Author(s)

Bruce B. Hicks

Abstract

The estuaries and coastal waters of eastern North America are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of atmospheric deposition, which is currently estimated to account for 20% to 40% of the total nutrient loading. Many models have been developed to assess the role of atmospheric input, but there are few measurement programs to test their predictions. Studies conducted in the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay reveal that predictions of the atmospheric deposition models most often used may require refinement, due to the need to use very fine grids when computing deposition in near-coastal waters. Moreover, classical assessments make crude assumptions regarding the retention of chemicals deposited from the air as they are transported by ground water and

Keywords