Analysis of nearshore turbidity plumes using passive multispectral archive satellite data: Interactions of tidal current and bathymetry in Broward County, Florida

The interaction of tidal currents and bathymetry in the nearshore environment is investigated as an essential component in the study of cross-shore turbidity plumes. Clay and silt-sized grains which comprise a minor portion of natural beaches and artificial fills are modulated through the water column by nearshore currents. Tidal jets and undertow currents are forcing factors in the expansion of circulation currents that carry fine-grained suspended sediments offshore in large mega-plumes.;Enhanced contextual coverages from satellite imagery delineating plume morphology show a strong relationship between bathymetry and tidal current. The forces exerted by tidal action and frictions resisting this movement are examined by incorporating techniques of image processing, modeling, and statistical analysis in a GIS database environment. This analysis examines an experimental anisotropic cost distance algorithm that is utilized in the modeling of turbidity plumes to better understand the dispersion of suspended sediments in coastal Broward County.