Quantifying Processes Governing Nutrient Concentrations in a Coastal Aquifer via Principal Component Analysis
Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is an important source of nutrients to coastal ecosystems. The flux of nutrients associated with SGD is governed by the volumetric discharge of groundwater and the concentrations of nutrients in groundwater within the coastal aquifer. Nutrient concentrations in...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-02-01
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| Series: | Hydrology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/5/1/15 |
| _version_ | 1819055171827662848 |
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| author | Alanna L. Lecher Joseph Murray Adina Paytan |
| author_facet | Alanna L. Lecher Joseph Murray Adina Paytan |
| author_sort | Alanna L. Lecher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is an important source of nutrients to coastal ecosystems. The flux of nutrients associated with SGD is governed by the volumetric discharge of groundwater and the concentrations of nutrients in groundwater within the coastal aquifer. Nutrient concentrations in the coastal aquifer, in turn, are controlled by processes such as mixing, precipitation, adsorption-desorption, the decay of organic material, and nitrogen-fixation/denitrification. In this study, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to groundwater and ocean water nutrient concentration data from Monterey Bay, California, to identify and rank processes controlling coastal aquifer nutrient concentrations. Mixing with seawater, denitrification, the decay of organic matter, and desorption of phosphate were determined to be the three most important processes accounting for 39%, 19%, 14%, and 12% of the variability, respectively. This study shows how PCA can be applied to SGD studies to quantify the relative contribution of different processes controlling nutrient concentrations in coastal aquifers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:03:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5779c9bbd944f7cb30d899bb6525237 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-5338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:03:17Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5779c9bbd944f7cb30d899bb65252372022-12-21T19:03:06ZengMDPI AGHydrology2306-53382018-02-01511510.3390/hydrology5010015hydrology5010015Quantifying Processes Governing Nutrient Concentrations in a Coastal Aquifer via Principal Component AnalysisAlanna L. Lecher0Joseph Murray1Adina Paytan2Department of Natural and Applied Science, Lynn University, 2519 N Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USADepartment of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USAInstitute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USASubmarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is an important source of nutrients to coastal ecosystems. The flux of nutrients associated with SGD is governed by the volumetric discharge of groundwater and the concentrations of nutrients in groundwater within the coastal aquifer. Nutrient concentrations in the coastal aquifer, in turn, are controlled by processes such as mixing, precipitation, adsorption-desorption, the decay of organic material, and nitrogen-fixation/denitrification. In this study, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to groundwater and ocean water nutrient concentration data from Monterey Bay, California, to identify and rank processes controlling coastal aquifer nutrient concentrations. Mixing with seawater, denitrification, the decay of organic matter, and desorption of phosphate were determined to be the three most important processes accounting for 39%, 19%, 14%, and 12% of the variability, respectively. This study shows how PCA can be applied to SGD studies to quantify the relative contribution of different processes controlling nutrient concentrations in coastal aquifers.http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/5/1/15aquifersubmarine groundwater dischargenutrientsprincipal component analysis |
| spellingShingle | Alanna L. Lecher Joseph Murray Adina Paytan Quantifying Processes Governing Nutrient Concentrations in a Coastal Aquifer via Principal Component Analysis Hydrology aquifer submarine groundwater discharge nutrients principal component analysis |
| title | Quantifying Processes Governing Nutrient Concentrations in a Coastal Aquifer via Principal Component Analysis |
| title_full | Quantifying Processes Governing Nutrient Concentrations in a Coastal Aquifer via Principal Component Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying Processes Governing Nutrient Concentrations in a Coastal Aquifer via Principal Component Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying Processes Governing Nutrient Concentrations in a Coastal Aquifer via Principal Component Analysis |
| title_short | Quantifying Processes Governing Nutrient Concentrations in a Coastal Aquifer via Principal Component Analysis |
| title_sort | quantifying processes governing nutrient concentrations in a coastal aquifer via principal component analysis |
| topic | aquifer submarine groundwater discharge nutrients principal component analysis |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/5/1/15 |
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