How efficiently does the freshwater of Chesapeake Bay mix with the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean?
The mixing of the Atlantic salt water with the fresh water of the Bay varies from season to season and from year to year. Fresh water is lighter tends to ride on top of denser, salty ocean water. The salt water tends to flow into the Bay and move upstream below the warmer freshwater layer which flows over it and out into the ocean but this flow is directly affect by season, weather and temperature. All of these play a role in the mixing of the waters of the Bay and the ocean. The section on Water: Salinity, Temperature and Circulation in the online book, Introduction to an Ecosystem answers that question very thoroughly. Go to: www.chesapeakebay.net/ecointr.htm I am doing a school project on water testing. What tests should I perform? You could perform tests for ph, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and turbidity. You could check for the various Macroinvertebrates that exist in your stream in different times during the year. For more information go to: www.iwla.org/SOS/ where the
