SUSPENDED PARTICULATE MATTER IN THE NORTH-SEA - FIELD OBSERVATIONS AND MODEL SIMULATIONS

A major part of land ocean interaction in the coastal zone consists of the transport of suspended particulate matter (SPM). Its mass balance is determined by the input from rivers atmosphere and adjacent seas, by advective and diffusive fluxes, and by deposition and resuspension at the sea bottom. For the North Sea, a three-dimensional lagrangian m odel has been developed which includes all these components. It is dri ven by the actual atmospheric forcing, the tides and the baroclinic cu rrents. Model results of spm spreading and deposition for specific yea rs are presented and compared with in situ observations and satellite images.