Salinity in surface water in a partially-mixed estuary, and its dispersion at low run-off
Uncles, R.J.; Bale, A.J.; Howland, R.J.M.; Morris, A.W.; Elliott, R.C.A. (1983). Salinity in surface water in a partially-mixed estuary, and its dispersion at low run-off. Oceanol. Acta 6(3): 289-296 In: Oceanologica Acta. Elsevier/Gauthier-Villars: Montreuil. ISSN 0399-1784; e-ISSN 1878-4143, more |  |
| Keywords | Dispersion
Flushing time
Motion > Water motion > Circulation > Water circulation > Shelf dynamics > Estuarine dynamics
Motion > Water motion > Water currents > Tidal currents
Surface activity
Water mixing > Transverse mixing
ANE, British Isles, England, Devon, Taw Estuary [Marine Regions]
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top | - Uncles, R.J., more
- Bale, A.J.
- Howland, R.J.M.
| - Morris, A.W.
- Elliott, R.C.A.
| |
| Abstract | Axial distributions of surface salinity are estimated in the Tamar estuary. Flushing times and axial dispersion coefficients are computed for low run-off, spring tide conditions, when the estuary approaches the well-mixed state. Various shear dispersion mechanisms are investigated, as well as those due to tidal "random walk", and tidal "trapping". The estimated cross-estuary mixing due to tidal "random walk" is much greater than that which can be attributed to turbulence alone. Assuming this enchanced cross-estuary mixing, it is shown that the observed dispersion in the upper estuary can be attributed to transverse oscillatory shear. Dispersion in the lower estuary is more complex, and for low run-off, spring tide conditions, the most important individual process appears to be tidal "trapping". |
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