Real-time sediment plume modeling in the Southern California bight

Kulkarni, Chinmay S.; Haley, Patrick J.; Lermusiaux, Pierre F. J.; Dutt, Arkopal; Gupta, Abhinav; Mirabito, Chris; Subramani, Deepak N.; Jana, Sudip; Ali, Wael H.; Peacock, Thomas; Royo, Carlos Munoz; Rzeznik, Andrew; Supekar, Rohit

doi:10.1109/oceans.2018.8653642

Cited by 24 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…4) are a vertical projection of the three-dimensional plume onto a horizontal plane. Additional information on the plume predictions is available 42 and details are also presented in Supplementary Notes 3.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4) by repeatedly cycling the ship's CTD cage up-and-down while underway (a procedure referred to as tow-yo, see "Ambient plume monitoring system" section). Two operational tools were used to facilitate the ambient plume tracking: (i) the ADCP advection model, and (ii) the MIT-MSEAS modeling system [40][41][42] . The ADCP advection model integrated the ocean current velocity data measured by the shipboard ADCP at the observed plume depth to estimate the location of the plume at any time (see "Ambient plume monitoring system" section).…”

Section: Discharge Pipe Connectorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ADCP advection model integrated the ocean current velocity data measured by the shipboard ADCP at the observed plume depth to estimate the location of the plume at any time (see "Ambient plume monitoring system" section). The MIT-MSEAS modeling system [40][41][42] ,…”

Section: Discharge Pipe Connectorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extent of impact of deep-sea nodule mining midwater plumes is influenced by sediment loading, turbulence and thresholds

Muñoz-Royo

Peacock

Alford

et al. 2021

Commun Earth Environ

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Deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining research activity has substantially increased in recent years, but the expected level of environmental impact is still being established. One environmental concern is the discharge of a sediment plume into the midwater column. We performed a dedicated field study using sediment from the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone. The plume was monitored and tracked using both established and novel instrumentation, including acoustic and turbulence measurements. Our field studies reveal that modeling can reliably predict the properties of a midwater plume in the vicinity of the discharge and that sediment aggregation effects are not significant. The plume model is used to drive a numerical simulation of a commercial-scale operation in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone. Key takeaways are that the scale of impact of the plume is notably influenced by the values of environmentally acceptable threshold levels, the quantity of discharged sediment, and the turbulent diffusivity in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discharge Pipe Connectorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extent of impact of deep-sea nodule mining midwater plumes is influenced by sediment loading, turbulence and thresholds

Muñoz-Royo

Peacock

Alford

et al. 2021

Commun Earth Environ

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“…In addition, Reference [7] carried out detailed laboratory experiments to test different discharge parameters such as initial concentrations, momentum, and distance from the bed on the plume dispersion. The numerical results (e.g., velocity and concentration profiles) were compared against the experimental results, and a good agreement was found between them; • The PLUMEX2018 field experiments were conducted in the Southern California Bight at the beginning of 2018 [26]. The Multiresolution primitive equation regional ocean modeling system (MIT-MSEAS) model was used to predict the plume dispersion, i.e., direction, velocity, and concentration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Near-Field Analysis of Turbidity Flows Generated by Polymetallic Nodule Mining Tools

Elerian

Alhaddad

Helmons

et al. 2021

Mining

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The interest in polymetallic nodule mining has considerably increased in the last few decades. This has been largely driven by population growth and the need to move towards a green future, which requires strategic raw materials. Deep-Sea Mining (DSM) is a potential source of such key materials. While harvesting the ore from the deep sea by a Polymetallic Nodule Mining Tool (PNMT), some bed sediment is unavoidably collected. Within the PNMT, the ore is separated from the sediment, and the remaining sediment–water mixture is discharged behind the PNMT, forming an environmental concern. This paper begins with surveying the state-of-the-art knowledge of the evolution of the discharge from a PNMT, in which the discharge characteristics and generation of turbidity currents are discussed. Moreover, the existing water entrainment theories and coefficients are analyzed. It is shown how plumes and jets can be classified using the flux balance approach. Following that, the models of Lee et al. (2013) and Parker et al. (1986) are combined and utilized to study the evolution of both the generated sediment plume and the subsequent turbidity current. The results showed that a smaller sediment flux at the impingement point, where the plume is transformed into a turbidity current, results in a shorter run-out distance of the turbidity current, consequently being more favorable from an environmental point of view.

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“…As the fate of the plume is subject to local environmental conditions, effects are likely much farther-reaching and could cover more than twice the area disturbed (Gjerde et al 2016). This limitation has been recognised and, in response, a number of recent studies have modelled sediment plume dynamics from ship discharges (Rzeznik et al 2019), laboratory experiments (Gillard et al 2019) and in situ seabed disturbances (Kulkarni et al 2018, Spearman et al 2020. Whilst this modelling is a step in the right direction, these recent experiments do not assess biological responses.…”

Section: Limitations Of Simulated Mining Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated mining-related sedimentation impacts on the deep-sea macrofauna of the Chatham Rise, New Zealand

Murray¹

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<p>With the possibility of deep-sea mining of marine mineral resources occurring in the near future, it is necessary to understand the potential impacts that mining may have on benthic communities. Previous simulated mining experiments have observed direct impacts of deep-sea mining (e.g., faunal mortality); however, indirect impacts of sedimentation were not understood. In New Zealand, there has been interest in mining the seabed of the Chatham Rise, but mining consents have been refused, partly due to the uncertainties of sedimentation impacts on benthic communities. A disturbance experiment conducted in 2019 on the Rise used a modified agricultural plough designed to create a sediment cloud that could result from mining. This disturbance was used to assess the resilience of benthic communities to sedimentation in a proposed future mining area. Macrofaunal and sediment samples were collected with a multicorer before, immediately after and one year after disturbance to assess the impact on the community and its ability to recover. Samplingevents took place in disturbed (physically run over by the plough and subjected to sedimentation) and undisturbed areas (subjected to sedimentation only) at each sampling period. Macrofaunal abundance significantly decreased in disturbed areas after disturbancebut not in undisturbed areas. However, community structure changed in both areas after disturbance; in disturbed areas this was mostly driven by changes in numerically dominant fauna, but in undisturbed areas by the more sensitive fauna which may provide an early warning sign for further changes under increased sedimentation. One year after disturbance, community structure had recovered in both areas. Abundance-based community structure correlated most strongly with C:N molar ratios in the sediment which increased after disturbance. Ecosystem function was measured by sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC) which increased similarly in both disturbed and undisturbed areas after disturbance; SCOC may be a more sensitive measure than community structure in assessing sedimentation impacts. No correlations were found between SCOC and macrofaunal abundance, biomass, diversity or bacterial abundance. The results of this research are useful for managing the impacts of industries where sedimentation is an issue, such as for bottom trawl fisheries and deep-sea mining. The results highlight the importance of leaving unmined patches of seabed adjacent to or within mined areas, to aid the recovery of macrofaunal communities subjected to mining disturbance.</p>

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Real-time sediment plume modeling in the Southern California bight

Cited by 24 publications

References 35 publications

Extent of impact of deep-sea nodule mining midwater plumes is influenced by sediment loading, turbulence and thresholds

Extent of impact of deep-sea nodule mining midwater plumes is influenced by sediment loading, turbulence and thresholds

Near-Field Analysis of Turbidity Flows Generated by Polymetallic Nodule Mining Tools

Simulated mining-related sedimentation impacts on the deep-sea macrofauna of the Chatham Rise, New Zealand

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