The dynamics of lateral circulation in an idealized, straight estuary under varying stratification conditions is
investigated using a three-dimensional, hydrostatic, primitive equation model in order to determine the importance
of lateral circulation to the momentum budget within the estuary. For all model runs, lateral circulation is about
4 times as...
The subtidal salt balance and the mechanisms driving the downgradient salt flux in the Hudson River estuary are investigated using measurements from a cross-channel mooring array of current meters, temperature and conductivity sensors, and cross-channel and along-estuary shipboard surveys obtained during the spring of 2002. Steady (subtidal) vertical shear dispersion,...
Numerical simulations of the Hudson River estuary using a terrain-following, three-dimensional
model (Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)) are compared with an
extensive set of time series and spatially resolved measurements over a 43 day period with
large variations in tidal forcing and river discharge. The model is particularly effective at...
In most estuarine systems it is assumed that the dominant along-channel momentum balance is between the integrated pressure gradient and bed stress. Scaling the amplitude of the estuarine circulation based on this balance has been shown to have predictive skill. However, a number of authors recently highlighted important nonlinear processes...
Turbulent mixing of salt is examined in a shallow salt wedge estuary with strong fluvial and tidal forcing. A numerical model of the Merrimack River estuary is used to quantify turbulent stress, shear production, and buoyancy flux. Little mixing occurs during flood tides despite strong velocities because bottom boundary layer...
The temporal response of the length of a partially mixed estuary to changes in freshwater discharge Q𝒻 and
tidal amplitude Uₜ is studied using a 108-day time series collected along the length of the Hudson River
estuary in the spring and summer of 2004 and a long-term (13.4 yr) record...
The tidally varying circulation, stratification, and salt flux mechanisms are
investigated in a shallow salt wedge estuary where fluvial and tidal velocities are large and
the steady baroclinic circulation is comparatively weak. The study integrates field
observations and numerical simulations of the Merrimack River estuary. At moderate to
high discharge...
A tidally and cross-sectionally averaged model based on the temporal evolution of the quasi-steady Hansen and Rattray equations is applied to simulate the salinity distribution and vertical exchange flow along the Hudson River estuary. The model achieves high skill at hindcasting salinity and residual velocity variation during a 110-day period...
Isohaline coordinate analysis is used to compare the exchange flow in two contrasting estuaries, the long (with respect to tidal excursion) Hudson River and the short Merrimack River, using validated numerical models. The isohaline analysis averages fluxes in salinity space rather than in physical space, yielding the isohaline exchange flow...