A tidal front in winter influenced by river discharge

Water quality of Osaka Bay is greatly influenced by freshwater discharge from rivers, to the effect of salinity playing a major role in forming the stratification. The tidal front is expected to appear in such an area even in winter considering the theory of the formation of a tidal front. From the field observation, we recognized a tidal front in winter for the first time in Osaka Bay. The critical value of a parameter log(H/U³) for generation of a tidal front is obtained as a function of river discharge and cooling effect through sea surface. Differences of nutrients (NH₄–N, PO₄–P) concentration across the front are not clear, probably because they are utilized by phytoplankton easily. But in (NO₂–N)+(NO₃–N), DIN, PP and T–P, there is a discontinuity structure across the front, even if the absolute value of concentration difference is small.