Date of Award
January 2016
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Civil Engineering
First Advisor
Cary D. Troy
Committee Member 1
Tomas O. Hook
Committee Member 2
P.S. C. Rao
Committee Member 3
Keith A. Cherkauer
Abstract
In response to the increasing frequency of water quality impairment near tributary outlets, understanding the delivery of nutrients to the nearshore region of the Great Lakes is becoming increasingly important. This study assessed the transport of nutrients from tributaries to the nearshore region of lakes by evaluating the dynamics of tributaries and river plumes. Analysis focused on answering the following questions: (1) How do hydrologic characteristics of Lake Michigan tributaries vary historically and in comparison to each other; (2) How do nutrient concentrations vary episodically and chemostatically within Lake Michigan tributaries, and how does this impact nutrient loading; (3) How do Lake Michigan river plumes’ spatial characteristics and classification vary temporally, and what are the ecological implications?
Recommended Citation
Essig, Rebecca Rose, "Lake Michigan Tributary Characteristics, Nutrient Loading Trends, and River Plume Dynamics" (2016). Open Access Dissertations. 1249.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1249