9320253 Chin This project explores the application of ocean surface current radar (OSCR) systems to the identification of outfall mixing zones. A single deployment of an OSCR system is typically equivalent to deploying over 1,000 current meters, with spacings between current meters on the order of a few hundred meters. Clearly, OSCR systems have the capability to define ambient surface currents in far greater spatial and temporal detail than is currently feasible using any other method of measurement. This study will investigate whether data derived from short-term OSCR deployments can be effectively incorporated in a (far-field) mixing model that describes the dispersion of contaminants discharged from sewage outfalls. This project is composed of three tasks: (1) Verify the stationarity of spatial current patterns measured by short-term (on the order of a month) OSCR deployments; (2) Develop an algorithm to utilize OSCR measurements to simulate mixing of contaminants discharged from ocean outfalls; and (3) Utilize the developed algorithm to predict dispersion at a site where OSCR measurements are available, and validate the algorithm by comparing the predicted and measured dilutions. ***
