The role of wind in the near‐field and midfield regions of the Merrimack River plume is quantified using observations from surface drifters released near the river mouth during ebb tide in 2009, 2010, and 2011 under a range of wind and river discharge conditions. Comparison of momentum balance terms and analysis of plume trajectories suggests that the plume is sensitive to wind direction for wind speeds >4 m s⁻¹ in all regions of the plume, including the near field, where wind influence has typically been considered second order. Intermediate ranges (4–12 km) were more strongly influenced by the wind than the near field (0–4 km). However, the influence of the instantaneous wind diminished farther from the mouth, presumably, due to the growing importance of longer time scale process (i.e., Ekman transport). The plume was less sensitive to cross‐shore winds than alongshore winds, particularly near the river mouth, where momentum dominates.

Photovoltaics (PV) is a cost-competitive and scalable technology for electricity generation that plays a crucial role to accelerate the European energy transition and achieve carbon neutrality. Large-scale installation of rooftop PV, as well as innovative PV applications such as floating PV coupled with hydropower and bifacial PV along roads and railways, offer multi-benefits, not least in reducing competition for land. In this study, we present a geospatial approach to assess the pan-European technical potential of these three applications, using publicly available datasets. The findings reveal that the PV total installed capacity could exceed 1 TW_p, which is far larger than the total PV capacity for 2030 in the EU Solar Energy Strategy (720 GW_p) and would be a significant contribution to the several TWs needed for the overall transition to net-zero by 2050. The evidence presented is a useful starting point for policy-setting at national and regional level, as well as for research and detailed analyses of location specific solutions.