Impact of wind on the dispersion of contaminants in the Lebanese northern marine area

Abstract

Abstract Batroun coastal marine zone – North Lebanon – is subjected to the discharges of two terrestrial sources of contamination, the phosphate plant of Selaata and Al-Jaouz River. In the aim to study their impact on the horizontal variability of sea water characteristics at short spatio-temporal scale, the displacement of water masses was followed under different wind conditions through the movement of a free drifting drogue. The wind regime played an essential role in the displacement and spreading of various contaminants over a wide area. The impact of Selaata chemical plant was shown not to be limited to Batroun marine area but its impact may invade further neighbouring northern marine area of the Lebanese coast.

Keywords

• Key words: Lebanon, Drifting drogue, Wind, River, Phosphate plant

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