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Input of freshwater from rivers is a critical consideration in the study and management of coral and seagrass ecosystems in tropical regions. Low salinity water can transport natural and manmade river-borne contaminants into the sea, and can directly stress marine ecosystems that are adapted to higher salinity levels. An efficient method of mapping surface salinity distribution over large ocean areas is required to address such environmental issues. We describe here an investigation of the utility of airborne remote sensing of sea surface salinity using an L-band passive microwave radiometer. The study combined aircraft overflights of the scanning low frequency microwave radiometer (SLFMR) with shipboard and in situ instrument deployments to map surface and subsurface salinity distributions, respectively, in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. The goals of the investigation were (a) to assess the performance of the airborne salinity mapper; (b) to use the maps and in situ data to develop an integrated description of the structure and zone of influence of a river plume under prevailing monsoon weather conditions; and (c) to determine the extent to which the sea surface salinity distribution expressed the subsurface structure. The SLFMR was found to have sufficient precision (1 psu) and accuracy ( f 3 psu) to provide a useful description of plumes emanating from estuaries of moderate discharge levels with a salinity range of 16 to 32 psu in the open sea. The aircraft surveys provided a means of rapidly assessing the spatial extent of the surface salinity distribution of the plume, while in situ data revealed subsurface structure detail and provided essential validation data for the SLFMR. The combined approach allowed us to efficiently determine the structure and zone of influence of the plume, and demonstrated the utility of sea surface salinity remote sensing for studying coastal circulation in tropical seas. D

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A discussion of the discrete ordinate method for solving differential equations is presented along with a number of examples that have application in various fields of physics. In particular, diffusion cooling, boundary layer meteorology and the diffusion of water in soils are studied. It is shown that the discrete ordinate method is considerably more accurate than finite difference methods of the same order. Results are presented for linear and nonlinear models, with a comprehensive analysis of the results and accuracies.

[1] The short-lived but intense discharge of freshwater from tropical rivers into the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Lagoon and the associated salinity reductions are a critical consideration in marine research and management of the ecologically sensitive GBR World Heritage Area. Salinity provides a unique tracer that gives clues to the origin of river-borne contaminants and allows the influences of storm-induced resuspension and river discharge on turbidity to be clearly distinguished. We describe a field investigation of the evolution and dynamics of the Herbert River plume in the central GBR. Its primary goals were to use an airborne salinity mapper and in situ instruments to study the three-dimensional structure and evolution of the plume and to lay a foundation for numerical modeling studies of its dynamics. The aircraft surveys provided a rapid assessment of the plumes spatial extent, while the in situ data revealed details of its subsurface structure. The Herbert River plume was produced by heavy rainfall associated with tropical storms during the La Nina-dominated 1999/2000 monsoon season. In the near field, the surface expression of the plume boundaries was indicated by sharp color and salinity fronts that were clearly visible from the air and sea surface. In the far field and middle Lagoon, the plume was more dispersed and ultimately merged with the larger-scale salinity gradients and with the remnant plume of the more distant, and larger, Burdekin River. The plume location and structure evolved in response to changing river flows, tidal and subtidal circulation, and wind. Using Garvine's Kelvin number-based scheme, the plume was classified as intermediate in dynamical character and thus is subject to a variety of forcings. The plume evolved in response to changes in the relative intensity of tidal currents and low-frequency circulation due to wind and western boundary current forcing. It also displayed a characteristic ''hook-shaped'' structure, which has been identified previously in numerical plume model studies. This structure appeared in the presence of accelerating along-shelf current flow and horizontal shear and it indicates that the plume circulation had a strongly three-dimensional character. The approach demonstrates the efficacy of combining airborne and in situ methods to observe rapidly evolving coastal salinity structure and dynamics and sets the stage for future satellite-borne studies of larger-scale features showing contrasting salinity distributions.