Deepwater Exchange Processes in the Saguenay Fjord

1979 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. Seibert ◽  
R. W. Trites ◽  
S. J. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Deep Basin ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Deep Waters ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Exchange Processes ◽  
Density Flow ◽  
Sill Depth ◽  
Flushing Rates ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Outer Basin

Evidence is presented showing that the deep waters in the Saguenay Fjord are flushed at a rate that appears to be significantly higher than other sill fjords with comparable bathymetry. Interval waves in the St. Lawrence estuary, with magnitudes of up to 60 m, provide a mechanism for bringing up dense water, semidiurnally, to the level of the seaward sill. Providing the density of the deep water in the fjord's outer basin is less than that at sill depth, a density flow develops and descends into the basin. Estimates of volume and kinetic energy fluxes of the plume suggest that, by itself, this is insufficient to explain the high flushing rates observed. Other processes, such as internal waves, which must be operative in carrying energy into the deep basin, are discussed. Key words: estuaries, sill fjords, mixing, circulation, coastal

Particulate Matter Exchange Processes Between the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay Fjord

1980 ◽  
pp. 363-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Claude Therriault ◽  
Rejean de Ladurantaye ◽  
R. Grant Ingram
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Exchange Processes ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Nutrients, Chlorophyll, and Internal Tides in the St. Lawrence Estuary

1976 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 2747-2757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Claude Therriault ◽  
Guy Lacroix
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Internal Tides ◽  
Upstream Region ◽  
Mixing Process ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Deep Waters ◽  
High Nutrient ◽  
Phosphate Nitrate ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Tide-dependent variations of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, nitrate, and chlorophyll a support the existence of internal tides (longitudinal and transversal) in the St. Lawrence estuary. Vertical oscillations of the poorly oxygenated and nutrient-rich intermediate and deep waters of the estuary have been documented at the head of the Laurentian Channel, the region in which the internal tides are thought to be generated. Penetration of intermediate waters (high-nutrient and low-oxygen concentrations) beyond the Laurentian Channel associated with the internal tides and linked with an intense mixing process in the upstream region permits the nutrient enrichment of the surface waters and their eventual advection in the seaward direction.

New records of the mysids Boreomysis nobilis G. O. Sars and Mysis litoralis (Banner) in the Saguenay fjord (St. Lawrence estuary)

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 1087-1090 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Judkins ◽  
Robert Wright
Keyword(s):  
New Records ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Midwater Trawl ◽  
Boreal Region ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

The arctic–subarctic mysids Boreomysis nobilis and Mysis litoralis were abundant in midwater trawl collections from the Saguenay fjord but were almost absent in collections from the confluent St. Lawrence estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Collections from the estuary and Gulf contained boreal mysids more typical of the latitude. The presence of apparently isolated populations of B. nobilis and M. litoralis in the fjord is further evidence that it is an arctic enclave within a boreal region. The hypothesis that populations of arctic and subarctic species in the Saguenay fjord are relicts from a previous glacial period is questioned in view of the possibility of more recent faunal exchange between the Arctic and the fjord via intermediate arctic enclaves on the eastern Canadian coast.

scholarly journals Spatial variations in CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes in the Saguenay Fjord (Quebec, Canada) and results of a water mixing model

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 547-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Delaigue ◽  
Helmuth Thomas ◽  
Alfonso Mucci
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Brackish Water ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Mixing Model ◽  
Isotopic Tracers ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Spring Freshet ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Abstract. The Saguenay Fjord is a major tributary of the St. Lawrence Estuary and is strongly stratified. A 6–8 m wedge of brackish water typically overlies up to 270 m of seawater. Relative to the St. Lawrence River, the surface waters of the Saguenay Fjord are less alkaline and host higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. In view of the latter, surface waters of the fjord are expected to be a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere, as they partly originate from the flushing of organic-rich soil porewaters. Nonetheless, the CO2 dynamics in the fjord are modulated with the rising tide by the intrusion, at the surface, of brackish water from the Upper St. Lawrence Estuary, as well as an overflow of mixed seawater over the shallow sill from the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary. Using geochemical and isotopic tracers, in combination with an optimization multiparameter algorithm (OMP), we determined the relative contribution of known source waters to the water column in the Saguenay Fjord, including waters that originate from the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary and replenish the fjord's deep basins. These results, when included in a conservative mixing model and compared to field measurements, serve to identify the dominant factors, other than physical mixing, such as biological activity (photosynthesis, respiration) and gas exchange at the air–water interface, that impact the water properties (e.g., pH, pCO2) of the fjord. Results indicate that the fjord's surface waters are a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere during periods of high freshwater discharge (e.g., spring freshet), whereas they serve as a net sink of atmospheric CO2 when their practical salinity exceeds ∼5–10.

Le Panache du Saguenay

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Lebel ◽  
E. Pelletier ◽  
M. Bergeron ◽  
N. Belzile ◽  
G. Marquis
Keyword(s):  
Surface Layer ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Fresh Waters ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Region Data ◽  
Saguenay River ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
St Lawrence River

The large difference between the alkalinity of the fresh waters of the St. Lawrence River (1.475 mmol∙kg−1) and the Saguenay River (0.134 mmol∙kg−1) was used to locate the region on the St. Lawrence estuary which is under the influence of the Saguenay River. This method has the advantage over classical measurements such as salinity and temperature that it is independent of the upwelling of deep water in this region. Data was obtained in the St. Lawrence estuary near the mouth of the Saguenay fjord using a network of 33 stations at slack low tide and 23 stations at slack high tide. The results show that, at low tide, Saguenay water forms a plume which extends more than 10 km from the mouth of the fjord into the estuary. At high tide the plume is restricted to the surface layer as the Saguenay waters are pushed back into the fjord.

Distribution des spectres de taille des particules en suspension dans le fjord du Saguenay

1979 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Chanut ◽  
S. A. Poulet
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Water Mass ◽  
Layer Structure ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Water Masses ◽  
Size Spectra ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

The spatial distribution of particle size spectra shows a two-layer stratification in May but reveals three-layer structure in September, both in the Saguenay fjord and in the adjacent waters of the St. Lawrence estuary, near the sill. In May, the particle size spectra in the surface layer show considerable variability whereas, in the bottom waters, they appear to be relatively homogeneous. In September, the deeper, more homogeneous water mass is less extensive. It is apparently eroded by diffusion and advection during summer months and becomes restricted to intermediate depths towards the head of the fjord. During the same period, a water mass with physical and particulate properties different from the upper layers occupies the bottom of the fjord. Principal component analysis shows that variations in particle size spectra are independent from one layer to another. Water masses with identical physical and particulate properties located in both sides of the sill illustrate the influence of the St. Lawrence estuary on the Saguenay fjord. These water masses, generally located below the sill depth, indicate the existence of powerful advective mechanisms in this region.

Geochemistry of suspended particulate matter in the Saguenay Fjord

1978 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1002-1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjørn Sundby ◽  
Douglas H. Loring
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Suspended Particulate Matter ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
Time And Space ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Suspended Particulate ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Analysis of major elements in suspended particulate matter from the Saguenay Fjord in May and September 1974 shows that the content of Si, Al, Ca, Mg, and K remain relatively constant in time and space, reflecting the constancy of the silicate mineralogy of the particulate matter. Large variations in time and space occur, however, in the content of Fe and Mn. High levels of Fe occur in particulate matter from near-bottom waters of the fjord during both time periods. Variations in the Fe/Al ratios indicate that Fe is enriched in the non-silicate fraction of the particulate matter (oxides, hydroxides, etc.) in the near-bottom waters, but not elsewhere. In contrast, Mn is enriched relative to both Al and Fe in particulate matter from intermediate depths, and varies in time and space. This is attributed to the in situ uptake of Mn from seawater and (or) the input of particles, already containing high levels of Mn, from the St. Lawrence Estuary.

The Saguenay Fjord: A Third Factor in the Toxic Chemical Contamination of the St. Lawrence River Estuary

1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
R.J. Allan
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Metals ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
Organic Chemical ◽  
Organic Chemicals ◽  
Chemical Contamination ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
The Past ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
St Lawrence River

Abstract The Saguenay Fjord enters the north shore of the St. Lawrence River estuary. The St. Lawrence River is one source of a variety of toxic metals and organic chemicals to its estuary. Some of these chemicals are transported by the river from its source in Lake Ontario and others are added along its course. However, the second major source of water inflow to the St. Lawrence Estuary is the Saguenay Fjord, which is by no means free of contamination. This paper overviews the types of toxic metals and organic chemical contamination and sources in the fjord proper and upstream in its drainage basin. The principal contaminants recorded in bottom sediments are polyaromatic hydrocarbons and mercury. An extensive forest products industry may also be a source of toxic chlorinated organic chemicals. The combined (peak) inputs of these chemicals to the Saguenay Fjord system was in the past and may have continued for many years, even decades. The relationship between the type of contaminants introduced in the past to the St. Lawrence estuary by the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay Fjord may have implications concerning contamination of the beluga whale population which is located most frequently in the estuary near the fjord inflow.

Sources and early diagenesis of lignin and bulk organic matter in the sediments of the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay Fjord

1997 ◽  
Vol 58 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 3-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Louchouarn ◽  
Marc Lucotte ◽  
René Canuel ◽  
Jean-Pierre Gagné ◽  
Louis-Filip Richard
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Early Diagenesis ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Bulk Organic Matter ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary
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