Description
Long Island sound is a productive protected marine estuary, and is home to a wide variety of terrestrial and marine organisms. Long Island is also a populated coastal urban area which can be affected by climatological change. During periods of heavy rainfall, high water discharge rates can occur which can move pollutants from urban areas into these ecosystems, as well as communities. In this study I analyzed the effects that precipitation has on groundwater discharge rates, which is a major mode of nutrient transport between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. I also looked at the relationship precipitation and groundwater discharge has to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO is a weather phenomena and a primary mode of climate variation in the North Atlantic that is caused by stronger than normal pressure gradients in the subpolar lows and subtropical highs. In this study, I found that central Long Island Sound has a significant positive relationship between precipitation and groundwater discharge, but no relationship was found between NAOI and groundwater discharge.
North Atlantic Oscillation and its Effects on Groundwater Discharge in Long Island Sound
Long Island sound is a productive protected marine estuary, and is home to a wide variety of terrestrial and marine organisms. Long Island is also a populated coastal urban area which can be affected by climatological change. During periods of heavy rainfall, high water discharge rates can occur which can move pollutants from urban areas into these ecosystems, as well as communities. In this study I analyzed the effects that precipitation has on groundwater discharge rates, which is a major mode of nutrient transport between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. I also looked at the relationship precipitation and groundwater discharge has to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO is a weather phenomena and a primary mode of climate variation in the North Atlantic that is caused by stronger than normal pressure gradients in the subpolar lows and subtropical highs. In this study, I found that central Long Island Sound has a significant positive relationship between precipitation and groundwater discharge, but no relationship was found between NAOI and groundwater discharge.