Hydrographical implications of ship-induced turbulence in stratified waters, studied through field observations and CFD modelling

Journal article, 2023

Ship-related energy pollution has received increasing attention but almost exclusively regarding radiated underwater noise, while the effect of ship-induced turbulence is lacking in the literature. Here we present novel results regarding turbulent wake development, the interaction between ship-induced turbulence and stratification, and discuss the impact of turbulent ship wakes in the surface ocean, in areas with intense ship traffic. The turbulent wake development was studied in situ, using Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) and conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) observations of stratification, and through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling. Our results show that the turbulent wake interacts with natural hydrography by entraining water from below the pycnocline, and that stratification influences the turbulent wake development by dampening the vertical extent, resulting in the wake water spreading out along the pycnocline rather than at the surface. The depth and intensity of the turbulent wake represent an unnatural occurrence of turbulence in the surface ocean. The ship-induced turbulence can impact local hydrography, nutrient dynamics and increase plankton mortality due to physical disturbance, especially in areas with intense traffic. Therefore, sampling and modelling of e.g., contaminants in shipping lanes need to consider hydrographic conditions, as stratification may alter the depth and spread of the wake, which in turn governs dilution. Finally, the frequent ship traffic in estuarine and coastal areas, calls for consideration of ship-induced turbulence when studying hydrographic processes.