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1.
Major river systems discharging into continental shelf waters frequently form buoyant coastal currents that propagate along the continental shelf in the direction of coastal trapped wave propagation (with the coast on the right/left, in the northern/southern hemisphere). The combined flow of the Uruguay and Paraná Rivers, which discharges freshwater into the Río de la Plata estuary (Lat. ∼36°S), often gives rise to a buoyant coastal current (the ‘Plata plume’) that extends northward along the continental shelf off Uruguay and Southern Brazil. Depending upon the prevailing rainfall, wind and tidal conditions, the Patos/Mirim Lagoon complex (Lat. ∼32°S) may also produce a freshwater outflow plume that expands across the inner continental shelf. Under these circumstances the Patos outflow plume can be embedded in temperature, salinity and current fields that are strongly influenced by the larger Plata plume. The purpose of this paper is to present observations of such an embedded plume structure and to determine the dynamical characteristics of the ambient and embedded plumes.  相似文献   

2.
Marine circulation above the northern Brazilian continental shelf is subject to energetic forcing factors of various origins: high water buoyancy fluxes induced by the Amazon River freshwater discharge, a strong coastal current associated with a mesoscale current (North Brazil Current (NBC)), a forcing by semidiurnal tide and by Northeast or Southeast trade winds according to the season. Using a three-dimensional (3-D) hydrodynamic numerical model (MOBEEHDYCS), and realistic bathymetry and coastline of the northern Brazilian shelf, this paper aims at studying the influence of some specific physical processes on the morphology of the Amazon plume. The very large volume discharge (180 000 m3/s on average) and the weak effect of Coriolis force are additional characteristics of the studied system, which induce a particular dynamics. The various forcing factors are successively introduced into the model in order to simulate and to determine their respective influences upon the plume extent and the hydrodynamics at the shelf scale. Simulation reveal that the coastal current is at the origin of the permanent northwestward Amazon plume extension while wind effect can either reinforce or moderate this situation. The tide intervenes also to modify the position of the salinity front: a horizontal migration of salinity front is observed under its action.  相似文献   

3.
Huijie Xue  Yi Du 《Ocean Dynamics》2010,60(2):341-357
A high-resolution coastal ocean model was developed to simulate the temporal/spatial variability of the Kennebec–Androscoggin (K–A) river plume and the circulation in Casco Bay. The model results agree favorably with the moored and shipboard observations of velocity, temperature, and salinity. The surface salinity gradient was used to distinguish the plume from the ambient coastal water. The calculated plume thickness suggests that the K–A plume is surface trapped. Its horizontal scales correlate well with Q 0.25, where Q is the volume discharge of the rivers. Directional spreading is affected by the wind with the upwelling favorable wind transporting the plume water offshore. Both the wind and the tide also enhance mixing in the plume. The inclusion of a wetting-and-drying (WAD) scheme appears to enhance the mixing and entrainment processes near the estuary. The plume becomes thicker near the mouth of the estuary, the outflow velocity of the plume is weaker, and the radius of the river plume shrinks. The flow field in the model run with the WAD is noisier, not only in shallow areas of Casco Bay but also in the plume and even on the shelf. We speculate that the WAD processes can affect much larger areas than the intertidal zones, especially via a river plume that feeds into a coastal current.  相似文献   

4.
The response of the density-driven circulation in the Chesapeake Bay to wind forcing was studied with numerical experiments. A model of the bay with realistic bathymetry was first applied to produce the density-driven flow under average river discharge and tidal forcing. Subsequently, four spatially uniform wind fields (northeasterly, northwesterly, southwesterly, and southeasterly) were imposed to examine the resulting cross-estuary structure of salinity and flow fields. In general, northeasterly and northwesterly winds intensified the density-driven circulation in the upper and middle reaches of the bay, whereas southeasterly and southwesterly winds weakened it. The response was different in the lower bay, where downwind flow from the upper and middle reaches of the bay competed with onshore/offshore coastal flows. Wind remote effects were dominant, over local effects, on volume transports through the bay entrance. However, local effects were more influential in establishing the sea-level slopes that drove subtidal flows and salinity fields in most of the bay. The effect of vertical stratification on wind-induced flows was also investigated by switching it off. The absence of stratification allowed development of Ekman layers that reached depths of the same order as the water depth. Consequently, bathymetric effects became influential on the homogeneous flow structure causing the wind-induced flow inside the bay to show a marked transverse structure: downwind over the shallow areas and upwind in the channels. In the presence of stratification, Ekman layers became shallower and the wind-induced currents showed weaker transverse structure than those that developed in the absence of stratification. In essence, the wind-driven flows were horizontally sheared under weak stratification and vertically sheared under stratified conditions.  相似文献   

5.
A comprehensive numerical study was undertaken to investigate transport of a variable-density, conservative solute plume in an unconfined coastal aquifer subject to high and low frequency oceanic forcing. The model combined variable-density saturated flow for groundwater and solute transport, and wave hydrodynamics from a 2D Navier–Stokes solver. A sinusoidal tidal signal was specified by implementing time-varying heads at the seaward boundary. The solute plume behavior was investigated under different oceanic forcing conditions: no forcing, waves, tide, and combined waves and tide. For each forcing condition, four different injected solute densities (freshwater, brackish water, seawater, brine) were used to investigate the effects of density on the transport of the injected plume beneath and across the beach face. The plume’s low-order spatial moments were computed, viz., mass, centroid, variance and aspect ratio. The results confirmed that both tide- and wave-forcing produce an upper saline plume beneath the beach face in addition to the classical saltwater wedge. For the no-forcing and tide-only cases (during rising tides), an additional small circulation cell below the beach face was observed. Oceanic forcing affects strongly the solute plume’s flow path, residence time and discharge rate across the beach face, as well as its spreading. For the same oceanic forcing, solute plumes with different densities follow different trajectories from the source to the discharge location (beach face). The residence time and plume spreading increased with plume density. It was concluded that simulations that neglect the effect of waves or tides cannot reproduce accurately solute plume dispersion and also, in the case of coasts with small waves or tides, the solute residence time in the aquifer.  相似文献   

6.
Acoustic Doppler current profiles and current meter data are combined with wind observations to describe the transport of water leaving Florida Bay and moving onto the inner shelf on the Atlantic side of the Florida Keys. A 275-day study in the Long Key Channel reveals strong tidal exchanges, but the average ebb tide volume leaving Florida Bay is 19% greater than the average flood tide volume entering the bay. The long-term net outflow averages 472 m3 s−1. Two studies in shelf waters describe the response to wind forcing during spring and summer months in 2004 and during fall and winter months in 2004–2005. During the spring–summer study, southeasterly winds have a distinct shoreward component, and a two-layer pattern appears. Surface layers move shoreward while near-bottom layers move seaward. During the winter study, the resultant wind direction is parallel to the Keys and to the local isobaths. The entire water column moves in a nearly downwind direction, and across-shelf transport is relatively small. During the summer wet season, Florida Bay water should be warmer, fresher, and thus less dense than Atlantic shelf waters. Ebbing bay water should move onto the shelf as a buoyant plume and be held close to the Keys by southeasterly winds. During the winter dry season, colder and saltier Florida Bay water should leave the tidal channels with relatively high density and be concentrated in the near-bottom layers. But little across-shelf flow occurs with northeasterly winds. The study suggests that seasonally changing wind forcing and hydrographic conditions serve to insulate the reef tract from the impact of low-quality bay water.  相似文献   

7.
The Río de la Plata waters form a low salinity tongue that affects the circulation, stratification and the distributions of nutrients and biological species over a wide extent of the adjacent continental shelf. The plume of coastal waters presents a seasonal meridional displacement reaching lower latitudes (28°S) during austral winter and 32°S during summer. Historical data suggests that the wind causes the alongshore shift, with southwesterly (SW) winds forcing the plume to lower latitudes in winter while summer dominant northeasterly (NE) winds force its southward retreat. To establish the connection between wind and outflow variations on the distribution of the coastal waters, we conducted two quasi-synoptic surveys in the region of Plata influence on the continental shelf and slope of southeastern South America, between Mar del Plata, Argentina and the northern coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil. We observed that: (A) SW winds dominating in winter force the northward spreading of the plume to low latitudes even during low river discharge periods; (B) NE winds displace the plume southward and spread the low salinity waters offshore over the entire width of the continental shelf east of the Plata estuary. The southward retreat of the plume in summer leads to a volume decrease of low salinity waters over the shelf. This volume is compensated by an increase of Tropical waters, which dominate the northern shelf. The subsurface transition between Subantarctic and Subtropical Shelf Waters, the Subtropical Shelf Front, and the subsurface water mass distribution, however, present minor seasonal variations. Along shore winds also influence the dynamics and water mass variations along the continental shelf area. In areas under the influence of river discharge, Subtropical Shelf Waters are kept away from the coastal region. When low salinity waters retreat southward, NE winds induce a coastal upwelling system near Santa Marta Cape. In summer, solar radiation promotes the establishment of a strong thermocline that increases buoyancy and further enhances the offshore displacement of low salinity waters under the action of NE winds.  相似文献   

8.
Fate of three major rivers in the Bohai Sea: A model study   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  
Huanghe (Yellow River), Haihe and Liaohe are three major rivers flowing into the Bohai Sea and account for more than 80% of the freshwater and land-drained material inputs annually. The fate of three rivers in the seawaters correlates with the transport and distribution of the riverine sediments and nutrients, and further exerts a profound influence on the local marine ecosystem dynamics. Therefore, the evolution of the river plumes under the influence of the freshwater buoyancy, the tidal forcing and the wind stress are examined using a three-dimensional primitive equation ocean circulation model, independently and jointly. It is found that both tide and wind stirring can deteriorate the stabilization of the water column caused by the freshwater buoyancy; however, the processes are different. The tide stirring originates from the seafloor due to the bottom friction as the tidal wave propagates into the shallow waters, and then the turbulent kinetic energy dissipates upward. On the other hand, the wind stirring proceeds in the up-down direction. The influences of different winds on the evolution of the river plumes are also examined. Since the situation of each river mouth is different, the wind influence is also distinct. At last, the fate of three major rivers driven by the combined tidal forcing and climatology winds is reproduced, and the simulated salinity distribution shows a reasonable agreement with that observed, meaning that the river plume evolution plays a crucial role in shaping the salinity distribution in BS.  相似文献   

9.
A three-dimensional primitive-equation model is used to simulate the Long Island Sound (LIS) outflow for a 1-year (2001) period. The model domain includes LIS and New York Bight (NYB). Tidal and wind forcing are included, and seasonal salinity and temperature variations are assimilated. The model results are validated with the HF radar, moored acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), and ferry-based ADCP observations. The agreement between simulated and observed flow patterns generally is very good. The difference in seasonal mean currents between the model and moored ADCP is about 0.01 m/s; the correlation of dominant velocity fluctuations between the model and HF radar is 0.83; and the difference in mean LIS transport between the model and shipboard ADCP is about 5%. However, the model predicts a prominent tidally generated headland eddy not supported by the HF radar observation. The model sensitivity study indicates that the tides, winds, and ambient coastal front all have important impact on the buoyant outflow. The tides and winds cause stronger vertical mixing, which reduces the surface plume strength. The ambient coastal front, on the other hand, tends to enhance the plume.  相似文献   

10.
Within the hydrodynamic modelling community, it is common practice to apply different modelling systems for coastal waters and river systems. Whereas for coastal waters 3D finite difference or finite element grids are commonly used, river systems are generally modelled using 1D networks. Each of these systems is tailored towards specific applications. Three-dimensional coastal water models are designed to model the horizontal and vertical variability in coastal waters and are less well suited for representing the complex geometry and cross-sectional areas of river networks. On the other hand, 1D river network models are designed to accurately represent complex river network geometries and complex structures like weirs, barrages and dams. A disadvantage, however, is that they are unable to resolve complex spatial flow variability. In real life, however, coastal oceans and rivers interact. In deltaic estuaries, both tidal intrusion of seawater into the upstream river network and river discharge into open waters play a role. This is frequently approached by modelling the systems independently, with off-line coupling of the lateral boundary forcing. This implies that the river and the coastal model run sequentially, providing lateral discharge (1D) and water level (3D) forcing to each other without the possibility of direct feedback or interaction between these processes. An additional disadvantage is that due to the time aggregation usually applied to exchanged quantities, mass conservation is difficult to ensure. In this paper, we propose an approach that couples a 3D hydrodynamic modelling system for coastal waters (Delft3D) with a 1D modelling system for river hydraulics (SOBEK) online. This implies that contrary to off-line coupling, the hydrodynamic quantities are exchanged between the 1D and 3D domains during runtime to resolve the real-time exchange and interaction between the coastal waters and river network. This allows for accurate and mass conserving modelling of complex coastal waters and river network systems, whilst the advantages of both systems are maintained and used in an optimal and computationally efficient way. The coupled 1D–3D system is used to model the flows in the Pearl River Delta (Guangdong, China), which are determined by the interaction of the upstream network of the Pearl River and the open waters of the South China Sea. The highly complex upstream river network is modelled in 1D, simulating river discharges for the dry and wet monsoon periods. The 3D coastal model simulates the flow due to the external (ocean) periodic tidal forcing, the salinity distribution for both dry and wet seasons, as well as residual water levels (sea level anomalies) originating from the South China Sea. The model is calibrated and its performance extensively assessed against field measurements, resulting in a mean root mean square (RMS) error of below 6% for water levels over the entire Pearl River Delta. The model also represents both the discharge distribution over the river network and salinity transport processes with good accuracy, resolving the discharge distribution over the main branches of the river network within 5% of reported annual mean values and RMS errors for salinity in the range of 2 ppt (dry season) to 5 ppt (wet season).  相似文献   

11.
Although there have been studies on the tide in convergent bay (or estuary), the tide change in terms of phase speed, amplitude, and phase difference between elevation and tidal current from a coastal ocean to a convergent bay has not been clearly shown so far. This study systematically examines the change of tidal wave characteristics from the eastern Yellow Sea to the Asan Bay, a strongly convergent bay on the west coast of Korea, using observations and an analytical model. As the tidal wave propagates from the eastern Yellow Sea into the Asan Bay, the phase speed, amplitude, and phase difference between elevation and tidal current increase along the channel. Such a phenomenon represents a unique example of tide change from a coastal ocean to a convergent bay, indicating dominance of convergence over friction in the Asan Bay. Both analytically computed tidal amplitude and travelling time compare well with observations. In the Asan Bay, the influence of the reflected wave is only felt in the upper one fifth of the bay and is almost unperceivable in the rest of the bay. The analytical analyses presented in this paper are particularly useful for understanding the relative importance of channel convergence, bottom friction, and reflected wave on the tidal characteristics change along the channel and the proposed method could be applicable to other estuaries.  相似文献   

12.
We studied the circulation on the coastal domain of the Amazon Shelf by applying the hydrodynamic module of the estuarine and coastal ocean model and sediment transport. The first barotropic experiment aimed to explain the major bathymetric effects on tides and those generated by anisotropy in sediment distribution. We analyzed the continental shelf response of barotropic tides under realistic bottom stress parametrization (C d ), considering sediment granulometry obtained from a faciologic map, where river mud deposits and reworked sediments areas are well distinguished, among others classes of sediments. Very low C d values were set in the fluid mud regions off the Amapá coast (1.0 10???4), in contrast to values around 3.5 10???3 for coarser sediment regions off the Pará coast. Three-dimensional experiments represented the Amazon River discharge and trade winds, combined to barotropic tide influences and induced vertical mixing. The quasiresonant response of the Amazon Shelf to the M2 tide acts on the local hydrodynamics by increasing tidal admittance, along with tidal forcing at the shelf break and extensive fluid mud regions. Harmonic analysis of modeled currents agreed well with the analysis of the AMASSEDS observational data set. Tidal-induced vertical shear provided strong homogenization of threshold waters, which are subject to a kind of hydraulic control due to the topographic steepness. Ahead of the hydraulic jump, the low-salinity plume is disconnected from the bottom and acquires negative vorticity, turning southeastward. Tides act as a generator mechanism and topography, via hydraulic control, acts as a maintainer mechanism for the low-salinity frontal zone positioning. Tidally induced southeastward plume fate is overwhelmed by northwestward trade winds so that they, along with background circulation, probably play the most important role on the plume fate and variability over the Amazon Shelf.  相似文献   

13.
Meteorological, hydrological, and hydrodynamic data for 3 years (2008–2010) have been used to document and explain the temporal and spatial variability of the physical–biogeochemical interactions in the Guadalquivir River Estuary. A real-time, remote monitoring network has been deployed along the course of the river between its mouth and Seville to study a broad range of temporal scales (semidiurnal, diurnal, fortnightly, and seasonal). This network consists of eight hydrological monitoring stations capable of measuring temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and chlorophyll fluorescence at four depths. In addition, six stations have been deployed to study hydrodynamics, obtaining 20-cell water column current profiles, and there is a meteorological station at the river mouth providing data for understanding atmospheric interactions. Completing this data-gathering network, there are several moorings (tide gauges, current/wave sensors, and a thermistor chain) deployed in the estuary and river mouth. Various sources of physical forcing, such as wind, tide-associated currents, and river discharge, are responsible for the particular temporal and spatial patterns of turbidity and salinity found in the estuary. These variables force the distribution of biogeochemical variables, such as dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll fluorescence. In particular, episodes of elevated turbidity (when suspended particle matter concentration >3,000 mg/l) have been detected by the network, together with episodes of declining values of salinity and dissolved oxygen. All these patterns are related to river discharge and tidal dynamics (spring/neap and high/low tide).  相似文献   

14.
How does river hydrology and morphology change due to tidal influence? We contend that this is a question of particular consequence to many earth surface disciplines, but one that has not been adequately addressed. Previous studies have relied on gradients in channel morphology and stratigraphy to infer energy regime of channels. However, in tidal rivers geomorphology influences the energy regime while the energy regime influences morphology; thus, geomorphic and stratigraphic patterns do not fully resolve the mechanisms which lead to change. We addressed this problem by comparing measurements of hydraulic energy and channel morphology along a tidal gradient to predictions of these characteristics in the absence of tides, and attributed the differences to tidal processes. Measurements of discharge, channel area, and energy dissipation (in kJ day–1) were made over a 24·8 hour period at four sites spanning the non‐tidal to tidal freshwater Newport River, NC. We then predicted those characteristics under non‐tidal conditions using hydraulic geometry relationships and literature values from coastal plain rivers. Discharge was enhanced more than 10‐fold by tide, and this tidal effect increased from upstream to downstream along the tidal gradient. Cross‐sectional area increased three‐fold due to tide. Energy dissipation measured in the upper tidal river was four‐fold lower than predicted to occur in the absence of tide because tides decreased average velocity and discharge. Energy dissipation measured downstream was similar to that predicted to occur without tides, although there was large uncertainty in predicted values downstream. While this limited dataset does not permit us to make broad generalizations for definitive models, it does provide a proof‐of‐concept for a new approach to addressing a critical problem at the interface of fluvial and coastal morphology. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

15.
Sea surface temperature satellite imagery and a regional hydrodynamic model are used to investigate the variability and structure of the Liverpool Bay thermohaline front. A statistically based water mass classification technique is used to locate the front in both data sets. The front moves between 5 and 35 km in response to spring–neap changes in tidal mixing, an adjustment that is much greater than at other shelf-sea fronts. Superimposed on top of this fortnightly cycle are semi-diurnal movements of 5–10 km driven by flood and ebb tidal currents. Seasonal variability in the freshwater discharge and the density difference between buoyant inflow and more saline Irish Sea water give rise to two different dynamical regimes. During winter, when cold inflow reduces the buoyancy of the plume, a bottom-advected front develops. Over the summer, when warm river water provides additional buoyancy, a surface-advected plume detaches from the bottom and propagates much larger distances across the bay. Decoupled from near-bed processes, the position of the surface front is more variable. Fortnightly stratification and re-mixing over large areas of Liverpool Bay is a potentially important mechanism by which freshwater, and its nutrient and pollutant loads, are exported from the coastal plume system. Based on length scales estimated from model and satellite data, the erosion of post-neap stratification is estimated to be responsible for exporting approximately 19% of the fresh estuarine discharge annually entering the system. Although the baroclinic residual circulation makes a more significant contribution to freshwater fluxes, the episodic nature of the spring–neap cycle may have important implications for biogeochemical cycles within the bay.  相似文献   

16.
To investigate how salinity changes with abrupt increases and decreases in river discharge, three surveys were conducted along six sections around the Yellow River mouth before, during and after a water regulation event during which the river discharge was increased from ∼200 to >3000 m3 s−1 for the first 3 days, was maintained at >3000 m3 s−1 for the next 9 days and was decreased to <1000 m3 s−1 for the final 4 days. The mean salinity in the Yellow River estuary area during the event varied ∼1.21, which is much larger than its seasonal variation (∼0.50) and interannual variation (∼0.05). Before the event, a small plume was observed near the river mouth. During the event, the plume extended over 24 km offshore in the surface layer in the direction of river water outflow. After the event, the plume diminished in size but remained larger than before the event. The downstream propagation of the plume (as in a Kelvin wave sense) was apparent in the bottom layer during the second survey and in both the surface and bottom layers during the third survey. The plume sizes predicted by the formulas from theoretical studies are larger than those we observed, indicating that factors neglected by theoretical studies such as the temporal variation in river discharge and vertical mixing in the sea could be very important for plume evolution. In addition to the horizontal variation of the plume, we also observed the penetration of freshwater from the surface layer into the bottom layer. A comparison of two vertical processes, wind mixing and tidal mixing, suggests that the impact of wind mixing may be comparable with that of tidal mixing in the area close to the river mouth and may be dominant over offshore areas. The change in Kelvin number indicates an alteration of plume dynamics due to the abrupt change in river discharge during the water regulation event.  相似文献   

17.
Water circulation in Puget Sound, a large complex estuary system in the Pacific Northwest coastal ocean of the United States, is governed by multiple spatially and temporally varying forcings from tides, atmosphere (wind, heating/cooling, precipitation/evaporation, pressure), and river inflows. In addition, the hydrodynamic response is affected strongly by geomorphic features, such as fjord-like bathymetry and complex shoreline features, resulting in many distinguishing characteristics in its main and sub-basins. To better understand the details of circulation features in Puget Sound and to assist with proposed nearshore restoration actions for improving water quality and the ecological health of Puget Sound, a high-resolution (around 50 m in estuaries and tide flats) hydrodynamic model for the entire Puget Sound was needed. Here, a three-dimensional circulation model of Puget Sound using an unstructured-grid finite volume coastal ocean model is presented. The model was constructed with sufficient resolution in the nearshore region to address the complex coastline, multi-tidal channels, and tide flats. Model open boundaries were extended to the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the northern end of the Strait of Georgia to account for the influences of ocean water intrusion from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Fraser River plume from the Strait of Georgia, respectively. Comparisons of model results, observed data, and associated error statistics for tidal elevation, velocity, temperature, and salinity indicate that the model is capable of simulating the general circulation patterns on the scale of a large estuarine system as well as detailed hydrodynamics in the nearshore tide flats. Tidal characteristics, temperature/salinity stratification, mean circulation, and river plumes in estuaries with tide flats are discussed.  相似文献   

18.
An observational study in the middle reach of Delaware Bay shows that vertical stratification is often enhanced during flood tide relative to ebb tide, contrary to the tidal variability predicted by the tidal straining mechanism. This tidal period variability was more pronounced during times of high river discharge when the tidally mean stratification was higher. This tidal variability in stratification is caused by two reinforcing processes. In the along-channel direction, the upstream advection of a salinity front at mid-depth causes an increase of the vertical stratification during the flood tide and a decrease during the ebb tide. In the cross-channel direction, the tilting of isohalines during the ebb reduces vertical stratification, and the subsequent readjustment of the salinity field during the flood enhances the water column stability. A diagnosis of the cross-channel momentum balance reveals that the lateral flows are driven by the interplay of Coriolis forcing and the cross-channel pressure gradient. During the flood tide, these two forces mostly reinforce each other, while the opposite occurs during the ebb tide. This sets up a lateral circulation that is clockwise (looking landward) during the first half of the flood and then reverses and remains counterclockwise during most of the ebb tide. Past maximum ebb, the cross-channel baroclinic term, overcomes Coriolis and reverses the lateral flows.  相似文献   

19.
Observations of the Hudson River plume were taken in the spring of 2006 in conjunction with the Lagrangian Transport and Transformation Experiment using mooring arrays, shipboard observations, and satellite data. During this time period, the plume was subjected to a variety of wind, buoyant, and shelf forcings, which yield vastly different responses in plume structure including a downstream recirculating eddy. During weak and downwelling winds, the plume formed a narrow buoyant coastal current that propagated downstream near the internal wave speed. Freshwater transport during periods when the downwelling wind was closely aligned with the coast was near the river discharge values. During periods with a cross-shore component to the wind, freshwater transport in the coastal current estimated by the mooring array is less than the river discharge due to a widening of the plume that leads to the internal Rossby radius scaling for the plume width to be invalid. The offshore detachment of plume and formation of a downstream eddy that is observed surprisingly persisted for 2 weeks under a variety of wind forcing conditions. Comparison between mooring, shipboard, and satellite data reveal the downstream eddy is steady in time. Shipboard transects yield a freshwater content equal to the previous 3 days of river discharge. The feature itself was formed due to a large discharge following a strong onshore wind. The plume was then further modified by a brief upwelling wind and currents influenced by the Hudson Shelf Valley. The duration of the detachment and downstream eddy can be explained using a Wedderburn number which is largely consistent with the wind strength index described by Whitney and Garvine (J Geophys Res 110:C03014 1997).  相似文献   

20.
In many large estuaries there are significant variations in flow conditions due to the interaction between tide (with spring–neap changes) and river discharge (with wet–dry seasons), which is key to understanding the evolution of the morphology and the resultant equilibrium state. To explore whether there exists an equilibrium state, and what might control such a state in such a dynamic environment, both numerical and analytical methods have been used to investigate the relative importance of tide and river contributions to the work done locally and globally over a wide range of discharge conditions in the Yangtze estuary. In particular, we have quantified the contributions from the tidal flow, the river flow and the tide–river interaction in terms of energy and its dissipation under different river discharge conditions. Model results suggest that there is a state of minimum tidal work for the case representing the wet season, when river and tide are doing uniform work locally and minimum work globally, within the bi‐directional tidal reach for tide and along the whole estuary for river. We also observe that the system is not optimized for other conditions (peak discharge and low flows during the dry season), but the system would tend to do the minimum work possible given the constraints on the system (e.g. imposed forcing conditions and available sediment supply). Results, therefore, are consistent with the use of these two energetic optimization principles, and the proposed method could be applicable to other alluvial estuaries. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

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