Matthew's blog

This week has been busy. Nate gave us all of the Phoebe data and showed us how to compile it all into one place in MATLAB. After doing that, we were able to graph all the Phoebe data at once. After Nate talked with Joe Cho, they decided that it would be helpful to see the data in horizontal layers. Again, Nate showed us how to manipulate the data so that we could use data that was only taken from a specific depth, 0 to 2.5 meters. With this, we were able to compare this layer's salinity with the model's prediction of what the layer's salinity would be.

Yesterday morning, we attended a writer's workshop about writing with a scientific style. Sandra addressed clarity, conciseness, preciseness, consistency, tone, and readability. I thought that it was very interesting. One of the most helpful parts, in my opinion, was the blueprint for making a definition: provide the term, it's class, and distinguishing features.

Yesterday, we were again looking at the RDFS data. This time, however, we were making more specific observations. I was focused on the CORIE Development forecast system. We were instructed to write a report about how well the model predicts actual data during spring tides, neap tides, high river flow, and low river flow. After making these observations, we compated notes, and noticed that certain systems made more accurate predictions under different conditions, likely having to do with effects of mixing.

Last week, Monica and I thought of ways to model data from the estuary, then on Friday we all went to the Midsummer Conference at OSU. It was actually really fun, and I enjoyed it more than last year. I saw a very interesting presentation about the human brain and got to tour the wave lab.

This week, Nate is going to be our mentor. He has us using the Rapid Deployment Forcast System. We've each been assigned a forcast. Mine is CORIE fca200mf 100. We looked at them under different conditions to look for errors.

After researching wind-driven circulation, we started to look at hypoxia. After finishing our reports on hypoxia, we recieved a new assignment that is much more extensive. The four of us are going to be researching four water quality parameters in the estuary and plume, temperature, salinity, CDOM, and fluorescence. We've been split into two sub groups, myself and Alma, and Monica and Maria. Alma and I will be focusing on temperature and CDOM, while Monica and Maria focus on salinity and fluorescence.

It's my second week at CMOP this year, but only my third day. I was out of town for part of last week, so I only got a few things done. I had to write two reports, one about what CMOP is, and another about gliders. I'm currently working on a third report; this one is about wind-driven circulation. I'm finding that the topic is somewhat familiar, but I do not remember all of the details, so it's nice to refresh my memory on the subject.

I'm back interning at CMOP this year, and it is good to be here again. I looks like I will be working in the computer lab as I did last year, although I don't think I will find out exactly what I am doing until this afternoon.

After 8 weeks, I am done working at CMOP. I can hardly believe how much I have learned. It seems crazy that just a few months ago, I didn't know what an ETM was, or a salt wedge, or anything about estuaries for that matter. Now, I like to think that I know how they work and why they are important. My learning was not limited to estuaries. Working here taught me valubal presentation and computer skills.

Nirzwan gave Khalilha and I diagrams (scanned onto the computer) of the eustuary and sediment distribution. He instructed us to make the differences more apparent by adding color.

After finishing the maps, we were told to answer the following questions:
How many different types of sediments were found?
Seasonal Differences? Which seasons?
What does the generalized sediment distribution map show?
Overlay the north and south channels.
What sorts of sediments do you see in the north channel?
What sorts of sediments do you see in the south channel?

Monday: Grant gave me three things to do:
1) Predict the time difference between the maximum change in salinity and maximum turbidity during each change in tide
2) Find the correlation between tidal range and the magnitude of turbidity
3) Do all analyses with regard to all classes of turbidity spikes

I made progress with the first goal. I got some results, but will need to revise and improve them. I made a small amount of progress on the second goal, although not enough to make any conclusions.