TY - JOUR
T1 - Monopile-induced turbulence and sediment redistribution form visible wakes in offshore wind farms
AU - Bailey, Lewis P.
AU - Dorrell, Robert M.
AU - Kostakis, Ina
AU - Mckee, David
AU - Parsons, Dan
AU - Rees, Jon
AU - Strong, James
AU - Simmons, Stephen
AU - Forster, Rodney
PY - 2024/8/14
Y1 - 2024/8/14
N2 - Offshore wind farms are becoming an increasingly common feature in the marine environment as a renewable energy source. There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of wind farms on the seabed and its organisms. However, an important and understudied aspect of site development is the interaction of turbine foundations on the surrounding marine environment. Structures exert significant disturbance on tides, waves and currents; these are visible as optically-distinct, elongate wakes at the sea surface with elevated suspended particulate matter. Despite this, there is uncertainty on the mechanisms that lead to the visible manifestation of wakes at turbine foundations, primarily due to a lack of direct measurements. Here, in situ measurements along with a 15-year time series of satellite images of the Thanet offshore wind farm, located within the Thames Estuary, were used to investigate the formation of visible monopile wakes, and the effects these have on the surrounding water column. We show the optically distinct wakes are near-constant at Thanet; visible in >90% of all satellite images, yet no regional change in sea surface turbidity could be attributed to wind farm construction or operation. Monopile wake in situ water samples and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) backscatter measurements demonstrated colour change related to elevated sea surface sediment concentration. However, averaged water column measurements of suspended sediment within wakes, and upstream of monopiles, remained consistent. These measurements demonstrate that sediment was redistributed towards surface waters, rather than additional sediment becoming suspended in the wake. ADCP velocity measurements supported a mechanism of sediment lofting towards the surface, with enhanced vertically upwards flow recorded in wakes.
AB - Offshore wind farms are becoming an increasingly common feature in the marine environment as a renewable energy source. There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of wind farms on the seabed and its organisms. However, an important and understudied aspect of site development is the interaction of turbine foundations on the surrounding marine environment. Structures exert significant disturbance on tides, waves and currents; these are visible as optically-distinct, elongate wakes at the sea surface with elevated suspended particulate matter. Despite this, there is uncertainty on the mechanisms that lead to the visible manifestation of wakes at turbine foundations, primarily due to a lack of direct measurements. Here, in situ measurements along with a 15-year time series of satellite images of the Thanet offshore wind farm, located within the Thames Estuary, were used to investigate the formation of visible monopile wakes, and the effects these have on the surrounding water column. We show the optically distinct wakes are near-constant at Thanet; visible in >90% of all satellite images, yet no regional change in sea surface turbidity could be attributed to wind farm construction or operation. Monopile wake in situ water samples and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) backscatter measurements demonstrated colour change related to elevated sea surface sediment concentration. However, averaged water column measurements of suspended sediment within wakes, and upstream of monopiles, remained consistent. These measurements demonstrate that sediment was redistributed towards surface waters, rather than additional sediment becoming suspended in the wake. ADCP velocity measurements supported a mechanism of sediment lofting towards the surface, with enhanced vertically upwards flow recorded in wakes.
KW - offshore wind farms
KW - hydrodynamics
KW - turbid wakes
KW - suspended particulate matter
KW - in situ measurements
UR - https://www.marinedataexchange.co.uk/
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85202213890&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/feart.2024.1383726
DO - 10.3389/feart.2024.1383726
M3 - Article
SN - 2296-6463
VL - 12
JO - Frontiers in Earth Science
JF - Frontiers in Earth Science
M1 - 1383726
ER -