Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Rui Zhang, Bo Hong, Lei Zhu, Wenping Gong, Heng Zhang
Summary: This study examined the morphological evolution and hydrodynamic responses of the Huangmaohai estuary in southern China. The results showed that human activities have significantly changed the estuary's topography and modified its circulation patterns.
Article
Oceanography
Dou Li, Jianping Gan, Chiwing Hui, Liuqian Yu, Zhiqiang Liu, Zhongming Lu, Shuh-ji Kao, Minhan Dai
Summary: Observations show high spatiotemporal variability of hypoxia in the western and eastern coastal transition zones off the Pearl River Estuary. The study reveals how wind-driven circulation interacts with plume to regulate nutrient transport, detritus deposition, and hypoxia variability in the area. River discharges have lesser control over hypoxia once biogeochemical conditions become saturated, illustrating the biophysical control of hypoxia variability in estuaries and coastal oceans.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hongzhou Xu, Jian Shen, Dongxiao Wang, Lin Luo, Bo Hong
Summary: The Pearl River Estuary exhibits unique dynamics of subtidal estuarine circulation, with significant nonlinear advection effects observed, especially during spring tide. Overall, nonlinear advections play an important role in driving the circulation in the Pearl River Estuary, particularly during ebb tide.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Oceanography
Steven J. Lentz
Summary: The characteristics and dynamics of depth-average along-shelf currents at monthly and longer time scales were studied using 17 years of observations from the Martha's Vineyard Coastal Observatory on the southern New England inner shelf. The results showed that the depth-averaged along-shelf current is almost always westward and stronger in summer than in winter. The annual cycle and variations around the annual cycle are primarily driven by the along-shelf wind stress. The wind stress is opposed by a pressure gradient that sets up along the southern New England shelf and a surface gravity wave-enhanced bottom stress.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Elizabeth Brasseale, Parker MacCready
Summary: The study explored the sources of estuarine inflow using a three-dimensional model near a sloping, unstratified shelf with mixing driven by tides. Inflow sources included shelf water downstream of the estuary, river plume water, and shelf water upstream of the estuary. Novel sources of inflow were identified within the plume and upstream of the estuary.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jun Young Seo, Yong Hoon Kim, Jongseong Ryu, Ho Kyung Ha
Summary: In this study, the researchers used acoustic Doppler current profilers to investigate the mechanisms of water and sediment transport in Onsan Bay. They found that water circulation in the bay was influenced by freshwater discharge from the river and exchange with the open sea, as well as by wind-induced currents. The sediment transport within the bay was mainly controlled by estuarine residual circulation, and frequent resuspension events contributed to an increase in sediment concentration. Considering the prevailing winds in the area, sedimentation is expected to persist in Onsan Bay.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Beatriz Biguino, Fatima Sousa, Ana C. Brito
Summary: Estuarine circulation plays a crucial role in transporting organisms and nutrients, and understanding the hydrodynamic patterns is essential for preserving these ecologically important regions. Data from sampling in the Sado estuary indicated that water circulation occurs through two main navigation channels, with little stratification of temperature and salinity along the water column. Analyzing the data suggests possible hydrodynamic changes in the estuary in recent years.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Maria Jose Marin Jarrin, David A. Sutherland
Summary: Local geometry and bathymetry play a crucial role in how estuarine circulation and salinity respond to river and tidal forcing. Wind, often considered secondary, can drive variations in salinity field and induce strong gradients in salinity and water level across an estuary. Observations and numerical simulations demonstrate the impact of wind on estuarine dynamics, with the potential to lead to reversals in surface flow and affect the transport of particles along the estuary.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Dairana Misturini, Leonir A. Colling
Summary: Short-term meteorological events, specifically occluded fronts, have different impacts on macrozoobenthic assemblages in seagrass meadows and sandflats. The first occluded front did not disturb the macrofaunal assemblage, while the second front induced changes in vegetation coverage and biodiversity.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dou Li, Jianping Gan, Zhongming Lu, Weicong Cheng, Hiusuet Kung, Junlu Li
Summary: This study reports the role of shoreward transport of organic matter from subsurface chlorophyll maximum in triggering hypoxia off the Pearl River Estuary based on field measurements. The upslope-transported SCM and plume-sourced OM accumulated underneath the pycnocline and consumed dissolved oxygen, contributing to bottom hypoxia. This study reveals the contribution of SCM to bottom hypoxia off the PRE and its potential occurrence in other coastal hypoxic systems.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Zhiqiang Liu, Jianping Gan, Hui Wu, Jianyu Hu, Zhongya Cai, Yongfei Deng
Summary: The circulation in the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent East China Sea and Yellow Sea coastal waters is influenced by a complex interplay of winds, tides, riverine discharge, and shelf currents, resulting in a dynamic and diverse marine environment. Seasonal discharge and winds in the Changjiang Estuary lead to the formation of a seasonal Changjiang River plume, which is impacted by various factors when exported offshore, showing notable seasonality and spatial irregularities. Tides and bathymetry irregularities play critical roles in determining cross-shelf exchanges of water mass and momentum, with a year-round upslope intrusion of shelf waters along the pathway of the ECS coastal current.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lixin Qu, Leif N. Thomas, Aaron F. Wienkers, Robert D. Hetland, Daijiro Kobashi, John R. Taylor, Fucent Hsuan Wei Hsu, Jennifer A. MacKinnon, R. Kipp Shearman, Jonathan D. Nash
Summary: This study reveals that the summer land-sea breeze interacts with the river plume fronts in the northern Gulf of Mexico, leading to rapid vertical exchange and ventilation, which may impact the dynamics of the region's dead zone.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Pia Kolb, Anna Zorndt, Hans Burchard, Ulf Graewe, Frank Koesters
Summary: Changes in topography have affected saltwater intrusion in the Weser estuary, but the influence of other factors such as river discharge is greater.
Article
Ecology
H. P. Lima, F. J. S. Dias, C. E. P. Teixeira, V. A. Godoi, A. R. Torres Jr, R. S. Araujo
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of the Sao Marcos Estuarine Complex in northeastern Brazil under different rainfall regimes. Asymmetrical bidirectional flow, two water masses, high concentrations of suspended particulate matter, and dissolved oxygen were observed in the estuarine environment. The results provide valuable insights into macrotidal estuarine dynamics and can assist in water quality management in the region.
REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juliana Tavora, Mhd. Suhyb Salama, Marloes Penning de Vries, Chris M. M. Mannaerts, Daphne van der Wal
Summary: Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) is influenced by wind and river discharge, but the relationship between them and their impact on SPM in turbid estuaries is largely unknown. This study uses satellite data and in situ observations to examine the effects of wind and river discharge on SPM in the Scheldt Estuary. Weak but statistically significant correlations were found between SPM and both river discharge and wind speed. The study highlights the importance of these drivers in the estuarine system and suggests the use of complementary instruments to better capture the effects of extreme events.
Article
Oceanography
Alyssa M. LeClaire, Eric N. Powell, Roger Mann, Kathleen M. Hemeon, Sara M. Pace, Vincent Saba, Hubert du Pontavice, Jillian R. Sower
Summary: Arctica islandica is an important species for recording climate change on the U.S. northeast continental shelf, and its growth rates show synchronous changes with cold and warm climatic periods. This study finds that A. islandica near the Delmarva Peninsula had higher growth rates during cold periods, possibly due to increased food supply in shallower water. The range recession of this species is a long-term process determined by the survivorship of older individuals.
CONTINENTAL SHELF RESEARCH
(2024)