Some remarks on the maintenance of the salinity distribution in estuaries

Chatwin, P. C.

doi:10.1016/0302-3524(76)90030-x

Cited by 143 publications

(146 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…These up-estuary fluxes can be divided into a subtidal component due to residual velocity and salinity and an oscillatory tidal component associated with correlations in velocity and salinity at tidal time scales (Hansen and Rattray 1965;Fischer et al 1979). For the subtidal salt flux, the baroclinic pressure gradient creates vertical structure in residual velocity and salinity, as saltier water moves upstream near the bed and fresher water moves downstream near the surface (Taylor 1953;Chatwin 1976). While this vertical residual dominates the upstream transport of salt in many estuaries, lateral residual structure due to bathymetry can also contribute to the longitudinal salt flux (Fischer 1972).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analytical theories with simplifying assumptions have been developed to predict equilibrium salinity distribu-tions for steady forcing (Hansen and Rattray 1965;Fischer 1972;Chatwin 1976). The equilibrium solutions have been used to explain empirical correlations between river discharge (Q r ) and estuarine salinity intrusion length (L x ), typically of the form L x ϭ Q n r (Abood 1974;Monismith et al 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Subtidal Salinity and Velocity in the Hudson River Estuary: Observations and Modeling

Ralston

Geyer

Lerczak

2008

Journal of Physical Oceanography

170

159

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A tidally and cross-sectionally averaged model based on the temporal evolution of the quasi-steady Hansen and Rattray equations is applied to simulate the salinity distribution and vertical exchange flow along the Hudson River estuary. The model achieves high skill at hindcasting salinity and residual velocity variation during a 110-day period in 2004 covering a wide range of river discharges and tidal forcing. The approach is based on an existing model framework that has been modified to improve model skill relative to observations. The external forcing has been modified to capture meteorological time-scale variability in salinity, stratification, and residual velocity due to sea level fluctuations at the open boundary and alongestuary wind stress. To reflect changes in vertical mixing due to stratification, the vertical mixing coefficients have been modified to use the bottom boundary layer height rather than the water depth as an effective mixing length scale. The boundary layer parameterization depends on the tidal amplitude and the local baroclinic pressure gradient through the longitudinal Richardson number, and improves the model response to spring-neap variability in tidal amplitude during periods of high river discharge. Finally, steady-state model solutions are evaluated for both the Hudson River and northern San Francisco Bay over a range of forcing conditions. Agreement between the model and scaling of equilibrium salinity intrusions lends confidence that the approach is transferable to other estuaries, despite significant differences in bathymetry. Discrepancies between the model results and observations at high river discharge are indicative of limits at which the formulation begins to fail, and where an alternative approach that captures two-layer dynamics would be more appropriate.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subtidal Salinity and Velocity in the Hudson River Estuary: Observations and Modeling

Ralston

Geyer

Lerczak

2008

Journal of Physical Oceanography

170

159

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“…Averaged over a tidal cycle, the simple momentum balance (Equation 2.1) also contains the terms customarily used to describe the tidally-averaged momentum balance in estuaries (Pritchard 1956;Hansen and Rattray 1965;Chatwin 1976). …”

Section: Momentum Balancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The along-channel salinity gradient can be treated as a constant with depth and time and still produce the main characteristics of the estuarine salt and momentum balances (Chatwin 1976). Therefore, the salinity can be divided into a part that varies only with distance along the channel and a part that varies with depth and time,…”

Section: Salt Balancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Mechanisms and variability of salt transport in partially-stratified estuaries

Bowen¹

2000

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Impact of estuarine convergence on residual circulation in tidally energetic estuaries and inlets

Burchard

Schulz

Schuttelaars

2014

Geophysical Research Letters

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Estuarine convergence (landward reduction of width and/or depth) is known to have the potential to significantly enhance estuarine circulation, a result theoretically derived under the assumption of constant eddy viscosity. Recent studies of longitudinally uniform energetic tidal channels indicate that tidal straining, a process driven by tidally varying eddy viscosity, is a major driver of estuarine circulation. The combined effect of estuarine convergence and tidal straining is investigated, for the first time, in this paper.The present idealized numerical study shows that estuarine convergence is reducing or even reversing tidal straining circulation in such a way that estuarine circulation can be weakened. This is a counterintuitive hydrodynamic effect of estuarine convergence, which may reduce (rather than increase) up-estuary particulate matter transport in estuaries and tidal inlets.

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Some remarks on the maintenance of the salinity distribution in estuaries

Cited by 143 publications

References 6 publications

Subtidal Salinity and Velocity in the Hudson River Estuary: Observations and Modeling

Subtidal Salinity and Velocity in the Hudson River Estuary: Observations and Modeling

Mechanisms and variability of salt transport in partially-stratified estuaries

Impact of estuarine convergence on residual circulation in tidally energetic estuaries and inlets

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