How are the coastal currents of Toms River measured?

1. Where is Toms River?

Toms River is a prosperous township in Ocean County, New Jersey, in the United States of America. Toms River is situated on the east coast of New Jersey along the Atlantic Ocean. Its highly desirable coastal position blesses Toms River with the best mix of natural beauty and cultural pursuits.

The town is so named in honor of the Toms River, which meanders through the town. The river itself is a component of the town's landscape, offering refuge to a host of flora and fauna. The banks of the Toms River are thickly packed with vegetation, and it is utilized for a range of water sports like boating, fishing, and kayaking.

Culturally, Toms River is incredibly rich. It has a vibrant downtown district chocked full of local shops, restaurants, and historic landmarks. The town is replete with festivals and celebrations throughout the year honoring everything from the town's seafaring history to local craft and art. It has a multicultural population of long-time residents and new comers that gives it a textured social fabric.

In its marine position, Toms River lies close to Barnegat Bay. The massive estuary is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a series of barrier islands, one of them being Long Beach Island. Recreational boating and fishing and of economic significance are favorite pastimes performed in this bay. Shallow waters in the bay host numerous fish species, shellfish, and birds. The barrier islands offer a natural protection, deflecting the entire wrath of the sea storms from the mainland and affecting the coastal currents of the region too.

2. How are the coastal currents of Toms River?

Coastal currents of Toms River depend on numerous factors. Tides are one of the major determinants. Semi-diurnal tides are one characteristic of the Atlantic Ocean that borders the area. Tides cause the rise and fall of water levels and give a rhythmic movement and withdrawal of currents. Sea water rushes into Barnegat Bay and the Toms River estuary with high tide. The water current brings nutrients from the open sea into the bay and estuary to support the production of sea animals in the two bodies. When it retreats, water goes back into the sea, washing out sediment and organic matter that had been transported into the estuary.

Wind directions are also involved in the establishment of the coastal currents. Locally prevailing winds are able to reinforce or in reverse tidal currents. South-westerly winds, which appear in some seasons, may force surface waters inshore. This strengthens the onshore currents and may trigger increased mixing of water within the estuary. North-easterly winds can trigger offshore currents, which may affect the distribution of nutrients and marine animals' migration.

The topography of the area, for example, the shape of the coastline, presence or absence of inlets, and depth of water affects the regimes of the currents too. The small inlets between the barrier islands, for example, the Barnegat Inlet, limit the flow of water, and the currents are accelerated. Shallow zones alongshore and in the bay have varying currents from offshore and deep zones. Submerged features like reefs and sandbars have the ability to deflect the flow of water, creating eddies and more complex current patterns.

3. How does one measure Toms River coastal water flow?

Surface drift buoys are one of the ways of measuring the coastal water flow off Toms River's coast. They are small floating buoys with GPS tracking units on them. Once put in the water, they are washed away by the surface currents. By tracking the path of such buoys over time, scientists can estimate the direction and speed of the surface - level currents. But this method speaks to us of only the upper few meters of the water column and can be affected by wind - driven waves.

Another method is the utilization of moored current meters. These are anchored at the bottom of the Toms River, Barnegat Bay, or off shore on the sea bottom. They monitor velocity and direction of currents at several depths. Current meters that are moored will record continuous data over an extremely long duration, and this may be useful in understanding the long-term pattern of the currents. But they are limited to their fixed point of installation, and they may be hard to install and maintain.

The Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, or ADCP flow meter, is becoming a valuable tool when quantifying coastal current in Toms River. The ADCPs record multiple layers of water velocity simultaneously, thereby comprehending the flow of the water better. ADCPs are well adapted to the highly dynamic coastal and estuarine waters of Toms River.

4. How do ADCPs using the Doppler principle work?

ADCPs operate based on the Doppler effect. They emit acoustic pulses (sound) into the water. The sound waves upon interaction with minute particles in the water, such as plankton, sediment, or minute air bubbles, diffuse the waves. The ADCP then measures the frequency shift of the diffused waves.

If the particles are moving toward the ADCP profiler, the frequency of the scattered waves will be higher than the transmitted wave frequency. If the particles are moving away, the scattered wave frequency will be lower. By measuring these frequency changes very accurately, the ADCP can calculate the velocity of the water at different depths.

All but the most basic ADCPs utilize more than one beam to measure the three-dimensional flow of the water. A four-beam ADCP is an example, which calculates the horizontal as well as the vertical components of the current velocity. This allows for a complete understanding of the complex water motion, including the presence of vertical shear (where the current speed changes with depth) and eddies (circular-patterned currents).

5. What must be in place for high-quality measurement of the Toms River coastal currents?

Material reliability is the most important for high-quality measurement of the coastal currents surrounding Toms River. For the corrosive nature of the saltwater environment, the ADCPs and other gear must be made of materials that are corrosion-resistant. Titanium alloy is the best material to use in ADCP encasements. Titanium is highly resistant to corrosion, and hence the equipment will remain for a long time. This reduces the replacements, especially in the event of long-term monitoring projects.

Size and weight also play a role. Light and compact ADCPs are easier to deploy and move around, especially in the shallow and sometimes hard - to - access estuarine environments near Toms River. This is beneficial for field research since researchers are able to more easily move the gear from one measuring point to another.

Low power consumption is essential, particularly for extended surveillance. Since ADCPs are usually battery operated, low - power components guarantee the equipment is functional for several days without constant battery replacement. This is essential in distant coastal areas where it may be difficult to access sources of power.

Cost - effectiveness is another key factor, especially in case of large - scale monitoring. Cost - effective but reliable ADCPs are highly sought after. Models like China Sonar PandaADCP offer a good compromise between performance and cost. Made from all - titanium alloy, it is robust enough to handle the harsh marine environment at an economic cost.

6. How to choose the right equipment for current measurement?

The choice of equipment for measuring currents around Toms River will depend on application. Ship-mounted ADCPs are suitable for large-scale surveys. They can be mounted on research vessels and can be employed to measure currents continuously as the vessel moves along the coast, in Barnegat Bay, and in the estuary of the Toms River. This provides a wide-scale view of current behavior in the area.

Bottom - moored or mounted ADCPs are ideal for long - term fixed - point monitoring. They can be mounted on the bottom or seafloor of the estuary near Toms River and observe current data for years or months. This allows the observation of the long - term trend in the coastal currents.

Buoy-mounted ADCPs can be used for the measurement of surface-level currents. They are very simple to deploy and recover and are therefore convenient for short-term studies or for an instantaneous estimate of surface-current conditions.

In the choice of ADCP, frequency is an important consideration. A 600kHz ADCP will usually be adequate for depths up to 70m. It should give sufficient resolution to adequately measure currents in the relatively shallow estuarine and coastal waters of Toms River. A 300kHz ADCP would be suitable for depths up to 110m, and a 75kHz ADCP for deeper water, to 1000m. Lower frequencies will penetrate further but with less resolution than higher frequencies.

Some of the best ADCP brands are Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, for an individual seeking a low-cost alternative with no compromise on quality, the ADCP manufacturer China Sonar's PandaADCP is an ideal choice. Additional information can be viewed on its site: https://china-sonar.com/.

Here is a table with some well known ADCP instrument brands and models.