Bulge Formation of a Buoyant River Outflow

Chant, Robert J.; Glenn, Scott; Hunter, Elias; Kohut, Josh; Chen, Robert F.; Houghton, Robert W.; Bosch, Jen; Schofield, Oscar

doi:10.1029/2007jc004100

Cited by 87 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…7). This is in agreement with observations of the Hudson plume, which demonstrate g 2 ; (0.4-0.5) for intermediate Rossby number outflows (Chant et al 2008). However, depending on the estuary configuration, more freshwater might be expected to flow downshelf.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

On the Transport of Buoyant Coastal Plumes

Pimenta

Kirwan

Huq

2011

Journal of Physical Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The role of discharge conditions and shelf geometry on the transport of coastal plumes is studied with a fully nonlinear, primitive equation hydrodynamic model. The physical setting is an estuarine channel with a small discharge Rossby number. By simulating different discharge magnitudes, buoyant plumes are shown to be succinctly described by a simple coastal front model. Three results emerge from the model analysis. First, the plume transport is given by T 5 g 0 (g9 p h 2 /2f ), where g 0 is a parameter dependent on the ratio of the front and the plume widths, g9 p is the plume reduced gravity, h is the plume maximum depth, and f is the Coriolis parameter. Second, this model links the plume transport directly to upstream river conditions with T 5 gQ r , where Q r is the river outflow and g is a parameter that relates to entrainment, the geometry of the plume front and shelf slope, and the fraction of freshwater carried downshelf. Third, these equations reduce to analytic results previously established for special cases, providing useful formulas to estimate the plume transport from hydrographic and river discharge observations.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 81%

On the Transport of Buoyant Coastal Plumes

Pimenta

Kirwan

Huq

2011

Journal of Physical Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Under the influence of the Coriolis effect, the formation of anticyclonic bulges of circulating freshwater near the river mouth when the water exits the estuary has been widely described in the literature (e.g. Chao and Boitcourt, 1986;Chant et al, 2009) and observed in our study area by a local video camera system installed close to the Adour mouth (Dailloux, 2008;Morichon, 2008). Under light wind condition, Dailloux (2008) reported the development of this fresh and turbid bulge toward the west, north-west with its southern part impacting the southern beaches close to the estuary mouth.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring spatio-temporal variability of the Adour River turbid plume (Bay of Biscay, France) with MODIS 250-m imagery

Petus

Marieu

Novoa

et al. 2014

Continental Shelf Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. AbstractIncreased loads of land-based pollutants through river plumes are a major threat to the coastal water quality, ecosystems and sanitary heath. Identifying the coastal areas impacted by potentially polluted freshwaters is necessary to inform management policies and prevent degradation of the coastal environment. This study presents the first monitoring of the Adour River turbid plume (south-eastern Bay of Biscay, France) using multi-annual MODIS data Satellite data are processed using a regional algorithm that allows quantifying and mapping suspended matter in coastal waters. The results are used to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of the Adour River turbid plume and to identify the risk of exposure of coastal ecosystems to the turbid plume waters. Changes in river plume orientation and extent as well as suspended matter concentration rates discharged through the river are correlated to the main hydro-climatic forcings acting in the south-eastern Bay of Biscay. The Adour River turbid plume is shown to be a highly reactive system mainly controlled by the river discharge rates and modulated by the wind changes. Despite the relatively small size of the Adour River, the Adour River turbid plume can have a non-negligible impact on the water quality of the southern Bay of Biscay and the MSM and associated contaminant/nutrients transported within the Adour turbid river plume have the potential to be disseminated far away along the northern shoreline or offshore. The main areas of influence of the river plume are defined over multi-annual (3 years) and seasonal periods. The results presented in this study show the potential of 250-m MODIS images to monitor small river plumes systems and support management and assessment of the water quality in the south-eastern Bay of Biscay.Key words: water quality, River plume, MODIS-Aqua; mineral suspended matters, spatiotemporal variability, Adour estuary. IntroductionAssessment of water quality has become a major issue worldwide and is illustrated in Europe by the implementation of the Water Framework, the Quality of Bathing Waters and the (MSFD, 2008/56/EC), respectively. These directives mainly focus on preventing the degradation of aquatic ecosystems due to anthropogenic pressures. The evaluation of the water quality status is based on the measurement of relevant water quality parameters. Among biological parameters are the composition, abundance and biomass of phytoplankton, the frequency and intensity of blooms and their influences on the water turbidity , Ferreira et al., 2011. Phy...

show abstract

“…Late spring/early summer shelfwide freshening was also observed in glider data from previous years (Castelao et al, 2008a;Chant et al, 2008) …”

mentioning

confidence: 71%