Kings Bay, Cumberland Sound, Georgia part I : experiment report June-July 1985

Abstract

A month-long field experiment was conducted during June and July, 1985 at King's Bay/Cumberland Sound, Georgia, under the combined auspices of the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Nine estuarine stations were occupied over the duration of the experiment measuring velocity, sea surface elevation, and water quality (salinity, temperature and transmissivity) as well as wind waves. The data document the amplification of the tide from St Mary's Inlet north into King's Bay (an increase in the dominant Mz tidal range from 0.90 m offshore of St. Mary's Inlet to a high of 0.99 m at King's Bay). The Mz tide dominates records of velocity, sea surface, temperature, and salinity throughout the estuary. Half way through the experiment, the bay became warmer and less saline, reflecting increased freshwater flow into the estuary through the Crooked River, St. Mary's River, and other smaller rivers. All velocity gauges measured a net down-estuary mean flow over the duration of the experiment. Net volume discharge of water from the inlet averaged 300-350 m3 /second over the month of measurement. Net discharge of fine sediment is at least 2600 tonnes per day, and perhaps as high as 26,000 tonnes per day. Data from this field experiment provide the only useful basis for verification and evaluation of various numerical models applied to King's Bay/Cumberland Sound.