Satellite Monitoring and Mathematical Modelling of Deep Runoff Turbulent Jets in Coastal Water Areas

Abstract

One of the most important problems at the present time is the environmental pollution. Anthropogenic impacts on seas and oceans, and first of all on coastal water areas where more than half of the Earth population lives, makes the great contribution to this problem. The most intensive effects on ecosystems of coastal waters have deep waste water outfalls (Israel, Tsiban, 1989). Intensive discharges of pollutants in the near-surface layer of the ocean lead to a progressive eutrophication and microbiological contamination of sea water and cause a disruption in the ecosystem’s balance and drop in environmental bioproductivity. Therefore, it is important to organize monitoring of anthropogenic impacts on marine environment caused by deep runoffs. Study and monitoring of such anthropogenic impacts is usually carried out using in-situ methods, which are of local character. Therefore, the use of aerospace methods and technologies to solve such issues is very promising (Bondur, 2004). This paper gives an overview of contemporary aerospace methods and means, as well as mathematical modelling of turbulent jets caused by deep runoffs, and possibilities of their application to monitor pollutions of coastal water areas. The focus is on the comprehensive studies which allow us to integrate remote and in-situ data with modelling results. For satellite monitoring, the methods are used based on the registration of deformations of surface wave spatial structure and hydrooptical inhomogeneities due to the interaction of deep runoff jets with the ocean surface and the near-surface layer. Some results from the comprehensive monitoring of anthropogenic impacts on Mamala Bay water area (Oahu Island, Hawaii, USA) are also presented here, as well as data obtained for Black Sea water area near Gelenjik city which confirm these results.