Thermal impact from a thermoelectric power plant on a tropical coastal lagoon

Cardoso-Mohedano, J.G.; Bernardello, R.; Sanchez-Cabeza, J.A.; Ruiz-Fernández, A.C.; Alonso-Rodriguez, R.; Cruzado, A.. 2014 Thermal impact from a thermoelectric power plant on a tropical coastal lagoon. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 226 (1). 2202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2202-8

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Text (Main paper) © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2014 This document is the author’s final manuscript version of the journal article, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer review process. Some differences between this and the publisher’s version remain. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite from this article. The final publication is available at link.springer.com Termal Pollution Urias 08102014.pdf - Accepted Version Download (166kB) | Preview

Text (Tables & figures) © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2014 This document is the author’s final manuscript version of the journal article, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer review process. Some differences between this and the publisher’s version remain. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite from this article. The final publication is available at link.springer.com Thermal Pollutian Urias tables and figs.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to NORA staff only Download (810kB)

Abstract/Summary

Tropical coastal areas are sensitive ecosystems to climate change, mainly due to sea level rise and increasing water temperatures. Furthermore, they may be subject to numerous stresses, including heat releases from energy production. The Urias coastal lagoon (SE Gulf of California), a subtropical tidal estuary, receives cooling water releases from a thermoelectric power plant, urban and industrial wastes, and shrimp farm discharges. In order to evaluate the plant thermal impact, we measured synchronous temperature time series close to and far from the plant. Furthermore, in order to discriminate the thermal pollution impact from natural variability, we used a high-resolution hydrodynamic model forced by, amongst others, cooling water release as a continuous flow (7.78 m3 s−1) at 6 °C overheating temperature. Model results and field data indicated that the main thermal impact was temporally restricted to the warmest months, spatially restricted to the surface layers (above 0.6 m) and distributed along the shoreline within ∼100 m of the release point. The methodology and results of this study can be extrapolated to tropical coastal lagoons that receive heat discharges.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2202-8
ISSN:	0049-6979
Additional Keywords:	Temperature, Thermal pollution, Thermoelectric power plant, Coastal lagoon, Princeton Ocean Model
Date made live:	17 Dec 2014 10:01 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/509126

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