Grimes, Derek J.; Feddersen, Falk; Giddings, Sarah N. (2021). Data from: Long-distance/time surf-zone tracer evolution affected by inner-shelf tracer retention and recirculation. In The Cross-Surfzone/Inner-shelf Dye Exchange (CSIDE) Study. UC San Diego Library Digital Collections. https://doi.org/10.6075/J02F7NBJ

Surf-zone and inner-shelf transport and mixing impact nearshore systems, such as larval recruitment in intertidal ecosystems and water quality impacts from coastal pollution, and can be studied using shoreline released tracers. Surf-zone alongshore directed currents driven by oblique breaking waves transport tracers over long distances. Tracer is also mixed across the surf-zone by eddying currents and exported onto the inner-shelf by rip currents, which decrease absolute shoreline tracer concentration. Horizontal mixing also increases tracer plume length-scales, known as dispersion, and cross-shore variation in the alongshore current can induce enhanced alongshore dispersion. Over long- distances/times, tracer evolution depends on both surf-zone and inner-shelf currents and alongshore dispersion. Here, the evolution of a surf-zone released tracer is observed for ≈ 30 h and over several kilometers downstream (alongshore) of the release. Downstream of the release, the surf-zone maximum concentration decayed and concentration time-series developed long-duration tails (skewness). A surf-zone/inner-shelf box tracer model reproduces the surf-zone tracer observations, providing insight to the relative roles of cross-shore exchange, recirculation and alongshore dispersion. Importantly, recirculation between the surf-zone and the inner-shelf is a critical process that changes the tracer distribution close to shore.

• 2015-09 to 2015-10

• 2021

• Feddersen, Falk

• Giddings, Sarah N.

• Grimes, Derek J.

This work was funded under the CSIDE grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF OCE-1459389). This work was also supported by the Office of Naval Research through grant N00014-5-1-2631. This project is funded, in part, by the US Coastal Research Program (USCRP) as administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Department of Defense. The content of the information provided in this publication does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the government, and no official endorsement should be inferred. The authors’ acknowledge the USACE and USCRP’s support of their effort to strengthen coastal academic programs and address coastal community needs in the United States.

• Cross-shore exchange
• Inner shelf
• Nearshore
• Surf zone
• Tracers

Point: 32.5896, -117.133

• data
• image

• English

Identifier: Derek J. Grimes: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5286-7819

Identifier: Falk Feddersen: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5488-9074

Identifier: Sarah N. Giddings: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0726-4781

Primary associated publication

• Grimes, D. J., Feddersen, F., & Giddings, S. N. (2021). Long-distance/time surf-zone tracer evolution affected by inner-shelf tracer retention and recirculation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 126, e2021JC017661. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017661

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2023-06-30