Effects of Hurricane Hugo on Salinity and Dissolved Oxygen Conditions in the Charleston Harbor Estuary
Van Dolah RF and Anderson GS. 1991. Effects of Hurricane Hugo on Salinity and Dissolved Oxygen Conditions in the Charleston Harbor Estuary. Journal of Coastal Research (JCR). (Special Issue No. 8):83-94
Salinity and dissolved oxygen conditions in the Charleston Harbor estuary following Hurricane Hugo were evaluated at 36 sites located throughout the harbor basin and three river systems which form this estuary. Data collected on several sampling dates after the storm were compared with pre-storm data obtained at these same sites during 1988 using identical sampling procedures. Freshwater flow through the estuary increased markedly within four days after the hurricane due to high rainfall which accompanied the storm. This resulted in significant decreases in salinities throughout much of the estuary and large surface to bottom differences in salinities in the harbor basin and lower reaches of each river system. Dissolved oxygen concentrations were also reduced throughout most of the estuary following the storm compared to 1988 observations, with severe oxygen depletion occurring in the upper Ashley and Wando Rivers. Within one month after the storm, both the salinity and dissolved oxygen concentrations had largely recovered to conditions similar to those observed in 1988.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Van Dolah, Robert; Anderson, Gregg
- Units
- FOSU , WRD
- Keywords
- Aquatic Sciences, Charleston Harbor Estuary, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Effects, Hurricanes, Salinity, SC, WRBIB