The application of inverse methods for resolving velocity, density and mixing fields in lakes and estuaries. The two techniques to be developed and tested here will allow the measurement of the 3D density and velocity fields in lakes and estuaries using only simple instruments and with minimum lake obstruction. Coupled with a Real Time Management System, these techniques can be used to validate numerical models and to simulate scenarios, such as future flood events, which have the potential fo ....The application of inverse methods for resolving velocity, density and mixing fields in lakes and estuaries. The two techniques to be developed and tested here will allow the measurement of the 3D density and velocity fields in lakes and estuaries using only simple instruments and with minimum lake obstruction. Coupled with a Real Time Management System, these techniques can be used to validate numerical models and to simulate scenarios, such as future flood events, which have the potential for contamination of water quality. The output from these simulations is then used, again in real time, to evaluate the new Index of Sustainable Functionality of the water body. When augmented with the results from this research we would have a tool that would help manage lakes and reservoirs to optimize the water quality, while maintaining the supply.Read moreRead less
Assessment of the Mass Flux in a Benthic Boundary Layer of a Stratified Lake. Understanding the underlying processes responsible for Benthic Bundary Layer (BBL) mass flux in stratified lakes is of fundamental ecological importance. By verifying the ability of the current Centre for Water Research hydrodynamics models to reproduce the dynamics of the BBL, Australia will cement its position as an international leader in the development of technologies to guide the management of lakes, reservoirs, ....Assessment of the Mass Flux in a Benthic Boundary Layer of a Stratified Lake. Understanding the underlying processes responsible for Benthic Bundary Layer (BBL) mass flux in stratified lakes is of fundamental ecological importance. By verifying the ability of the current Centre for Water Research hydrodynamics models to reproduce the dynamics of the BBL, Australia will cement its position as an international leader in the development of technologies to guide the management of lakes, reservoirs, estuaries and coastal areas. Furthermore, these water bodies are important sources and sinks of carbon and the extent to which they contribute to the national and international carbon inventory can be assessed using this technology.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560828
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,288.00
Summary
Hydrodynamics and water quality field research facility. Understanding the fate of sediments and contaminants transported through catchments and the marine environment and their impacts on aquatic and marine ecosystems requires detailed hydrodynamic understanding at a range of scales. By establishing a state of the art research facility, JCU and GU together have a unique opportunity to provide hydrodynamic and water quality research which will support research priority areas of both institutions ....Hydrodynamics and water quality field research facility. Understanding the fate of sediments and contaminants transported through catchments and the marine environment and their impacts on aquatic and marine ecosystems requires detailed hydrodynamic understanding at a range of scales. By establishing a state of the art research facility, JCU and GU together have a unique opportunity to provide hydrodynamic and water quality research which will support research priority areas of both institutions, and advance the understanding of Australia's important tropical and subtropical ecosystems. Currently, excellent researchers and novel collaborations between and within James Cook University and Griffith University, are restricted by the lack of essential modern equipment.Read moreRead less
Modelling contaminant dynamics in a well-mixed/stratified estuary. The proposed mixed/stratified estuarine model is unique and will predict effects of stormwater discharge on water quality, provide guidelines for loading from various contaminant sources, assess impact of marine construction activities, establish effects of natural and anthropogenic resuspension and determine spatial/temporal changes in contaminant distributions. Knowledge generated will assist making decisions locally and overse ....Modelling contaminant dynamics in a well-mixed/stratified estuary. The proposed mixed/stratified estuarine model is unique and will predict effects of stormwater discharge on water quality, provide guidelines for loading from various contaminant sources, assess impact of marine construction activities, establish effects of natural and anthropogenic resuspension and determine spatial/temporal changes in contaminant distributions. Knowledge generated will assist making decisions locally and overseas regarding the protection of valuable living resources, the future environmental status of estuarine systems under alternative management and remedial strategies, management contaminated sediments, new legislation for best management practise, and support for long-term policy development for this estuary type. Read moreRead less
Environmental proteomics: A new, more reliable method of measuring the effects of chemical pollution on Australia's coastal ecosystems. Our research will provide a new, more sensitive method of detecting the effects of pollution on animals living in coastal waterways, and allows contamination to be managed before it does permanent biological damage. Australia is one of the most urbanized nations in the world, with most of its population living on the coast and many of the nation's coastal waterw ....Environmental proteomics: A new, more reliable method of measuring the effects of chemical pollution on Australia's coastal ecosystems. Our research will provide a new, more sensitive method of detecting the effects of pollution on animals living in coastal waterways, and allows contamination to be managed before it does permanent biological damage. Australia is one of the most urbanized nations in the world, with most of its population living on the coast and many of the nation's coastal waterways are under unsustainable pressure from pollutants. There is an urgent need for new technologies to help protect Australia's biodiversity, while sustaining the continued human use of our iconic coastal environments. Our work will establish proteomics as new environmental monitoring system.Read moreRead less
Drains in acid sulfate soils: behaviour and management for optimal water quality. Water draining from acid sulfate soil (ASS) into rivers via drains is often severely polluted, resulting in massive fish kills and chronic environmental and economic damage. Effective drain management techniques to minimise the export of acidity and deoxygenating drain oozes will be developed. The basic processes that affect hydraulic functioning, acidity and toxic drain ooze export in ASS drainage systems will be ....Drains in acid sulfate soils: behaviour and management for optimal water quality. Water draining from acid sulfate soil (ASS) into rivers via drains is often severely polluted, resulting in massive fish kills and chronic environmental and economic damage. Effective drain management techniques to minimise the export of acidity and deoxygenating drain oozes will be developed. The basic processes that affect hydraulic functioning, acidity and toxic drain ooze export in ASS drainage systems will be addressed. This project will provide the basis for the environmentally sound management of these drains. The technology developed here will be applicable throughout Australia and can be exported overseas, especially to south-east Asia.Read moreRead less
Maximizing reservoir water quality security through the use of a Lake Diagnostic System (LDS) and a Controlled Lagrangian Drogue (CLD). It is proposed to build on recent advancements in limnological research and existing measurement technologies to develop the hardware, algorithms and software to form a unique real time reservoir water quality management system, driven by minimal measurement inputs. This will remove the reliance on extensive expensive reservoir monitoring, previously necessary ....Maximizing reservoir water quality security through the use of a Lake Diagnostic System (LDS) and a Controlled Lagrangian Drogue (CLD). It is proposed to build on recent advancements in limnological research and existing measurement technologies to develop the hardware, algorithms and software to form a unique real time reservoir water quality management system, driven by minimal measurement inputs. This will remove the reliance on extensive expensive reservoir monitoring, previously necessary to characterize the lake spatial variability and seasonality, for full 3D modelling. This project will deliver to industry: two measurement tools to simplify reservoir monitoring, the LDS and CLD; and software tools to manage real time data collection, provide decision support to reservoir managers and to enable ?on-demand? scenario predictions.Read moreRead less
Factors controlling phytoplankton patchiness in a seasonally stratified lake. This project will determine what processes result in the formation of phytoplankton patches in lakes, over what scale, and how they can be parameterized into models to assist in managing aquatic systems. This will allow key parameters to be measured at the correct time and space scales. The Controlled Lagrangian Drogue coupled with correctly parameterized hydrodynamic and water quality models will provide the Austra ....Factors controlling phytoplankton patchiness in a seasonally stratified lake. This project will determine what processes result in the formation of phytoplankton patches in lakes, over what scale, and how they can be parameterized into models to assist in managing aquatic systems. This will allow key parameters to be measured at the correct time and space scales. The Controlled Lagrangian Drogue coupled with correctly parameterized hydrodynamic and water quality models will provide the Australian and International water industry with tools to measure and predict phytoplankton patchiness and make decisions about water quality treatment, offtake regimes and reservoir management. This will minimize the economic costs of water quality management and enhance the security of the quality of our water resources. Read moreRead less