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Thermal Plume Monitoring

Thermal plume monitoring is usually conducted in order to measure the temperature plume associated with a plant’s cooling water discharge. Mapping thermal plumes can be achieved in two ways, in situ mooring or boat-mounted plume surveys. Most of the time these two methods are used in conjunction to provide an accurate and detailed plume mapping. The in situ mooring usually consists of three thermistors measuring the temperature at different depths. Combined with the in situ mooring, CTD casts can also be used to get better vertical resolution of the thermal plume. A boat-mounted thermal plume survey can trace the horizontal aspect of the plume. OSI has designed a fast response temperature thermistor system for these surveys.

Representative Projects


Thermal Discharge Plume Characterization: Oswego, New York

Thermal Discharge Plume Characterization: Oswego, New York

Ocean Surveys performed a detailed field investigation of the combined thermal discharge plume of Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station (NMPNS) on Lake Ontario in Oswego, New York. The data supported numerical modeling efforts as part of an environmental evaluation for ...
Thermal Plume Fig. 1

Thermal Plume Study: Ontario, New York

Ocean Surveys conducted a field investigation of the cooling water discharge plume from the Robert E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant. This work was undertaken to determine the location and extent of the thermal plume in Lake Ontario. The data collected ...