Estuary, Estuarine Hydrodynamics

Abstract

Synonyms River mouth area DefinitionAccording to the definition given by Cameron and Pritchard (1963), an estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea and within which seawater is measurably diluted with freshwater derived from land drainage. This definition applies to the so-called classical (positive) estuaries of the Earth's temperate latitudes in which freshwater input is the main driver of the long-term circulation. Freshwater inflow establishes longitudinal density gradients resulting in long-term surface outflow and net inflow underneath. In some arid basins, called inverse (negative) estuaries, where evaporation exceeds the sum of precipitation and runoff, the loss of freshwater becomes a main force shaping long-term circulation and the development of longitudinal density gradients, in analogy to classical estuaries (Valle-Levinson, 2010).

The Effects of Wastewater Treatment Plant Failure on the Gulf of Gdansk (Southern Baltic Sea)

“…In general, the Gulf of Gdańsk is an estuary of a considerable inflow of fluvial waters ranging from about 33.0 to 34.4 km 3 per year. In addition, the Gulf of Gdańsk waters are permanently stratified [ 16 , 17 ], thus less dense riverine water tends to remain in the surface layer of estuary [ 18 , 19 ].…”