瓯江河口盐度层化数值研究

瓯江口是一个径流量变化剧烈的强潮河口。本文基于非结构网格FVCOM模型，建立瓯江口海域大范围三维数学模型，研究不同时间尺度（潮周期、大-小潮）的盐度变化，并利用势能异常动力方程对数值模拟结果分析了瓯江口层化过程的动力机制。同时，利用河口R_i数和层化参数△s/<s>研究了不同时间尺度的层化稳定性及其空间变化，得出决定层化状态的潮差和径流量的阈值。结果显示：瓯江北口上段、中段和口门在潮差分别超过3.8m、4.0m和4.6m时呈完全混合状态。当径流量小于280 m³/s或大于510 m³/s，北口上段持续完全混合；而在口门附近，完全混合和层化的临界径流量约为280 m³/s。研究认为瓯江河口北口存在周期性的层化，北口下段在落潮和涨潮初期呈部分混合状态，而其它时段为完全混合。上段只在落潮初期存在层化。层化增强主要是纵向对流与横向速度剪切导致，而湍混合和纵向潮应力是层化减弱的主要因素。

A numerical study on salinity stratification at the Oujiang River Estuary, China

The Oujiang River Estuary (ORE) is a macrotidal estuary with drastic variation of river discharge and large tidal range. Numerical simulations based on the unstructured grid, Finite-Volume, primitive equation Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) are conducted to investigate the intratidal and intertidal variations of salinity with an extremely upstream river boundary and large computational domain. The dynamic equation of potential energy anomaly is adopted to evaluate the stratification and mixing processes from model results. Meanwhile, the stability of estuarine stratification on different timescales and its spatial variation are studied using estuarine Richardson number and stratification parameter. The critical values of tidal range and river discharge that determine the stratification state are obtained. The critical values exhibit distinct spatial difference. The north branch of the ORE exhibits well-mixed conditions when the tidal range exceeds 3.8, 4.0 and 4.6 m at upper inlet, middle segment and the river mouth, respectively. When river discharge is below 280 m³/s or exceeds 510 m³/s, the upper part of the north branch is well-mixed sustainably. Near the river mouth, river discharge of 280 m³/s is a rough critical value that separates well-mixed and stratified states. It is also concluded that periodic stratification exists in the North Channel. The lower estuary appears to be partially stratified at early ebb or early flood tide, and well-mixed in other tidal stages. The stratification only develops during early ebb in the upper segment. The enhancement of stratification is mainly caused by longitudinal advection and lateral velocity shear, while turbulent mixing and longitudinal tidal strain are the main factors of stratification attenuation.