturbances, whereas the low levels of genetic diversity in the inner Salish Sea are concerning.
The feasibility of reducing nutrient pollution impact by redirecting the effluent to depths below the euphotic zone was investigated for the deep estuarine Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest of America. The hypothesis tested was that the thickness of the outflow layer in deep estuaries may be greater than the euphotic zone depth, allowing a fraction of nutrients to be exported out passively through the layers immediately below. The euphotic zone depth in Puget Sound varies from 8 to 25 m while the depth of the outflow layer can reach up to ≈ 60 m. Outfall relocation strategies were tested on 99% of the anthropogenic nutrient loads currently delivered to Puget Sound. The impact was quantified using the previously established biophysical Salish Sea Model, using gross primary production and exposure to low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels as the metric (< 2 mg/L for hypoxia and < 5 mg/L for impairment). Eliminating nutrient pollution (above natural) from rivers and wastewater reduced hypoxia exposure by 8.1% and 11.2%, respectively. Relocating the outfalls to deeper waters resulted in improvements, but only in the sill-less sub-basins such as Whidbey, where hypoxia and DO impairment exposure decreased (7.9% and 6.8%, respectively). The presence of multiple sills and circulation cells in Puget Sound resulted in increased exposure and rendered nutrient bypass goals unfeasible as originally envisioned. However, an alternate nutrient export pathway was identified through bottom exchange flow out of Puget Sound via Whidbey Basin and Deception Pass. An unexpected reduction in the exchange outflow magnitude (≈ 4%) due additional (22%) freshwater discharged to the estuary bottom was also noted. The potential loss in circulation strength due to rerouting of natural surface freshwater through submerged deep-water outfalls is identified as a new unforeseen anthropogenic impact.
Effects and impacts of the Northeast Pacific marine heatwave of 2014–2016 on the inner coastal estuarine waters of the Salish Sea were examined using a combination of monitoring data and an established three-dimensional hydrodynamic and biogeochemical model of the region. The anomalous high temperatures reached the U.S. Pacific Northwest continental shelf toward the end of 2014 and primarily entered the Salish Sea waters through an existing strong estuarine exchange. Elevated temperatures up to + 2.3°C were observed at the monitoring stations throughout 2015 and 2016 relative to 2013 before dissipating in 2017. The hydrodynamic and biogeochemical responses to this circulating high-temperature event were examined using the Salish Sea Model over a 5-year window from 2013 to 2017. Responses of conventional water-quality indicator variables, such as temperature and salinity, nutrients and phytoplankton, zooplankton, dissolved oxygen, and pH, were evaluated relative to a baseline without the marine heatwave forcing. The simulation results relative to 2014 show an increase in biological activity (+14%, and 6% Δ phytoplankton biomass, respectively) during the peak heatwave year 2015 and 2016 propagating toward higher zooplankton biomass (+14%, +18% Δ mesozooplankton biomass). However, sensitivity tests show that this increase was a direct result of higher freshwater and associated nutrient loads accompanied by stronger estuarine exchange with the Pacific Ocean rather than warming due to the heatwave. Strong vertical circulation and mixing provided mitigation with only ≈+0.6°C domain-wide annual average temperature increase within Salish Sea, and served as a physical buffer to keep waters cooler relative to the continental shelf during the marine heatwave.
FVCOM-ICM is a water quality model that simulates the influence of nutrients and carbon pollution on biogeochemical oceanographic processes such as phytoplankton primary productivity, nutrient consumption, mineralization, decay and settling of particulate organic matter and computes resulting dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and pH levels. An “offline” approach of coupling Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) hydrodynamic solutions to CE-QUAL-ICM biogeochemical model was used. FVCOM and CE-QUAL-ICM are public domain Fortran Codes that were developed independently by US Army Corps of Engineers and University of Massachusetts. PNNL developed FVCOM-ICM that has the ability to conduct water quality calculations using a previously computed hydrodynamic solution. The biogeochemical calculations using CE-QUAL-ICM kinetics are conducted over the same finite-volume mesh and in the FVCOM framework.
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Given annual occurrences of hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and evidence of coastal acidification, the potential impacts of climate change on water quality are of increasing concern in the U.S. Pacific Northwest estuaries such as the Salish Sea. While large-scale global climate projections are well documented, our understanding of the nearshore estuarine-scale response is not as well developed. In this study, the future response within the Salish Sea fjord-like environment was examined using the Salish Sea Model driven by downscaled outputs from the NCAR climate model CESM. We simulated a single projection of 95-year change under the RCP 8.5 greenhouse gas emissions scenario. Results indicate that higher temperatures, lower pH, and decreased dissolved oxygen levels in the upwelled shelf waters in the future would propagate into the Salish Sea. Results point to potential changes in average Salish Sea temperature (≈+1.51°C), dissolved oxygen (≈-0.77 mg/L), and pH (acidification -0.18 units) in the Y2095 relative to historical Y2000. The algal biomass in the Salish Sea could increase by ≈23% with a potential species shift from diatoms towards dinoflagellates. The region of annually recurring hypoxia could increase from <1% today to ≈16% in the future. Finally, the results suggest that the future response in the Salish Sea is less severe relative to the change predicted near the continental shelf boundary. This resilience of the Salish Sea may be attributed to the existence of strong vertical circulation cells that provide mitigation and serve as a physical buffer, thus keeping waters cooler, more oxygenated, and less acidic.
Floating structures such as barges and ships affect near-field hydrodynamics and create a zone of influence (ZOI). Extent of the ZOI is of particular interest due to potential obstruction to and impact on out-migrating juvenile fish. Here, we present an assessment of ZOI from Hood Canal (Floating) Bridge, located within the 110-km-long fjord-like Hood Canal sub-basin in the Salish Sea, Washington. A field data collection program allowed near-field validation of a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of Hood Canal with the floating bridge section embedded. The results confirm that Hood Canal Bridge, with a draft of 4.6 m covering ~85% of the width of Hood Canal, obstructs the brackish outflow surface layer. This induces increased local mixing near the bridge, causes pooling of water (up-current) during ebb and flood, and results in shadow/sheltering of water (down-current). The change in ambient currents, salinity, and temperature is highest at the bridge location and reduces to background levels with distance from the bridge. The ZOI extends ~20 m below the surface and varies from 2–3 km for currents, from 2–4 km for salinity, and from 2–5 km for temperature before the deviations with the bridge drop to <10% relative to simulated background conditions without the bridge present.
We report that increasing levels of nutrients, persistent hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and increased frequency of fish kills are degrading the ecological health of the Salish Sea. An improved version of a diagnostic hydrodynamic and biogeochemical model (nutrients, phytoplankton, carbon, dissolved oxygen, pH) of the Salish Sea has been developed with the ability to simulate characteristic circulation and water quality features. Sensitivity tests were conducted to assess the responsiveness of the system to land-based (rivers and wastewater sources) nutrient loading. The influence of Fraser River on the magnitude of estuarine exchange with the Pacific Ocean and nearshore habitat was examined given that it contributes nearly half of the total freshwater discharged to the Salish Sea. A large region of hypoxia in Hood Canal that extends over 30–40 km during its peak was reproduced and attributed primarily to the existence of a two-layer classic fjord-type circulation and a nearly stagnant deep bottom layer that occupies nearly 60% of the water column. Nitrate mass in the euphotic zone from land-based and oceanic sources is depleted to near-zero limiting levels during summer. Under such conditions, the Salish Sea is responsive to changes in nutrient loads entering the euphotic zone directly. Lastly, a hypothetical scenario involving the elimination of land-based nutrient sources results in notable water-quality improvement, featuring a reduction in algal biomass (≈5.4%), reduction in sediment oxygen demand (≈17.1%), and significant reduction in hypoxic area (≈39%) and exposure in area-days to bottom layer hypoxia (≈62%) within the Salish Sea.
The 11 mile (1.6 km) Swinomish Federal Navigation Channel provides a safe and short passage to fishing and recreational craft in and out of Northern Puget Sound by connecting Skagit and Padilla Bays, US State abbrev., USA. A network of dikes and jetties were constructed through the Swinomish corridor between 1893 and 1936 to improve navigation functionality. Over the years, these river training dikes and jetties designed to minimize sedimentation in the channel have deteriorated, resulting in reduced protection of the channel. The need to repair or modify dikes/jetties for channel maintenance, however, may conflict with salmon habitat restoration goals aimed at improving access, connectivity and brackish water habitat. Several restoration projects have been proposed in the Skagit delta involving breaching, lowering, or removal of dikes. To assess relative merits of the available alternatives, a hydrodynamic model of the Skagit River estuary was developed using the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). Here, in this paper, we present the refinement and calibration of the model using oceanographic data collected from the years 2006 and 2009 with a focus on the sediment and brackish water transport from the river and Skagit Bay tide flats to the Swinomish Channel. The model was applied to assess the feasibility of achieving the desired dual outcome of (a) reducing sedimentation and shoaling in the Swinomish Channel and (b) providing a direct migration pathway and improved conveyance of freshwater into the Swinomish Channel. Finally, the potential reduction in shoaling through site-specific structure repairs is evaluated. Similarly, the potential to significantly improve of brackish water habitat through dike breach restoration actions using the McGlinn Causeway project example, along with its impacts on sediment deposition in the Swinomish Navigation Channel, is examined
The Salish Sea consisting of Puget Sound and Georgia Basin in U.S and Canadian waters has been the subject of several independent data collection and modeling studies. However, these interconnected basins and their hydrodynamic interactions have not received attention as a contiguous unit. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is the primary pathway through which Pacific Ocean water enters the Salish Sea but the role played by Johnstone Strait and the complex channels northeast of Vancouver Island, connecting the Salish Sea and the Pacific Ocean, on overall Salish Sea circulation has not been characterized. In this paper we present a modeling-based assessment of the two-layer circulation and transport through the multiple interconnected sub-basins within the Salish Sea including the effect of exchange via Johnstone Strait and Discovery Islands. The Salish Sea Model previously developed using the finite volume community ocean model (FVCOM) was expanded over the continental shelf for this assessment encircling Vancouver Island, including Discovery Islands, Johnstone Strait, Broughton Archipelago and the associated waterways. A computational technique was developed to allow summation of volume fluxes across arbitrary transects through unstructured finite volume cells. Tidally averaged volume fluxes were computed at multiple transects. The results were used to validate the classic model of Circulation in Embracing Sills for Puget Sound and to provide quantitative estimates of the lateral distribution of tidally averaged transport through the system. Sensitivity tests with and without exchanges through Johnstone Strait demonstrate that it is a pathway for Georgia Basin runoff and Fraser River water to exit the Salish Sea and for Pacific Ocean inflow. However the relative impact of this exchange on circulation and flushing in Puget Sound Basin is small.
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) Marine Science Laboratory (MSL) located along the coast of Washington State is evaluating the performance of uranium adsorption materials being developed for seawater extraction under realistic marine conditions with natural seawater. Two types of exposure systems were employed in this program: flow-through columns for testing of fixed beds of individual fibers and pellets and a recirculating water flume for testing of braided adsorbent material. Testing consists of measurements of the adsorption of uranium and other elements from seawater as a function of time, typically 42 to 56 day exposures, to determine the adsorbent capacity and adsorption rate (kinetics). Analysis of uranium and other trace elements collected by the adsorbents was conducted following strong acid digestion of the adsorbent with 50% aqua regia using either Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The ORNL 38H adsorbent had a 56 day adsorption capacity of 3.30 ± 0.68 g U/ kg adsorbent (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu), a saturation adsorption capacity of 4.89 ± 0.83 g U/kg of adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu) and a half-saturation time of 28 ± 10 days. The AF1 adsorbent material had a 56 day adsorption capacity of 3.9 ± 0.2 g U/kg adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu), a saturation capacity of 5.4 ± 0.2 g U/kg adsorbent material (normalized to a salinity of 35 psu) and a half saturation time of 23 ± 2 days. The ORNL amidoxime-based adsorbent materials are not specific for uranium, but also adsorb other elements from seawater. The major doubly charged cations in seawater (Ca and Mg) account for a majority of the cations adsorbed (61% by mass and 74% by molar percent). For the ORNL AF1 adsorbent material, U is the 4th most abundant element adsorbed by mass and 7th most abundant by molar percentage
Future climate simulations based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emissions scenario (A1B) have shown that the Skagit River flow will be affected, which may lead to modification of the estuarine hydrodynamics. There is considerable uncertainty, however, about the extent and magnitude of resulting change, given accompanying sea level rise and site-specific complexities with multiple interconnected basins. To help quantify the future hydrodynamic response, we developed a three dimensional model of the Skagit River estuary using the Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM). The model was set up with localized high-resolution grids in Skagit and Padilla Bay sub-basins within the intermediate-scale FVCOM based model of the Salish Sea (greater Puget Sound and Georgia Basin). Future changes to salinity and annual transport through the basin were examined. The results confirmed the existence of a residual estuarine flow that enters Skagit Bay from Saratoga Passage to the south and exits through Deception Pass. Freshwater from the Skagit River is transported out in the surface layers primarily through Deception Pass and Saratoga Passage, and only a small fraction (≈4%) is transported to Padilla Bay. The moderate future perturbations of A1B emissions, corresponding river flow, and sea level rise of 0.48 m examined here result only in small incremental changes to salinity structure and inter-basin freshwater distribution and transport. An increase in salinity of ~1 ppt in the near-shore environment and a salinity intrusion of approximately 3 km further upstream is predicted in Skagit River, well downstream of the drinking water intakes.
Ducks Unlimited, Inc. in collaboration with Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians have proposed the restoration of Leque Island and zis a ba (formerly Matterand) sites near the mouth of Old Stillaguamish River Channel in Port Susan Bay, Washington. The Leque Island site, which is owned by WDFW, consists of nearly 253 acres of land south of Highway 532 that is currently behind a perimeter dike. The 90-acres zis a ba site, also shielded by dikes along the shoreline, is located just upstream of Leque Island and is owned by Stillaguamish Tribes. The proposed actions consider the removal or modification of perimeter dikes at both locations to allow estuarine functions to be restored. The overall objective of the proposed projects is to remove the dike barriers to 1) provide connectivity and access between the tidal river channel and the restoration site for use by juvenile migrating salmon and 2) create a self-sustaining tidal marsh habitat. Ducks Unlimited engaged Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the Port Susan Bay, Skagit Bay, and the interconnecting Leque Island region for use in support of the feasibility assessment for the Leque Island and zis a ba restoration projects. The objective of this modeling-based feasibility assessment is to evaluate the performance of proposed restoration actions in terms of achieving habitat goals while assessing the potential hydraulic and sediment transport impacts to the site and surrounding parcels of land.
In recent years, with the rapid growth of global energy demand, the interest in extracting uranium from seawater for nuclear energy has been renewed. While extracting seawater uranium is not yet commercially viable, it serves as a “backstop” to the conventional uranium resources and provides an essentially unlimited supply of uranium resource. With recent advances in seawater uranium extraction technology, extracting uranium from seawater could be economically feasible when the extraction devices are deployed at a large scale (e.g., several hundred km2). There is concern however that the large scale deployment of adsorbent farms could result in potential impacts to the hydrodynamic flow field in an oceanic setting. In this study, a kelp-type structure module was incorporated into a coastal ocean model to simulate the blockage effect of uranium extraction devices on the flow field. The module was quantitatively validated against laboratory flume experiments for both velocity and turbulence profiles. The model-data comparison showed an overall good agreement and validated the approach of applying the model to assess the potential hydrodynamic impact of uranium extraction devices or other underwater structures in coastal oceans.
Circulation in typical fjords is characterized by a shallow brackish layer at the surface over a deep long and narrow saltwater column. This surface layer is responsible for the outflow of water from the fjord, is easily disrupted by external forces, such as wind, and is influenced by freshwater inflow. In this paper, we postulate that the stability of fjordal circulation may also be vulnerable to impacts from anthropogenic alterations, such as floating structures, that could constrict the mixing and transport in the upper layers of the water column. The potential for alteration of circulation in Hood Canal, a silled-fjord located inside Puget Sound, Washington, has been examined. Using classical analytical treatments along the lines formulated by Hansen and Rattray [1965], Rattray [1967], Dyer [1973] and more recently, MacCready [2004], we develop a solution applicable to a range of estuary classifications varying from a partially mixed estuary regime to classical fjord conditions. Both estuary types exist in the Puget Sound system, and we compare our analytical solution with observed data. The analysis is based on an exponential variation of eddy viscosity with depth, and it has been extended further with modifications of the free surface boundary conditions to develop a solution representing the presence of a floating bridge at the estuary/fjord entrance. The model results show that tidally averaged mean circulation under the influence of such a constraint could reduce by as much as 30 to 50 percent. The overall water quality of fjords and narrow estuaries is dependent on net circulation and flushing. A potential decrease in residual flow or a corresponding increase in residence time of this magnitude merits further study.
The Salish Sea, including Puget Sound, is a large estuarine system bounded by over seven thousand miles of complex shorelines, consists of several subbasins and many large inlets with distinct properties of their own. Pacific Ocean water enters Puget Sound through the Strait of Juan de Fuca at depth over the Admiralty Inlet sill. Ocean water mixed with freshwater discharges from runoff, rivers, and wastewater outfalls exits Puget Sound through the brackish surface outflow layer. Nutrient pollution is considered one of the largest threats to Puget Sound. There is considerable interest in understanding the effect of nutrient loads on the water quality and ecological health of Puget Sound in particular and the Salish Sea as a whole. The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) contracted with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop a coupled hydrodynamic and water quality model. The water quality model simulates algae growth, dissolved oxygen, (DO) and nutrient dynamics in Puget Sound to inform potential Puget Sound-wide nutrient management strategies. Specifically, the project is expected to help determine 1) if current and potential future nitrogen loadings from point and non-point sources are significantly impairing water quality at a large scale and 2) what level of nutrient reductions are necessary to reduce or control human impacts to DO levels in the sensitive areas. The project did not include any additional data collection but instead relied on currently available information. This report describes model development effort conducted during the period 2009 to 2012 under a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cooperative agreement with PNNL, Ecology, and the University of Washington awarded under the National Estuary Program