Passive microwave detection of river-plume fronts in the German Bight

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Abstract
The location of oceanic fronts became important to the ocean community because sonar transmissions were distorted and disrupted at those locations. The oceanic fronts, including shelf-sea and river-plume fronts, are locations of higher than normal horizontal temperature and/or salinity gradients in ocean waters. For the detection of oceanic fronts, the Maritime Remote Sensing Experiment (MARSEN) programme included the NASA L- and S-band radiometer system on board the NASA P-3 aircraft from 30 August to 23 September 1979. The surface temperature and salinity measurements were concentrated to the freshwater outflows of the river Weser and Elbe in the German Bight. Three missions were conducted: 19, 22 and 23 September 1979. The values of salinity were plotted as a function of geographic position and contour maps of the salinity distribution were generated from the value plots. On 22 September 1979 during a noon flood-tide, two river-plume salinity fronts were detected when a body of water with higher salinity existed in front of the Weser delta near Bremerhaven, generating with the river outflow of lower saline waters a front of ΔS = 5 per thousand. Another pocket of lower saline waters existed in front of the Elbe delta at Cuxhaven which in turn set up a strong front of ΔS = 6 per thousand. The morning low tide on 23 September 1979 did not show this extreme condition.

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