| Abstract: | Lateral trapping in mangrove swamps is a dominant process controlling longitudinal mixing in mangrove-fringed tidal rivers. In the dry season, the effective value of the longitudinal diffusivity is increased by the trapping effect by typically two orders of magnitude, from its value in the absence of swamps. In the wet season, freshwater is trapped within the swamp and the adjoining boundary in the tidal river, for long periods following the passage of a short-lived flood. This may have important ecological implications. A fluid-mud layer appears to be created by strong tidal currents over colloidal mangrove mud. |
