Numerical modeling of general circulation,thermohaline structure,and residence time in Gorgan Bay,Iran

Gorgan Bay is a semi-enclosed basin located in the southeast of the Caspian Sea, Iran. The bay is recognized as a resting place for migratory birds as well as a spawning habitat for native fish. However, apparently, no detailed research on its physical processes has previously been conducted. In this study, a 3D coupled hydrodynamic and solute transport model was used to investigate general circulation, thermohaline structure, and residence time in Gorgan Bay. Model outputs were validated against a set of field observations. Bottom friction and attenuation coefficient of light intensity were tuned in order to achieve optimum agreement with the observations. Results revealed that, due to the interaction between bathymetry and prevailing winds, a barotropic double-gyre circulation, dominating the general circulation, existed during all seasons in Gorgan Bay. Furthermore, temperature and salinity fluctuations in the bay were seasonal, due to the seasonal variability of atmospheric fluxes. Results also indicated that under the prevailing winds, the domain-averaged residence time in Gorgan Bay would be approximately 95 days. The rivers discharging into Gorgan Bay are considered as the main sources of nutrients in the bay. Since their mouths are located in the area with a residence time of over 100 days, Gorgan Bay could be at risk of eutrophication; it is necessary to adopt preventive measures against water quality degradation.     

Scales and structure of frontal adjustment and freshwater export in a region of freshwater influence

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.     

Physical and dynamical oceanography of Liverpool Bay

The UK National Oceanography Centre has maintained an observatory in Liverpool Bay since August 2002. Over 8 years of observational measurements are used in conjunction with regional ocean modelling data to describe the physical and dynamical oceanography of Liverpool Bay and to validate the regional model, POLCOMS. Tidal dynamics and plume buoyancy govern the fate of the fresh water as it enters the sea, as well as the fate of its sediment, contaminants and nutrient loads. In this context, an overview and summary of Liverpool Bay tidal dynamics are presented. Freshwater forcing statistics are presented showing that on average the bay receives 233 m³ s^− 1. Though the region is salinity controlled, river input temperature is shown to significantly modulate the plume buoyancy with a seasonal cycle. Stratification strongly influences the region’s dynamics. Data from long-term moored instrumentation are used to analyse the stratification statistics that are representative of the region. It is shown that for 65% of tidal cycles, the region alternates between being vertically mixed and stratified. Plume dynamics are diagnosed from the model and are presented for the region. The spring–neap modulation of the plume’s westward extent, between 3.5 °W and 4°W, is highlighted. The rapid eastward erosion of the plume during spring tides is identified as a potentially important freshwater mixing mechanism. Novel climatological maps of temperature, salinity and density from the CTD surveys are presented and used to validate numerical simulations. The model is found to be sensitive to the freshwater forcing rates, temperature and salinities. The existing CTD survey grid is shown to not extend sufficiently near the coast to capture the near coastal and vertically mixed component the plume. Instead the survey grid captures the westward spreading, shallow and transient, portion of the plume. This transient plume feature is shown in both the long-term averaged model and observational data as a band of stratified fluid stretching between the mouth of the Mersey towards the Isle of Man. Finally the residual circulation is discussed. Long-term moored ADCP data are favourably compared with model data, showing the general northward flow of surface water and southward trajectory of bottom water.     

Numerical modelling of circulation and dispersion processes in Boulogne-sur-Mer harbour (Eastern English Channel): sensitivity to physical forcing and harbour design

The MARS-3D model in conjunction with the particle tracking module Ichthyop is used to study circulation and tracer dynamics under a variety of forcing conditions in the eastern English Channel, and in the Boulogne-sur-Mer harbour (referred to hereafter as BLH). Results of hydrodynamic modelling are validated against the tidal gauge data, VHF radar surface velocities and ADCP measurements. Lagrangian tracking experiments are performed with passive particles to study tracer dispersal along the northern French coast, with special emphasis on the BLH. Simulations revealed an anticyclonic eddy generated in the harbour at rising tide. Tracers, released during flood tide at the Liane river mouth, move northward with powerful clockwise rotating current. After the high water, the current direction changes to westward, and tracers leave the harbour through the open boundary. During ebb tide, currents convergence along the western open boundary but no eddy is formed, surface currents inside the harbour are much weaker and the tracer excursion length is small. After the current reversal at low water, particles are advected shoreward resulting in a significant increase of the residence time of tracers released during ebb tide. The effect of wind on particle dispersion was found to be particularly strong. Under strong SW wind, the residence time of particles released during flood tide increases from 1.5 to 6 days. For release during ebb tide, SW wind weakens the southward tidally induced drift and thus the residence time decreases. Similar effects are observed when the freshwater inflow to the harbour is increased from 2 to 10 m³/s during the ebb tide flow. For flood tide conditions, the effect of freshwater inflow is less significant. We also demonstrate an example of innovative coastal management targeted at the reduction of the residence time of the pathogenic material accidentally released in the harbour.

     

A strain-induced freshwater pump in the Liverpool Bay ROFI

Liverpool Bay is a region of freshwater influence which receives significant freshwater loading from a number of major English and Welsh rivers. Strong tidal current flow interacts with a persistent freshwater-induced horizontal density gradient to produce strain-induced periodic stratification (SIPS). Recent work (Palmer in Ocean Dyn 60:219–226, 2010; Verspecht et al. in Geophys Res Lett 37:L18602, 2010) has identified significant modification to tidal ellipses in Liverpool Bay during stratification due to an associated reduction in pycnocline eddy viscosity. Palmer (Ocean Dyn 60:219–226, 2010) identified that this modification results in asymmetry in flow in the upper and lower layers capable of permanently transporting freshwater away from the Welsh coastline via a SIPS pumping mechanism. Observational data from a new set of observations from the Irish Sea Observatory site B confirm these results; the measured residual flow is 4.0 cm s⁻¹ to the north in the surface mixed layer and 2.4 cm s⁻¹ to the south in the bottom mixed layer. A realistically forced 3D hydrodynamic ocean model POLCOMS succeeds in reproducing many of the characteristics of flow and vertical density structure at site B and is used to estimate the transport of water through a transect WT that runs parallel with the Welsh coast. Model results show that SIPS is the dominant steady state, occurring for 78.2% of the time whilst enduring stratification exists only 21.0% of the year and enduring mixed periods, <1%. SIPS produces a persistent offshore flow of freshened surface water throughout the year. The estimated net flux of water in the surface mixed layer is 327 km³ year ⁻¹, of which 281 km³ year⁻¹ is attributable to SIPS periods. Whilst the freshwater component of this flux is small, the net flux of freshwater through WT during SIPS is significant, the model estimates 1.69 km³ year⁻¹ of freshwater to be transported away from the coast attributable to SIPS periods equivalent to 23% of annual average river flow from the four catchment areas feeding Liverpool Bay. The results show SIPS pumping to be an important process in determining the fate of freshwater and associated loads entering Liverpool Bay.     

Numerical modelling of circulation and dispersion processes in Boulogne-sur-Mer harbour (Eastern English Channel): sensitivity to physical forcing and harbour design

The MARS-3D model in conjunction with the particle tracking module Ichthyop is used to study circulation and tracer dynamics under a variety of forcing conditions in the eastern English Channel, and in the Boulogne-sur-Mer harbour (referred to hereafter as BLH). Results of hydrodynamic modelling are validated against the tidal gauge data, VHF radar surface velocities and ADCP measurements. Lagrangian tracking experiments are performed with passive particles to study tracer dispersal along the northern French coast, with special emphasis on the BLH. Simulations revealed an anticyclonic eddy generated in the harbour at rising tide. Tracers, released during flood tide at the Liane river mouth, move northward with powerful clockwise rotating current. After the high water, the current direction changes to westward, and tracers leave the harbour through the open boundary. During ebb tide, currents convergence along the western open boundary but no eddy is formed, surface currents inside the harbour are much weaker and the tracer excursion length is small. After the current reversal at low water, particles are advected shoreward resulting in a significant increase of the residence time of tracers released during ebb tide. The effect of wind on particle dispersion was found to be particularly strong. Under strong SW wind, the residence time of particles released during flood tide increases from 1.5 to 6 days. For release during ebb tide, SW wind weakens the southward tidally induced drift and thus the residence time decreases. Similar effects are observed when the freshwater inflow to the harbour is increased from 2 to 10 m³/s during the ebb tide flow. For flood tide conditions, the effect of freshwater inflow is less significant. We also demonstrate an example of innovative coastal management targeted at the reduction of the residence time of the pathogenic material accidentally released in the harbour.     

Tidally-induced sediment transport patterns in the upper Bay of Fundy: A numerical study

The Minas Basin, the eastern end of the Bay of Fundy, is well known for its high tide ranges and strong tidal currents, which can be exploited to extract electricity power. The properties of the tidally-induced sediment transport in the Minas Basin, where significant changes in tidal processes may occur due to a recently proposed tidal power project, have been studied with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, an empirical bed load sediment transport model and surface sediment concentrations derived from the remotely-sensed images. The hydrodynamic model was evaluated against independent observational data, which include tidal elevation, tidal current (in the full water column and bottom layer), residual current profile and tidal asymmetry indicators. The evaluation shows that the model is in good agreement with the observations.The sediment transport includes two components, bed load and suspended particulate load. The bed load is calculated using the modelled bottom shear stress and the observed grain size data. The estimated features of bed load transport roughly agree with the observed patterns of the erosion and deposition in the Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay. The transport of the suspended load is estimated using the modelled velocity fields and the surface sediment concentration derived from remote-sensing images. The comparisons between the modelled results and the limited observations illustrate that the observed directions of suspended sediment transport are basically reproduced by the model. The modelled net suspended sediment input into the Minas Basin through Minas Passage is 2.4×10⁶ m³ yr^?1, which is comparable to the observed value of 1.6×10⁶ m³ yr^?1.The variations of the bed load and the suspended load in space and time are also presented. The total net transport, defined as the mean value of the sum of bed and suspended load transports during the tidal cycle, shows strong spatial variability. The magnitude of the transport flux ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 kg m^?1 s^?1 in Minas Channel and Minas Passage, 0.1 kg m^?1 s^?1 in Cobequid Bay, to 0.01 kg m^?1 s^?1 in the central Minas Basin and Southern Bight. In Minas Channel, the sediment transport follows the structure of the tidal residual circulation, which features a large anticlockwise gyre. The sediment in Minas Passage moves eastward and deposits into the central Minas Basin. However, the sediment from the eastern part of the Basin moves westward and deposits in the central Minas Basin as well. In the Cobequid Bay, sediment moves eastward and deposits in the upper bay.     

Numerical determination of residence time and age in a partially mixed estuary using three-dimensional hydrodynamic model

This paper documents a numerical modeling study to calculate the residence time and age of dissolved substances in a partially mixed estuary. A three-dimensional, time-dependent hydrodynamic model was established and applied to the Danshuei River estuarine system and adjacent coastal sea in Taiwan. The model showed good agreement with observations of surface elevation, tidal currents and salinity made in 2002. The model was then applied to calculate the residence time and age distribution response to different freshwater discharges with and without density-induced circulations in the Danshuei River estuarine system. Regression analysis of model results reveals that an exponential equation can be used to correlate the residence time to change of freshwater input. The simulated results show it takes approximately 10, 4.5, and 3 days, respectively, for a water parcel that has entered the headwaters of the estuary to be transported out of the estuary under low, mean, and high flow conditions with density-induced circulation. The calculated age with density-induced circulation is less than that without density-induced circulation. The age of the surface layer is less than that at the bottom layer. Overall the study shows that freshwater discharges are the important factors in controlling the transport of dissolved substances in the Danshuei River estuarine system.     

Transport through Tavernier Creek: a primary flushing pathway for Northeast Florida Bay

Current meter data from a 411-day study are used to characterize the movement of water through Tavernier Creek, a tidal channel in the Upper Florida Keys that connects northeastern Florida Bay with the narrow continental shelf on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Keys. The record reveals active tidal and nontidal exchanges. Strongest flood and ebb current speeds commonly reach 50 cm s⁻¹. Low-frequency exchanges are highly coherent with the across-shelf component of local wind stress over time scales in excess of 2.5 days. Bay-shelf exchanges are investigated in four ways. Current measurements made while a drogue was tracked from one end of the creek to the other provide a relationship that can be applied to the time series of current meter data. Results suggest that ocean water reaches the bay end of the creek on 92% of the floods, and bay water reaches the ocean end on 94% of the ebbs. The Eulerian tidal excursion calculated from the amplitude of the M ₂ tidal constituent is 1.42 times the length of the channel, and half-tidal cycle Eulerian displacements are commonly 1.5 times the length of the channel. Salinity measurements over a 165-day period document the arrival of bay and ocean water at a study site at about the midpoint of Tavernier Creek. Results suggest that the creek becomes completely flushed after about 450,000 m³ of water have entered from either end. Histograms of ebb and flood volume transports indicate that half-tidal cycle transports are commonly between 800,000 and 1,100,000 m³. The long-term movement of water through Tavernier Creek is a net outflow from Florida Bay. Results support the idea that Tavernier Creek serves as an effective conduit for exchanging bay and ocean water, and especially for draining the northeast corner of Florida Bay.     

Mixing,hypersalinity and gradients in Hervey Bay,Australia

Hervey Bay, a large coastal embayment situated off the central eastern coast of Australia, is a shallow tidal area (average depth = 15 m), close to the continental shelf. It shows features of an inverse estuary, due to the high evaporation rate (approx. 2 m/year), low precipitation (less than 1 m/year) and on average almost no freshwater input from rivers that drain into the bay. The hydro- and thermodynamical structures of Hervey Bay and their variability are presented here for the first time, using a combination of four-dimensional modelling and observations from field studies. The numerical studies are performed with the Coupled Hydrodynamical Ecological Model for Regional Shelf Seas (COHERENS). Due to the high tidal range (>3.5 m), the bay is considered as a vertically well-mixed system, and therefore, only horizontal fronts are likely. Recent field measurements, but also the numerical simulations, indicate characteristic features of an inverse/hypersaline estuary with low salinity (35.5 psu) in the open ocean and peak values (>39.0 psu) in the head water of the bay. The model further predicts a nearly persistent mean salinity gradient of 0.5 psu across the bay (with higher salinities close to the shore). The investigation further shows that air temperature, wind direction and tidal regime are mainly responsible for the stability of the inverse circulation and the strength of the salinity gradient across the bay. Due to an ongoing drying trend, the occurrence of severe droughts at the central east coast of Australia and, therefore, a reduction in freshwater supply, the salinity flux out of the bay has increased, and the inverse circulation has also strengthened.     

Dynamics,sediment transport,and morphology in a tide-dominated embayment

Western Port, Victoria, Australia is a tide-dominated embayment with an unusual and complex shape. Bottom currents and circulation and their effects on sediment processes were examined using instrumented tripods to measure currents, tides and wave activity, and to estimate sediment transport at nine locations in the bay. Overall bottom water movement patterns were determined by use of seabed drifters. The characteristics of the bay reflect a small catchment and low freshwater and sediment input. A complex system of channels is flanked by extensive intertidal areas. Tidal range varies up to more than 3 m, generating bottom currents up to 70cm s^?1. Flow directions generally conform to channel alignments but major deviations are important. Net circulation in the bay is clockwise around the large central island. The ratio of tidal range to half-tidal period (ΔH/ΔT) when compared with measured currents gave a method of prediction of the annual frequency distribution of maximum bottom current velocities. Determination of threshold current velocities enabled prediction of annual frequency of bedload movement (generally 50–100 per cent of tide cycles). Bedload mass transport for all observed tide cycles was calculated, and estimates of annual mass transport capacity (between 10² and 10⁶ g cm^?1 a^?1( were obtained from a relationship between predicted tidal conditions and mass transport. Seabed drifters delineated the major bottom water movements in the bay and adjacent Bass Strait, and also detailed circulation patterns. This linked the data from the tripod stations, in particular patterns of ebb- and flood-dominance. A coherent picture of the processes operating in Western Port is presented by integrating these studies with corroborative studies of sediment distribution and morphology, hydrochemistry, and mathematical modelling. Some morphological characteristics related to tide-dominance are discussed.     

Sources,loads and dispersion of dissolved inorganic nutrients in Paranaguá Bay

The present study focuses on the nutrient sources and gradients in Paranaguá Bay (Southern Brazil), where nutrient inputs are related to losses from fertilizer loading in Paranaguá harbour and the discharge of untreated waste water. The input of dissolved inorganic nutrients to the bay from the harbour and city, as well as from river and atmospheric deposition, amounted to 642 t year⁻¹ DIN-N and 92 t year⁻¹ PO₄-P. Harbour losses accounted for 6 % of total DIN-N and 39 % of total PO₄-P loads to the bay, whereas sewage inputs from the city were responsible for 21 % and 22 %, respectively. River inputs made up 68 % of DIN-N, mainly in the form of nitrate, and 35 % of PO₄-P loads, while atmospheric wet deposition was estimated to be in the order of 5 % of DIN-N and 4 % of PO₄-P loads. Local maxima in nutrient levels deriving from highly concentrated sewage discharge were observed in front of the harbour and city of Paranaguá, but the plumes are diluted rapidly due to short residence times. DIN concentrations are negatively correlated with salinity, indicating the importance of freshwater input as a main factor controlling nitrogen distribution. Elevated phosphate levels in the stratified middle section of the bay may result both from harbour emissions and phosphate remobilization from sediments. Generally lower DIN and PO₄ concentrations during the warmer rainy season are supposed to be due to intensified assimilation rates especially in the middle section of the bay where dense phytoplankton blooms are observed. The bay as a whole cannot be classified as being seriously eutrophic, albeit eutrophication symptoms prevail in some restricted locations in front of Paranaguá harbour.

     

Sources, loads and dispersion of dissolved inorganic nutrients in Paranaguá Bay

The present study focuses on the nutrient sources and gradients in Paranaguá Bay (Southern Brazil), where nutrient inputs are related to losses from fertilizer loading in Paranaguá harbour and the discharge of untreated waste water. The input of dissolved inorganic nutrients to the bay from the harbour and city, as well as from river and atmospheric deposition, amounted to 642?t?year^?1 DIN-N and 92?t?year^?1 PO₄-P. Harbour losses accounted for 6?% of total DIN-N and 39?% of total PO₄-P loads to the bay, whereas sewage inputs from the city were responsible for 21?% and 22?%, respectively. River inputs made up 68?% of DIN-N, mainly in the form of nitrate, and 35?% of PO₄-P loads, while atmospheric wet deposition was estimated to be in the order of 5?% of DIN-N and 4?% of PO₄-P loads. Local maxima in nutrient levels deriving from highly concentrated sewage discharge were observed in front of the harbour and city of Paranaguá, but the plumes are diluted rapidly due to short residence times. DIN concentrations are negatively correlated with salinity, indicating the importance of freshwater input as a main factor controlling nitrogen distribution. Elevated phosphate levels in the stratified middle section of the bay may result both from harbour emissions and phosphate remobilization from sediments. Generally lower DIN and PO₄ concentrations during the warmer rainy season are supposed to be due to intensified assimilation rates especially in the middle section of the bay where dense phytoplankton blooms are observed. The bay as a whole cannot be classified as being seriously eutrophic, albeit eutrophication symptoms prevail in some restricted locations in front of Paranaguá harbour.     

Modelling larval dispersal and settlement of the reef-building polychaete Sabellaria alveolata: Role of hydroclimatic processes on the sustainability of biogenic reefs

The honeycomb worm Sabellaria alveolata forms biogenic reefs which constitute diversity hotspots on tidal flats. The largest known reefs in Europe, located in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel (English Channel), are suffering increasing anthropogenic disturbances which raise the question of their sustainability. As the ability to recover depends partly on the recolonization of damaged reefs by larval supply, evaluating larval dispersal and the connectivity between distant reefs is a major challenge for their conservation. In the present study, we used a 3D biophysical model to simulate larval dispersal under realistic hydroclimatic conditions and estimate larval retention and exchanges among the two reefs of different sizes within the bay. The model takes into account fine-scale hydrodynamic circulation (800×800 m²), advection–diffusion larval transport, and gregarious settlement behaviour. According to the field data, larval dispersal was simulated for a minimal planktonic larval duration ranging from 4 to 8 weeks and the larval mortality was set to 0.09 d⁻¹. The results highlighted the role played by a coastal eddy on larval retention within the bay, as suggested by previous in situ observations. Very different dispersal patterns were revealed depending on the spawning reef location, although the two reefs were located only 15 km apart. The settlement success of the larvae released from the smallest reef was mainly related to tidal conditions at spawning, with the highest settlement success for releases at neap tide. The settlement success of the larvae from the biggest reef was more dependent on meteorological conditions: favourable W and SW winds may promote a ten-fold increase in settlement success. Strong year-to-year variability was observed in settlers’ numbers, with favourable environmental windows not always coinciding with the main reproductive periods of Sabellaria. Settlement kinetics indicated that the ability to delay metamorphosis could significantly improve the settlement success. Although bidirectional exchanges occurred between the two reefs, the highest settlers’ numbers originated from the biggest reef because of its stronger reproductive output. Because of the recent decline of this reef due to increasing anthropogenic disturbances larval supply in the bay may not be sufficient enough to ensure the sustainability of the remarkable habitat formed by Sabellaria alveolata reefs.     

青海湖泉湾镭同位素的空间分布与沿岸地下水排放评价

青海湖是青藏高原的重要组成部分,它是维系青藏高原东北部生态安全的重要水体.其沿岸地下水的排放直接影响了青海湖的水文生物地球化学过程,然而对该问题的研究仍然不充分.本研究于2014年对青海湖泉湾湖水、河水和地下水进行223Ra和224Ra活度的测定分析,并对泉湾湖水水平向和垂直向的Ra活度分布进行深入分析,最后估算并探讨了泉湾水体的停留时间和布哈河口沿岸地下水的排放通量.表层湖水、河水、地下水不同端元的水体223Ra和224Ra活度值分别为0.441和0.026 dpm/100 L、0.22和0.016 dpm/100 L以及0.061和1.30 dpm/100 L,最高值为地下水,其次湖水,河水最小;总体上泉湾湖水223Ra和224Ra活度随离岸距离增加分别由0.047到0.011 dpm/100 L和1.4到0.2 dpm/100 L的减小,垂向上Ra活度呈楔形分布,Ra活度在不同方向上的非保守性分布主要受到悬浮颗粒物解析的影响;通过水体滞留时间模型计算获得青海湖泉湾水体的平均停留时间为1.8天,进一步分析泉湾水体Ra的源汇项,应用镭同位素质量平衡模型获得泉湾布哈河口沿岸地下水排放通量为0.054～0.109 m3/(m2·d).     

Investigation of hydraulics transport time scales within the Arvand River estuary,Iran

Transport time scales are key parameters for understanding the hydrodynamic and biochemical processes within estuaries. In this study, the flushing and residence times within the Arvand River estuary have been estimated using a two‐dimensional hydrodynamic model called CE‐QUAL‐W2. The model has been calibrated and verified by two different sets of field data and using the k‐ε vertical eddy diffusivity scheme. Flushing time has been estimated using different methods such as the tidal prism and fraction of freshwater methods. Moreover, residence times have been investigated using pulse residence time, estuarine residence time and remnant function approaches. The results have shown that different methods yield different time scales, and freshwater inflow has the greatest impact upon estimation of residence time, whereas tidal circulation hardly contributes to residence time at all. It has also been shown that the neap‐spring circulation and start phase of simulations have negligible effects on the Arvand's time scales. The investigation of bathymetry showed that two sills of the estuary tend to significantly increase residence time. Understanding the applicability of these time scales and their estimation approaches helps us to evaluate the water quality management of estuaries. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fine-grained sediment transport in Chignecto Bay, Bay of Fundy, Canada

This paper describes measurements of suspended sediment fluxes at a total of 32 stations situated on four reference sections in the turbid estuary of Chignecto Bay, Bay of Fundy, Canada. The purpose of the study was to determine the sediment budget (sources, transport paths and sinks) and the seasonal variations in particulate fluxes. The major sources of sediment are the eroding cliffs surrounding the bay (1.0 × 10⁶ m³ y⁻¹) and the seabed (6 × 10⁶ m³ y⁻¹. There are no present-day sinks within the estuary; sediment is principally moved in suspension to the wider part of the Bay of Fundy. Residuals in sediment mass transport are strongly affected by storms. These disrupt the logarithmic longitudinal sediment concentration profile which is normally present, and cause sediment to be transported out of the estuary. Well-defined turbid ribbons occur which meander unpredictably through the sampling sites; estimates of sediment mass transport are thus dubious.     

Quantification of the surface brackish water layer and frontal zones in southern Chilean fjords between Boca del Guafo (43°30′S) and Estero Elefantes (46°30′S)

The southern Chilean region between the Boca del Guafo passage and Estero Elefantes contains one of the estuarine zones with the greatest freshwater influence on the planet. At the surface, plumes of freshwater from the fjord heads to their mouths, emptying into the Moraleda–Costa–Elefantes channel system and then the coastal ocean. The influence of this freshwater on the region’s estuarine dynamics, coastal ecology, and biogeochemical processes has only recently begun to be elucidated.Using hydrographic data from the CIMAR-Fiordos cruises (1998–2001), this study quantifies the equivalent height of freshwater, emphasizing the role it plays in the potential energy anomaly and front locations, as well as its relationship with river discharges. Using a criterion of equivalent height of freshwater >15% (density <1021 kg/m³ and salinity <28), the brackish layer was found to be 1–15 m thick (except in Estero Elefantes), with horizontal extensions on the order of 100 km. The limits of this layer tended to coincide with frontal zones having potential energy anomaly gradients >0.005 J/m⁴. The frontal zones were located in the extreme southeast of Jacaf Channel, at the head of Ventisquero Sound, in the central part of the Puyuguapi and Moraleda channels, and at the head and mouth of Aysén Fjord. The equivalent height of freshwater and potential energy anomaly showed a good correlation with the accumulated (5-day) river discharges (r²=0.87), which were greatest toward the fjord heads in spring. The brackish surface water had short residence times (3.5 days) in Aysen Fjord, unlike the deep layer, which other authors report to have a longer residence time (near 1 year).     

Estimating sediment accumulation rates in Manila Bay, a marine pollution hot spot in the Seas of East Asia

The GEF/UNDP/IMO/PEMSEA project identifies Manila Bay as among the marine pollution hot spots in the Seas of East Asia. ²¹⁰Pb dating of its sediment can provide a historical perspective of its pollution loading. However, the validity of ²¹⁰Pb dating in a complex dynamic coastal system of Manila Bay may come into question. Land-based sediment input can be high and physical and biological processes can possibly disturb the sediment layers. In this report, the ²¹⁰Pb profiles of sediment cores from different parts of the bay are presented. The linear sedimentation rates are shown to be higher in the recent past and are also variable across the bay. The largest change in sedimentation rate, coincided with the occurrence of a volcanic eruption in 1991 and is shown by applying a variant of the CIC model in sedimentation rate calculations. The data suggest that ²¹⁰Pb dating can be useful in estimating relative magnitudes of sedimentation rates, even in a complex dynamic coastal system like Manila Bay.     

A mass‐balance approach to estimate in‐stream processes in a large river

A mass‐balance approach was used to estimate in‐stream processes related to inorganic nitrogen species (NH₄⁺, NO₂^? and NO₃^?) in a large river characterized by highly variable hydrological conditions, the Garonne River (south‐west France). Studies were conducted in two consecutive reaches of 30 km located downstream of the Toulouse agglomeration (population 760 000, seventh order), impacted by modification of discharge regime and high nitrogen concentrations. The mass‐balance was calculated by two methods: the first is based on a variable residence time (VRT) simulated by a one‐dimensional (1‐D) hydraulic model; the second is a based on a calculation using constant residence time (CRT) evaluated according to hydrographic peaks. In the context of the study, removal of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) for a reach of 30 km is underestimated by 11% with the CRT method. In sub‐reaches, the discrepancy between the two methods led to a 50% overestimation of DIN removal in the upper reach (13 km) and a 43% underestimation in the lower reach (17 km) using the CRT method. The study highlights the importance of residence time determination when using modelling approaches in the assessment of whole stream processes in short‐duration mass‐balance for a large river under variable hydrological conditions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.