Hydrodynamics and thermal regime of a shallow reef-atoll rim

Samantha Allysa Maticka, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States, Ryan Lowe, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia and Stephen G Monismith, Stanford University, Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Stanford, CA, United States
Abstract:
As our understanding of reef-system hydrodynamics continues to advance, reef-atoll systems are still not fully understood. Of the reef-atoll research projects, few have focused on the smaller scale physics in these systems. Field observations and Delft3D model simulations are used to identify the dominant physics on the shallow outer rim (~3 km wide) of a reef-atoll, Scott Reef, in the Timor Sea. Observations are used to understand what governs the thermal climate in these shallow regions. The reef-lagoon is characterized by a horseshoe shape that leaves the lagoon partially exposed to the ocean, with a meso-tidal regime (2-4 m). The physics on the rim appear to be dominated by tides. Temperature fluctuations follow a diurnal heating and cooling regime, with an additional tidal influence.
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