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    Tidal and spring-neap variations in horizontal dispersion in a partially mixed estuary

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    2007JC004644.pdf (986.8Kb)
    Date
    2008-07-18
    Author
    Geyer, W. Rockwell  Concept link
    Chant, Robert J.  Concept link
    Houghton, R.  Concept link
    Metadata
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    Citable URI
    https://hdl.handle.net/1912/3572
    As published
    https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JC004644
    DOI
    10.1029/2007JC004644
    Keyword
     Dispersion; Mixing; Spring-neap variations 
    Abstract
    A sequence of dye releases in the Hudson River estuary provide a quantitative assessment of horizontal dispersion in a partially mixed estuary. Dye was released in the bottom boundary layer on 4 separate occasions, with varying tidal phase and spring-neap conditions. The three-dimensional distribution of dye was monitored by two vessels with in situ, profiling fluorometers. The three-dimensional spreading of the dye was estimated by calculating the time derivative of the second moment of the dye in the along-estuary, cross-estuary and vertical directions. The average along-estuary dispersion rate was about 100 m2/s, but maximum rates up to 700 m2/s occurred during ebb tides, and minimum rates occurred during flood. Vertical shear dispersion was the principal mechanism during neap tides, but transverse shear dispersion became more important during springs. Suppression of mixing across the pycnocline limited the vertical extent of the patch in all but the maximum spring-tide conditions, with vertical diffusivities in the pycnocline estimated at 4 × 10−5 m2/s during neaps. The limited vertical extent of the dye patch limited the dispersion of the dye relative to the overall estuarine dispersion rate, which was an order of magnitude greater than that of the dye. This study indicates that the effective dispersion of waterborne material in an estuary depends sensitively on its vertical distribution as well as the phase of the spring-neap cycle.
    Description
    Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2008. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 113 (2008): C07023, doi:10.1029/2007JC004644.
    Collections
    • Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering (AOP&E)
    Suggested Citation
    Article: Geyer, W. Rockwell, Chant, Robert J., Houghton, R., "Tidal and spring-neap variations in horizontal dispersion in a partially mixed estuary", Journal of Geophysical Research 113 (2008): C07023, DOI:10.1029/2007JC004644, https://hdl.handle.net/1912/3572
     

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