ARTÍCULO
TITULO

Intratidal and Subtidal Circulation in a Tropical Estuary during Wet Season: The Maroni, French Guiana

Lauren Ross    
Aldo Sottolichio    
Tanguy Maury    
Sandric Lesourd and Antoine Gardel    

Resumen

Observations of water level, current velocity, river discharge, wind and salinity were collected in the Maroni estuary, on the border of French Guiana and Suriname during the wet season of 2018 to explore subtidal circulation patterns. Measurements are complimented by the application of analytical models with an aim to diagnose forcing mechanisms responsible for producing subtidal flows during the day of data collection and to extrapolate these findings to other time periods with variable wind and river forcing. Subtidal along-channel flows were found to be dominated by river discharge, with seaward directed velocities found throughout the channel section reaching 40 cm s−1" role="presentation" style="position: relative;">-1-1 - 1 . This pattern was altered with strong southwesterly winds, which produced and inverse gravitational circulation pattern despite the elevated river discharge. Secondary, or cross-channel flows, displayed a three-layer vertical structure in the main channel due to a combination of channel curvature and tidal asymmetry in the lateral baroclinic pressure gradient. The pressure gradient was produced by a salinity intrusion front that only manifested in the channel during flood tide. This is the first comprehensive study of tidal and subtidal flow dynamics in the Maroni estuary.

 Artículos similares

       
 
Suiji Wang    
An anastomosing river is a stable multiple-channel system separated by inter-channel wetlands, and there are serious difficulties in observing the hydrodynamics of such river patterns in situ. Therefore, there are few reports on the hydrodynamic data of ... ver más
Revista: Water

 
Matharit Namsai, Butsawan Bidorn, Ruetaitip Mama and Warit Charoenlerkthawin    
The construction of large dams in the upper tributary basin of the Chao Phraya River (CPR) has been linked to a significant decrease in sediment load in the CPR system, estimated between 75?85%. This study, utilizing historical and recent river flow and ... ver más
Revista: Water

 
Lei Jiang and Ziyue Zeng    
Since the impoundment of the Three Gorges Project, the downstream hydrology and river dynamics have been modified. The Yichang?Chenglingji Reach (YCR), as a part of the mainstream of the Middle Yangtze River, has consequently been significantly scoured, ... ver más
Revista: Water

 
Morag Hunter, D. H. Nimalika Perera, Eustace P. G. Barnes, Hugo V. Lepage, Elias Escobedo-Pacheco, Noorhayati Idros, David Arvidsson-Shukur, Peter J. Newton, Luis de los Santos Valladares, Patrick A. Byrne and Crispin H. W. Barnes    
The expansion of copper mining on the hyper-arid pacific slope of Southern Peru has precipitated growing concern for scarce water resources in the region. Located in the headwaters of the Torata river, in the department of Moquegua, the Cuajone mine, own... ver más
Revista: Water

 
Mansour Bayazidy, Mohammad Maleki, Aras Khosravi, Amir Mohammad Shadjou, Junye Wang, Rabee Rustum and Reza Morovati    
River water is one of the most important natural resources for economic development and environmental sustainability. However, river water systems are vulnerable in some of the densely populated regions across the globe. Intense sand mining and waste dis... ver más
Revista: Water