TY - JOUR
T1 - Diagnostic modeling of residence times in estuaries
AU - Oliveira, Anabela
AU - Baptista, Antonio M.
PY - 1997/8
Y1 - 1997/8
N2 - The variability of estuarine residence times is elucidated through accurate, diagnostic numerical tracking of a large number of particles, complemented with statistical analysis. Residence times are shown to have strong spatial and temporal variability, which is accentuated by exchanges between the estuary and the coastal ocean due to chaotic stirring at the mouth. The concept of a single residence time per estuary, while convenient from both ecological and engineering viewpoints, is therefore shown to be an oversimplification. Maps of residence times and cumulative histograms are examined as alternatives. The former are attractive only for once-through tracers, while the latter appear useful over a broader range of tracer characteristics.
AB - The variability of estuarine residence times is elucidated through accurate, diagnostic numerical tracking of a large number of particles, complemented with statistical analysis. Residence times are shown to have strong spatial and temporal variability, which is accentuated by exchanges between the estuary and the coastal ocean due to chaotic stirring at the mouth. The concept of a single residence time per estuary, while convenient from both ecological and engineering viewpoints, is therefore shown to be an oversimplification. Maps of residence times and cumulative histograms are examined as alternatives. The former are attractive only for once-through tracers, while the latter appear useful over a broader range of tracer characteristics.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030788478&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030788478&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/97WR00653
DO - 10.1029/97WR00653
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0030788478
SN - 0043-1397
VL - 33
SP - 1935
EP - 1946
JO - Water Resources Research
JF - Water Resources Research
IS - 8
ER -