Tidal and wind-induced circulation within the Southeastern limit of the Bay of Biscay: Pasaia Bay,Basque Coast

The Basque coastal area, in the southeastern Bay of Biscay, can be characterised as being more influenced by land climate and inputs, than other typically ‘open sea’ areas. The influence of coastal processes, together with the presence of irregular and steep topography, complicate greatly the water circulation patterns. Water movement along the Basque coastal area is not well understood; observations are scarce and long-term current records are lacking. The knowledge available is confined to the surface currents: the surface water circulation is controlled mainly by wind forcing, with tidal and density currents being weak. However, there is a lack of knowledge available on currents within the lower levels of the water column; likewise, on the main time-scales involved in the water circulation. This study quantifies the contribution of the tidal and wind-induced currents, to the overall water circulation; it identifies the main time-scales involved within the tidal and wind-induced flows, investigating difference in such currents, throughout the water column, within Pasaia Bay (Basque coast). Within this context, extensive oceanographic and meteorological data have been obtained, in order to describe the circulation. The present investigation reveals that the circulation, within the surface and the sub-surface waters, is controlled mainly by wind forcing fluctuations, over a wide range of meteorological frequencies: third-diurnal, semidiurnal and diurnal land–sea breezes; synoptic variability; frequencies, near fortnightly periods; and seasonal. At the lower levels of the water column, the main contribution to the water circulation arises from residual currents, followed by wind-induced currents on synoptic time-scales. In contrast, tidal currents contribute minimally to the overall circulation throughout the water column.     

Coastal circulation near kakinada bay during monsoon period

Summary With a view of understanding the various processes responsible for the deposition of sand in the vicinity of Kakinada Bay and Godavari Point, an intensive study of currents in the coastal waters has been made using floats. The circulation has high variability in both magnitude and direction related to the three current components namely wind currents, tidal currents and wave currents. The circulation pattern rapidly changes with the change in the phase of the tide and local winds of land and see breeze. The littoral currents directed up-coast during premonsoon and monsoon seasons have insignificant effect across the bay opening due to the sheltering effect of the sand bar. The study is found helpful for understanding the geomorphological changes of the shoreline in this region from time to time.     

The predictability of near-coastal currents using a baroclinic unstructured grid model

A limited domain, coastal ocean forecast system consisting of an unstructured grid model, a meteorological model, a regional ocean model, and a global tidal database is designed to be globally relocatable. For such a system to be viable, the predictability of coastal currents must be well understood with error sources clearly identified. To this end, the coastal forecast system is applied at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay in response to a Navy exercise. Two-day forecasts are produced for a 10-day period from 4 to 14 June 2010 and compared to real-time observations. Interplay between the temporal frequency of the regional model boundary forcing and the application of external tides to the coastal model impacts the tidal characteristics of the coastal current, even contributing a small phase error. Frequencies of at least 3 h are needed to resolve the tidal signal within the regional model; otherwise, externally applied tides from a database are needed to capture the tidal variability. Spatial resolution of the regional model (3 vs 1 km) does not impact skill of the current prediction. Tidal response of the system indicates excellent representation of the dominant M ₂ tide for water level and currents. Diurnal tides, especially K ₁, are amplified unrealistically with the application of coarse 27-km winds. Higher-resolution winds reduce current forecast error with the exception of wind originating from the SSW, SSE, and E. These winds run shore parallel and are subject to strong interaction with the shoreline that is poorly represented even by the 3-km wind fields. The vertical distribution of currents is also well predicted by the coastal model. Spatial and temporal resolution of the wind forcing including areas close to the shoreline is the most critical component for accurate current forecasts. Additionally, it is demonstrated that wind resolution plays a large role in establishing realistic thermal and density structures in upwelling prone regions.     

Diurnal-period,wind-forced ocean variability on the inner shelf off Concepción,Chile

We characterize the response of diurnal-period ocean current variability to the sea breeze using measurements of current velocity taken off the mouth of the Itata River and wind stress collected at Hualpen Point (central Chile) in spring of 2007 and summer of 2006 and 2008. During these three periods, the winds are predominately towards the northeast, following the coastal topography, with the highest variability found in the near-diurnal and synoptic frequency bands. The sea breeze amplitude is intermittent in time and is associated with synoptic-scale variability on the order of three to 15 days, so that the diurnal-period winds (and currents) are enhanced when the alongshore wind (i.e. upwelling-favorable) is strong. The water current variability in the near-diurnal band is significant, explaining up to 40% (spring 2007) of the total current variance in the first 15 m depth.     

Surface current variability in the Keum River Estuary (South Korea) during summer 2002 as observed by high-frequency radar and coastal monitoring buoy

High-frequency (HF) radar observations of surface currents were conducted for 3 months during summer 2002 in the Keum River estuary. A comparison between HF radar-derived currents and directly measured ones form a buoy showed that the regression slope is close to 1 and the correlation coefficient greater than 0.86, with an RMS difference less than 13 cm/s which is less than 17% of the tidal current. This fairly good agreement allows us to use HF radar observation in investigating the surface flow and circulation in this tidal-current-dominant coastal-plume area. To examine the spatial variation in tidal current characteristics, as well as currents associated with non-tidal forcing, the HF radar-derived currents were separated into tidal and sub-tidal frequency currents. The overall pattern of M₂-current ellipse distribution in the study area showed a counterclockwise rotation, with the offshore maximum current direction to the northeast. Eccentricity, the direction of maximum current, and the phase of net motion of the ellipse changed near the estuary mouth and near the gap of the Saemangeum reclamation tide dyke due to the complex coastal geometry and the out-flowing jet during the ebb period.     

Influences of upwelling and downwelling winds on red tide bloom dynamics in Monterey Bay,California

It has recently been shown that inner shelf waters of NE Monterey Bay, California function as an “extreme bloom incubator”, frequently developing dense “red tide” blooms that can rapidly spread. Located within the California Current upwelling system, this open bay is strongly influenced by oceanographic dynamics resulting from cycles of upwelling favorable winds and their relaxation and/or reversal. Different wind forcing causes influx of different water types that originate outside the bay: cold nutrient-rich waters during upwelling and warm nutrient-poor waters during relaxation. In this study, we examine how the bay's bloom incubation area can interact with highly variable circulation to cause red tide spreading, dispersal and retention. This examination of processes is supported by satellite, airborne and in situ observations of a major dinoflagellate bloom during August and September of 2004. Remote sensing of high spatial, temporal and spectral resolution shows that the bloom originated in the NE bay, where it was highly concentrated in a narrow band along a thermal front. Upwelling circulation rapidly spread part of the bloom, mixing cool waters of an upwelling filament with warm bloom source waters as they spread. Vertical migration of the dinoflagellate populations was mapped by autonomous underwater vehicle surveys through the spreading bloom. Following bloom expansion, a two-day wind reversal forced intrusion of warm offshore waters that dispersed much of the bloom. Upwelling winds then resumed, and the bloom was further dispersed by an influx of cold water. Throughout these oceanographic responses to changing winds, an intense bloom persisted in sheltered waters of the NE bay, where extreme blooms are most frequent and intense. Microscopic examination of surface phytoplankton samples from the central bay showed that spreading of the bloom from the NE bay and mixing with regional water masses resulted in significantly increased abundance of dinoflagellates and decreased abundance of diatoms. Similar dinoflagellate bloom incubation sites are indicated in other areas of the California Current system and other coastal upwelling systems. Through frequent bloom development and along-coast transports, relatively small incubation sites may significantly influence larger regions of the coastal marine ecosystems in which they reside.     

Model of the Long Island Sound outflow: Comparison with year-long HF radar and Doppler current observations

A three-dimensional primitive-equation model is used to simulate the Long Island Sound (LIS) outflow for a 1-year (2001) period. The model domain includes LIS and New York Bight (NYB). Tidal and wind forcing are included, and seasonal salinity and temperature variations are assimilated. The model results are validated with the HF radar, moored acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), and ferry-based ADCP observations. The agreement between simulated and observed flow patterns generally is very good. The difference in seasonal mean currents between the model and moored ADCP is about 0.01 m/s; the correlation of dominant velocity fluctuations between the model and HF radar is 0.83; and the difference in mean LIS transport between the model and shipboard ADCP is about 5%. However, the model predicts a prominent tidally generated headland eddy not supported by the HF radar observation. The model sensitivity study indicates that the tides, winds, and ambient coastal front all have important impact on the buoyant outflow. The tides and winds cause stronger vertical mixing, which reduces the surface plume strength. The ambient coastal front, on the other hand, tends to enhance the plume.     

Baroclinic dynamics of wind-driven circulation in a stratified bay: A numerical study using models of varying complexity

The baroclinic response of a stratified coastal embayment (Lunenburg Bay of Nova Scotia) to the observed wind forcing is examined using two numerical models. A linear baroclinic model based on the normal mode approach shows skill at reproducing the observed isotherm movements and sub-surface currents during a time of strong stratification in the bay. The linear model also shows that the isotherm movement in Lunenburg Bay is influenced by the wind forcing and propagation of baroclinic Kelvin waves from neighbouring Mahone Bay. The effects of nonlinearity and topography are investigated using a three-dimensional nonlinear coastal circulation model. The nonlinear model results demonstrate that the nonlinear advection terms generate a gyre circulation at the entrance of Lunenburg Bay, and the slope bottom topography at the mouth of the bay strengthens the sub-surface time-mean inflow on the southern side of the bay. A comparison of model-calculated currents in different numerical experiments clearly shows that baroclinicity plays a dominant role in the dynamics of wind-driven circulation in Lunenburg Bay.     

Improved statistical prediction of surface currents based on historic HF-radar observations

Accurate short-term prediction of surface currents can improve the efficiency of search-and-rescue operations, oil-spill response, and marine operations. We developed a linear statistical model for predicting surface currents (up to 48?h in the future) based on a short time history of past HF-radar observations (past 48?h) and an optional forecast of surface winds. Our model used empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) to capture spatial correlations in the HF-radar data and used a linear autoregression model to predict the temporal dynamics of the EOF coefficients. We tested the developed statistical model using historical observations of surface currents in Monterey Bay, California. The predicted particle trajectories separated from particles advected with HF-radar data at a rate of 4.4?km/day. The developed model was more accurate than an existing statistical model (drifter separation of 5.5?km/day) and a circulation model (drifter separation of 8.9?km/day). When the wind forecast was not available, the accuracy of our model degraded slightly (drifter separation of 4.9?km/day), but was still better than existing models. We found that the minimal length of the HF-radar data required to train an accurate statistical model was between 1 and 2?years, depending on the accuracy desired. Our evaluation showed that the developed model is accurate, is easier to implement and maintain than existing statistical and circulation models, and can be relocated to other coastal systems of similar complexity that have a sufficient history of HF-radar observations.     

Nearshore currents on the southern Namaqua shelf of the Benguela upwelling system

Nearshore currents of the southern Namaqua shelf were investigated using data from a mooring situated three and a half kilometres offshore of Lambert's Bay, downstream of the Cape Columbine upwelling cell, on the west coast of South Africa. This area is susceptible to harmful algal blooms (HABs) and wind-forced variations in currents and water column structure are critical in determining the development, transport and dissipation of blooms. Time series of local wind data, and current and temperature profile data are described for three periods, considered to be representative of the latter part of the upwelling season (27 January–22 February), winter conditions (5–29 May) and the early part of the upwelling season (10 November–12 December) in 2005. Differences observed in mean wind strength and direction between data sets are indicative of seasonal changes in synoptic meteorological conditions. These quasi-seasonal variations in wind forcing affect nearshore current flow, leading to mean northward flow in surface waters early in the upwelling season when equatorward, upwelling-favourable winds are persistent. Mean near-surface currents are southward during the latter part of the upwelling season, consistent with more prolonged periods of relaxation from equatorward winds, and under winter conditions when winds were predominantly poleward. Within these seasonal variations in mean near-surface current direction, two scales of current variability were evident within all data sets: strong inertial oscillations were driven by diurnal winds and introduced vertical shear into the water column enhancing mixing across the thermocline, while sub-inertial current variability was driven by north–south wind reversals at periods of 2–5 days. Sub-inertial currents were found to lag wind reversals by approximately 12 h, with a tendency for near-surface currents to flow poleward in the absence of wind forcing. Consistent with similar sites along the Californian and Iberian coasts, the headland at Cape Columbine is considered to influence currents and circulation patterns during periods of relaxation from upwelling-favourable winds, favouring the development of a nearshore poleward current, leading to poleward advection of warm water, the development of stratification, and the creation of potentially favourable conditions for HAB development.     

A coastal prediction system as an event response tool: Particle tracking simulation of an anhydrous ammonia spill in Tampa Bay

A coastal prediction system for Tampa Bay, comprised of a numerical circulation model and Lagrangian particle transport model, rapidly produces hindcast/forecast simulations that alert authorities to high impact areas following the introduction of hazardous material into the bay. The effectiveness of the prediction system as an event response tool is evaluated during an anhydrous ammonia spill. A week-long simulation predicts the trajectory of the material due to winds and currents. Physical transport of the model particles alternates from being tidally driven to being driven both by wind action and residual circulation. A forecast simulation showing particle distribution drove field sampling that resulted in the detection of a Pseudo-nitzschia bloom likely initiated from excess ammonium in the bay. An online component of the coastal prediction system is in development to better manage response and mitigation efforts for future hazardous material spills in Tampa Bay.     

Assessing the fidelity of surface currents from a coastal ocean model and HF radar using drifting buoys in the Middle Atlantic Bight

The rapid expansion of urbanization along the world’s coastal areas requires a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the coastal ocean. Over the past several decades, numerical ocean circulation models have tried to provide such insight, based on our developing understanding of physical ocean processes. The systematic establishment of coastal ocean observation systems adopting cutting-edge technology, such as high frequency (HF) radar, satellite sensing, and gliders, has put such ocean model predictions to the test, by providing comprehensive observational datasets for the validation of numerical model forecasts. The New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System (NYHOPS) is a comprehensive system for understanding coastal ocean processes on the continental shelf waters of New York and New Jersey. To increase confidence in the system’s ocean circulation predictions in that area, a detailed validation exercise was carried out using HF radar and Lagrangian drifter-derived surface currents from three drifters obtained between March and October 2010. During that period, the root mean square (RMS) differences of both the east–west and north–south currents between NYHOPS and HF radar were approximately 15 cm s^?1. Harmonic analysis of NYHOPS and HF radar surface currents shows similar tidal ellipse parameters for the dominant M₂ tide, with a mean difference of 2.4 cm s^?1 in the semi-major axis and 1.4 cm s^?1 in the semi-minor axis and 3° in orientation and 10° in phase. Surface currents derived independently from drifters along their trajectories showed that NYHOPS and HF radar yielded similarly accurate results. RMS errors when compared to currents derived along the trajectory of the three drifters were approximately 10 cm s^?1. Overall, the analysis suggests that NYHOPS and HF radar had similar skill in estimating the currents over the continental shelf waters of the Middle Atlantic Bight during this time period. An ensemble-based set of particle tracking simulations using one drifter which was tracked for 11 days showed that the ensemble mean separation generally increases with time in a linear fashion. The separation distance is not dominated by high frequency or short spatial scale wavelengths suggesting that both the NYHOPS and HF radar currents are representing tidal and inertial time scales correctly and resolving some of the smaller scale eddies. The growing ensemble mean separation distance is dominated by errors in the mean flow causing the drifters to slowly diverge from their observed positions. The separation distance for both HF radar and NYHOPS stays below 30 km after 5 days, and the two technologies have similar tracking skill at the 95 % level. For comparison, the ensemble mean distance of a drifter from its initial release location (persistence assumption) is estimated to be greater than 70 km in 5 days.     

A simulation of the Chilean Coastal Current and associated topographic upwelling near Valparaíso, Chile

A 4-year simulation of the surface circulation driven by the local wind on a section of the central Chilean coast is presented. The model is shown to reproduce the major observed features of the circulation. Comparison to observations of sea-surface temperature (SST) taken within the study area suggests that the model captures well coastal upwelling processes in the region. The circulation is shown to have two distinct modes corresponding to spring/summer and autumn/winter. During spring/summer sustained strong south-westerly wind forcing drives an equatorward coastal jet consistent with the Chile Coastal Current (CCC) and coastal upwelling at previously identified locations of intense upwelling at Topocalma Point and Curaumilla Point. Weaker winds during autumn/winter produce a slower CCC and a more homogenous SST field. Upwelling/relaxation and topographic eddies provide the main sources of variability on sub-seasonal time-scales in the model. The mechanisms responsible for each of these are discussed. Upwelling at Topocalma and Curaumilla Points is shown to be produced through generation of an upwelling Ekman bottom boundary layer following acceleration of the CCC close to the coast, reinforced by secondary circulation due to flow curvature around the headlands. Additional upwelling occurs north of Curaumilla Point due to development of shallow wind-driven overturning flow. Wind-sheltering is shown to be an important factor for explaining the fact that Valparaíso Bay is typically an upwelling shadow. Flow separation and eddy formation within Valparaíso Bay is seen to occur on the order of 10 times per year during relaxation after strong wind events and may persist for a number of weeks. Shorter lived topographic eddies are also seen to occur commonly at Topocalma and Toro Points. These eddies are shown to form in response to the surface elevation minima produced at each of these locations during upwelling.     

Lagrangian circulation and forbidden zone on the West Florida Shelf

This paper presents some recent results of drifters released on the West Florida Shelf during 1996–1997 and compares with the numerical model results of the wind-driven circulation. Using satellite tracked surface drifters during the one year period from February 1996 to February 1997, a drifter free region, called the “forbidden zone”, is found over the southern portion of the West Florida Shelf. This finding is consistent with historical drift bottle data and with a recent numerical model study of the West Florida Shelf circulation response to climatological wind forcing. Direct drifter simulations by numerical model during March 1996 show a good agreement with both the in situ ADCP current observation and drifter observation. Three mechanisms are proposed for the observed Lagrangian features. The primarily dynamic mechanism is the along-shore wind forcing, which induces a coastal jet that tends to leave the coast and the bottom onshore and near surface offshore transports. The second one is the convergent coastal geometry and bottom topography for the southward flow in central shelf near Tampa Bay that enforces the coastal jet and the bottom and near surface transport. The last is a kinematic one, simply due to the short along-shore Lagrangian excursion, driven by the typical synoptic weather systems. Thus near surface shelf waters over the north may not reach the southern coast of the West Florida. Implication is that surface hazard such as oil spill that may occur outside of the southern West Florida shelf may not greatly impact the southern coastal region except Florida Keys. However, the biological and chemical patches over the north that may occur in the water column such as red tides still can easily reach the southern coastal region through the subsurface and bottom waters.     

Correcting surface winds by assimilating high-frequency radar surface currents in the German Bight

Surface winds are crucial for accurately modeling the surface circulation in the coastal ocean. In the present work, high-frequency radar surface currents are assimilated using an ensemble scheme which aims to obtain improved surface winds taking into account European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts winds as a first guess and surface current measurements. The objective of this study is to show that wind forcing can be improved using an approach similar to parameter estimation in ensemble data assimilation. Like variational assimilation schemes, the method provides an improved wind field based on surface current measurements. However, the technique does not require an adjoint, and it is thus easier to implement. In addition, it does not rely on a linearization of the model dynamics. The method is validated directly by comparing the analyzed wind speed to independent in situ measurements and indirectly by assessing the impact of the corrected winds on model sea surface temperature (SST) relative to satellite SST.     

Characteristics of Stable Flows over Southern Greenland

The main characteristic features of stable atmospheric flows over a large mountain plateau are summarised and then compared with mesoscale and synoptic scale numerical simulation, meteorological analysis, satellite imagery, and surface observations for the cases of flows over Southern Greenland for four wind directions. The detailed features are identified using the concepts and scaling of stably stratified flow over large mountains with variations in surface roughness, elevation, and heating. For westerly and easterly winds detached jets form at the southern tip, where coastal jets converge, which propagate large distances across the ocean. Near coasts katabatic winds can combine with barrier jets and wake flows generated by synoptic winds. Note how the approach flow rises/falls over southern Greenland for easterly/westerly winds, leading in both cases to more cloud on the western side. Some conclusions are drawn about the large-scale influences of these flows; detached jets in the atmosphere; air-sea interaction; formation of low pressure systems. For accurate simulations of these flows, mesoscale models are necessary with resolutions of order of 20 km or less.     

Generation and evolution of a topographically linked,mesoscale eddy under steady and variable wind-forcing

Numerical simulations with the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) are used to study the initial spin-up and the evolution of a mesoscale, topographically linked eddy under steady and variable wind conditions. The development of a pool of dense water on the southern Vancouver Island shelf allows cyclonic eddies formed by coastal upwelling off Cape Flattery to spread westward, ultimately contributing to the shelf-wide circulation known as the Juan de Fuca Eddy. This dense water arises through upwelling of water present in the underlying canyon system and tidal mixing over several shallow banks to the north. Tidal mixing is critical to the separation of the eddy from the coast. Although steady upwelling winds with a seasonal mean magnitude (combined with estuarine flow and tides) produce an eddy, only fluctuating winds with timescales and magnitudes typical of the region result in an eddy with a westward extent similar to seasonal observations. With each period of upwelling-favorable winds, newly upwelled water from the coast is entrained into the eddy which grows in size and moves westward. Wind events also significantly affect the baroclinic structure of the eddy. Specifically, during typical summer wind reversals, model surface drifters continue to move cyclonically within the eddy for several days after each downwelling wind event. Under upwelling-favorable wind conditions, model drifters exit the eddy to the southeast as the eddy and coastal upwelling fronts merge into a continuous southeastward shelf break jet.     

The influence of wind forcing on across-shelf transport in the Florida Keys

Acoustic Doppler current profiles and current meter data are combined with wind observations to describe the transport of water leaving Florida Bay and moving onto the inner shelf on the Atlantic side of the Florida Keys. A 275-day study in the Long Key Channel reveals strong tidal exchanges, but the average ebb tide volume leaving Florida Bay is 19% greater than the average flood tide volume entering the bay. The long-term net outflow averages 472 m³ s⁻¹. Two studies in shelf waters describe the response to wind forcing during spring and summer months in 2004 and during fall and winter months in 2004–2005. During the spring–summer study, southeasterly winds have a distinct shoreward component, and a two-layer pattern appears. Surface layers move shoreward while near-bottom layers move seaward. During the winter study, the resultant wind direction is parallel to the Keys and to the local isobaths. The entire water column moves in a nearly downwind direction, and across-shelf transport is relatively small. During the summer wet season, Florida Bay water should be warmer, fresher, and thus less dense than Atlantic shelf waters. Ebbing bay water should move onto the shelf as a buoyant plume and be held close to the Keys by southeasterly winds. During the winter dry season, colder and saltier Florida Bay water should leave the tidal channels with relatively high density and be concentrated in the near-bottom layers. But little across-shelf flow occurs with northeasterly winds. The study suggests that seasonally changing wind forcing and hydrographic conditions serve to insulate the reef tract from the impact of low-quality bay water.     

Multiple time-scale modelling of the circulation in Torres Strait—Australia

Ocean circulation influences nearly all aspects of the marine ecosystem. This study describes the water circulation patterns on time scales from hours to years across Torres Strait and adjacent gulfs and seas, including the north of the Great Barrier Reef. The tridimensional circulation model incorporated realistic atmospheric and oceanographic forcing, including winds, waves, tides, and large-scale regional circulation taken from global model outputs. Simulations covered a hindcast period of 8 years (i.e. 01/03/1997–31/12/2004), allowing the tidal, seasonal, and interannual flow characteristics to be investigated. Results indicated that the most energetic current patterns in Torres Strait were strongly dominated by the barotropic tide and its spring-neap cycle. However, longer-term flow through the strait was mainly controlled by prevailing winds. A dominant westward drift developed in summer over the southeasterly trade winds season, which then weakened and reversed in winter over the northwesterly monsoon winds season. The seasonal flow through Torres Strait was strongly connected to the circulation in the north of the Great Barrier Reef, but showed little connectivity with the coastal circulation in the Gulf of Papua. Interannual variability in Torres Strait was highest during the monsoon period, reflecting variability in wind forcing including the timing of the monsoon. The characteristics of the circulation were also discussed in relation to fine sediment transport. Turbidity level in Torres Strait is expected to peak at the end of the monsoon, while it is likely to be at a low at the end of the trade season, eventually leading to a critically low bottom light level which constitutes a severe risk of seagrass dieback.     

Hydrodynamics and sediment-transport in the nearshore of Poverty Bay, New Zealand: Observations of nearshore sediment segregation and oceanic storms

Nearshore regions act as an interface between the terrestrial environment and deeper waters. As such, they play important roles in the dispersal of fluvial sediment and the transport of sand to and from the shoreline. This study focused on the nearshore of Poverty Bay, New Zealand, and the processes controlling the dispersal of sediment from the main source, the Waipaoa River. Hydrodynamics and sediment-transport in water shallower than 15 m were observed from April through mid-September 2006. This deployment afforded observations during 3-4 periods of elevated river discharge and 5 dry storms.Similar wind, river discharge, wave, current, and turbidity patterns were characterized during three of the wet storms. At the beginning of each event, winds blew shoreward, increasing wave heights to 2-3 m within Poverty Bay. As the cyclonic storms moved through the system the winds reversed direction and became seaward, reducing the local wave height and orbital velocity while river discharge remained elevated. At these times, high river discharge and relatively small waves enabled fluvially derived suspended sediment to deposit in shallow water. Altimetry measurements indicated that at least 7 cm was deposited at a 15 m deep site during a single discharge event. Turbidity and seabed observations showed this deposition to be removed, however, as large swell waves from the Southern Ocean triggered resuspension of the material within three weeks of deposition. Consequently, two periods of dispersal were associated with each discharge pulse, one coinciding with fluvial delivery, and a second driven by wave resuspension a few weeks later. These observations of nearfield sediment deposition contradict current hypotheses of very limited sediment deposition in shallow water offshore of small mountainous rivers when floods and high-energy, large wave and fast current, oceanic conditions coincide.Consistently shoreward near-bed currents, observed along the 10 m isobath of Poverty Bay, were attributed to a combination of estuarine circulation, Stokes drift, and wind driven upwelling. Velocities measured at the 15 m isobath, however, were directed more alongshore and diverged from those at the 10 m isobath. The divergence in the currents observed at the 10 and 15 m locations seemed to facilitate segregation of coarse and fine sediment, with sand transported near-bed toward the beach, while suspended silts and clays were exported to deeper water.