Validation and automatic detection of the dispersive transport of the submarine outfall of Mar del Plata, Argentina

Authors

  • Federico I. Isla Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario (IGCC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC), Funes 3350, B7602AYL - Mar del Plata, Argentina - Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
  • Luis C. Cortizo Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario (IGCC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC), Funes 3350, B7602AYL - Mar del Plata, Argentina - Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
  • Eduardo L. Blotta Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica (ICYTE), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
  • Juan I. Pastore Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica (ICYTE), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
  • Virginia L. Ballarin Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica (ICYTE), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
  • Graciela V. Cuello Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario (IGCC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC), Funes 3350, B7602AYL - Mar del Plata, Argentina - Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47193/mafis.3722024010506

Keywords:

Sewage plume, coastal monitoring, radar images, Mar del Plata, Argentina

Abstract

The submarine outfall of Mar del Plata city at Camet was projected considering the mean and maximum of forecasted sewage discharges, the inner-shelf depth, coliform concentration and its decay (T90) mainly induced by sunlight effect and costal salinity. In 2016 the outfall was operating with a length of 3,810 m and diffusers in the last 526 m. An economical method to monitor its performance in relation to the surroundings, is remote-sensing techniques, applying either visible or radar images. Tidal currents parallel to the coast are responsible for the transport of the sedimentary plume in the far field, after a primary dilution from a depth of 11 m. Visible images (1.5 to 6 m spatial resolution) are effective in monitoring the plume entrained in the upper portion of the water column. These analyses led to study the interaction between waves and coastal currents. Radar images (30 m resolution X and C bands) permit to survey the slick-alike plume that differs from the environment water by the surface roughness. Comparing both techniques visible images can distinguish the different colours of the plume; instead, the radar images are showing the surface roughness from the slick-alike plume. The main advantage of active sensors is that they can map the plume during a cloudy weather and even during night time.

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Author Biographies

Federico I. Isla, Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario (IGCC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC), Funes 3350, B7602AYL - Mar del Plata, Argentina - Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina

Eduardo L. Blotta, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica (ICYTE), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina

Virginia L. Ballarin, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas en Electrónica (ICYTE), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina

Graciela V. Cuello, Instituto de Geología de Costas y del Cuaternario (IGCC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC), Funes 3350, B7602AYL - Mar del Plata, Argentina - Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMDP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina

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Published

2024-01-30

How to Cite

Isla, F. I., Cortizo, L. C., Blotta, E. L., Pastore, J. I., Ballarin, V. L. and Cuello, G. V. (2024) “Validation and automatic detection of the dispersive transport of the submarine outfall of Mar del Plata, Argentina”, Marine and Fishery Sciences (MAFIS), 37(2), pp. 367–377. doi: 10.47193/mafis.3722024010506.