Water and Salt Transports in the Hengsha Channel of Changjiang Estuary

In a multilevel bifurcated estuary, the channels between the bifurcated branches play important roles in the exchanges of water and salt. In the Changjiang Estuary, the Hengsha Channel (HC) connects the North Channel (NC) and the North Passage (NP). In this paper, based on a two-way nesting unstructured quadrilateral grid, finite-differencing, three-dimensional estuarine and coastal ocean model, the tidal and seasonal variations in the water and salt transports in the HC were simulated, and their dynamic mechanism was analyzed. The residual water and salt transports in the HC both flow southward from the NC to the NP. In wet season, the residual water transport in the HC is 677 m3/s during neap tide and 245 m3/s during spring tide, and the residual salt transport is 0. In dry season, the residual water and salt transports in the HC are 1278 m3/s and 0.38 t/s during neap tide, respectively, and 1328 m3/s and 12.61 t/s during spring tide. Affected by the northerly wind and the southeastward baroclinic gradient force, the water and salt fluxes in dry season are much larger than those in wet season. The dynamic mechanism responsible for the water transport in the HC was numerically simulated and analyzed.

Evaluating the Spring-Neap Tidal Effects on Chlorophyll-a Variations Based on the Geostationary Satellite

Tides are the dominant hydrodynamic processes in most continental shelf seas and have been proven to have a significant impact on both marine ecosystem dynamics and biogeochemical cycles. In situ and satellite observations have suggested that the spring-neap tide results in fluctuations of chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl-a) with a fortnightly period in some shelf waters. However, a large number of missing values and low observation frequency in satellite-observed Chl-a have been recognized as the major obstacle to investigating the regional pattern showing where and to what extent of the effects of spring-neap tide on Chl-a and the seasonal variations in the effects within a relatively large region. Taking Himawari-8 as an example, a simple algorithm appropriate for geostationary satellites was proposed in this study with the purpose of obtaining a tide-related daily climatological Chl-a dataset (TDCD) and to quantitatively estimate the effects of the spring-neap tide on Chl-a variations. Based on the Chl-a time series from TDCD, significant fortnightly signals of Chl-a fluctuations and high contribution together with high explanations of the fortnightly fluctuations for Chl-a variations were found in some specific inshore waters, especially in the East China Sea, Bay of Bengal, South China Sea, and northern Australian waters. The spring-neap tide was found able to induce the spatio-temporal fortnightly fluctuations of Chl-a with an annual amplitude of 12–33% of the mean in these inshore areas. Significant seasonal variations in the fortnightly fluctuation of Chl-a were observed in the temperate continental shelf regions, while levels remained relatively stable in the tropical waters. Further analysis implied that the spatio-temporal fortnightly fluctuations of Chl-a were closely associated with the tidal current differences between the spring and neap tides. Seasonal variations in the tidal current differences were found to be a key driving factor for seasonal fluctuations of the spring-neap tidal effects on Chl-a in the temperate continental shelf regions. This study provides a better understanding of tide-related marine ecosystem dynamics and biogeochemical cycles and is helpful in improving physical–biogeochemical models.

Observations of Suspended Particulate Matter Concentrations and Particle Size Distributions within a Macrotidal Estuary (Port Curtis Estuary, Australia)

An understanding of suspended particulate matter (SPM) dynamics is of great importance to design awareness and management strategies of estuaries. Using a Laser In Situ Scattering and Transmissiometry (LISST) instrument, variations in suspended particle size volumetric concentrations (VC) and particle size distributions (PSD) were measured at six sites within Port Curtis estuary (Australia). The port is a macrotidal estuary with significant economic and environmental importance. Observed VC and SPM sizes demonstrated spatial and temporal trends strongly controlled by the variable energy conditions operating on the neap and spring cycle timescale, with a clear trend towards increasing concentrations and decreasing SPM sizes with increasing tidal ranges. Mid-estuary sites were characterized by the greatest depth-averaged VC under transitional and spring conditions. Estuary-wide mean spring tide total water profile concentrations revealed a near 300% increase in comparison to neap tide condition concentrations. In the upper-estuary sites the mean contribution of the combined 2.5–35 µm size classes to the total profile PSDs was greatest during all tidal conditions, whilst within the lower-estuary site the combined 35–130 µm size classes were greatest. Mean contributions of the largest size class (300–500 µm) dominated surface-waters throughout the estuary during the neap tide period, which when compared with the transitional and spring tide conditions, demonstrated changes of −82% to −48% and −82% to −40%, respectively. Overall, the results from this case study provides further evidence of the important influence of neap and spring tidal regimes on SPM dynamics within estuarine settings and the need to observe parameter dynamics on such timescales.

Variation of water mass exchange on tidal scale in Balikpapan Bay

Balikpapan Bay is enclosed water influenced by freshwater from river runoff and saline water from Makassar Strait. The exchange of water mass was examined by 3D numerical model simulation-Hamburg Shelf Ocean Model (HAMSOM) with horizontal resolutions approx. 150 m and 10 vertical layers applied in Balikpapan Bay. The thirteen tidal components, daily river runoff, atmospheric forcing, subsurface temperature, and Salinity in 3D used for model input. The tidal elevation from Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) model fits with this result from 01/03/2020 to 31/03/2020. It has coefficient correlation 0,99 with a significant level of 95% and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) is 0,1 m. The volume and salt transport in the mouth (Line-A) and middle (Line-B) of bay was examined. The maximum transport in Line-A during spring (neap) high to low tide and low to high tide is −18364.72 m3/s (−1717.57 m3/s) and −17532.27 m3/s (4258.86 m3/s) for volume. Then, 531,947,898.90 kg.psu./s (−45,127,135.38 kg.psu./s) and −536,410,944.50 kg.psu./s (140,700,437.97 kg.psu./s) for salinity. Positive (negative) of water transport is inflow (outflow) to Balikpapan Bay. The net transport in a day during the spring (neap) is −832.45 m3/s (5976.43 m3/s) for volume and −4,463,045.58 kg.psu./s (185,827,573.35 kg.pau./s) for salt. The vertical structure of net volume and salt transport bot in Line-A and Line-B shows the water goes to outer bay in surface and inner bay in subsurface. While in the spring tide the surface deeper than neap tide. It indicated that water mass exchange dominantly influenced by river in surface and tidal in subsurface. It also shows that water mass from inner bay more easy flushing during spring tide than neap tide and vice versa

The Australian Reifungsroman: Reading women’s ageing in Kate Grenville’s The Idea of Perfection and Dorothy Hewett’s Neap Tide

Women’s ageing processes raise important questions about the relationship between the body, the self, and society, but this topic has been widely ignored in Australian literature. The Australian Reifungsroman, through nuanced articulations of ageing women’s experiences of being doubly othered, shows itself to be a critical discourse that helps to break the cultural silence accorded to ageing women. This article aims to acknowledge the existence of the Reifungsroman in Australian literature while addressing questions around how this genre is employed in the Australian context, in order to actively engage with the topic of women’s ageing. Drawing on literary gerontology, this article examines Australian novelist Kate Grenville’s The Idea of Perfection (2000) and Dorothy Hewett’s Neap Tide (1999) from a feminist perspective, focusing on the literary representations of ageing women offered by these novels. In so doing, this article contends that the Australian Reifungsroman unsettles the dominant ideas about women’s ageing as negative and declining. Indeed, narratives such as these help to articulate ageing women’s agency by reconstructing new images of older womanhood.

Identification of Floating Marine Debris in The Banda Aceh Estuary

The coastal area of Banda Aceh City have the potential to be polluted by waste from the mainland as much as 45.41 tons/day. One source of land waste is the Krueng Aceh river, the river has dense residential areas and high community activities such as ports, ship repairs, traditional markets, recreation and fishing activities. This study aims to identify floating debris in the Krueng Aceh estuary. Data collection was carried out at the mouth of the river using a debris trap mounted on the ship that moves periodically and the research time was based on tidal charts. The results showed that type of marine debris found is plastic, cloth, processed wood, rubber and metal. Plastic debris is the most common debris found by 89 % on the surface of the Krueng Aceh estuary at spring tide and neap tide. The highest amount of debris is found in the morning 09.50 AM and 03.32 PM in the evening.

Hydro-Sedimentary Study of a Tidal River: Case Study of the Arvand River in Iran

The present field study investigated hydraulic and sediment in tidal conditions. Measurements were made for two stations at neap tide and spring tide for 13-hour periods at no-dimensional depths of 0.2, 0.6 and 0.8 of the water level each time. In these measurements, the parameters of velocity, direction of flow, electrical conductivity, temperature and depth were measured directly, and to determine the amount of suspended sediments per hour, 3 samples of one litre from the mentioned depths were measured by the instantaneous vertical sampler and taken to a laboratory. An examination of the depth charts of the suspended sediments concentration for all stations, and in both the neap tide and the spring tide, showed that, in general the suspended sediments concentration increased with increasing depth. Moreover, the deep distribution of sediments concentration showed that the values obtained in the laboratory corresponded well with the values calculated from the Rouse equation, and as the depth increases, the sediments concentration usually increases.

ESTIMATION OF TIDAL EXCURSION LENGTH ALONG THE SHATT AL-ARAB ESTUARY, SOUTHERN IRAQ

The tidal excursion length along the Shatt Al-Arab estuary was estimated based on the mathematical relation proposed by Parsa and Shahidi (2010). The field measurements of water level, bathymetry, and discharges were conducted to fulfill the objective of the study. The results revealed that the tidal excursion length is site-specific and depends on the characteristics of location which include tidal phases, bathymetry, and geometry. However, the results indicated that there are pronounced differences in tidal excursions lengths between the spring and neap tide phases in all studies stations. The spring tide coincided with the maximum tidal excursion lengths in Shatt Al-Arab estuary with 16.537, 16.187, 11.122, and 9.139 km in the estuary mouth, Faw, Siba, and Abo Flous stations respectively. While the neap tidal excursion lengths were 12.298, 9.254, and 7.269 km in Faw, Siba, and Abo Flous stations respectively.

Impacts of the Qingcaosha Reservoir on saltwater intrusion in the Changjiang Estuary

The massive Qingcaosha Reservoir (QCSR) is located in the Changjiang Estuary along the northwest coast of Changxing Island. The reservoir significantly narrowed the upper reaches of the North Channel and deepened the channel near the reservoir. These topographical changes inevitably influenced hydrodynamic processes and saltwater intrusion in the estuary. A well-validated model was employed to investigate the influence of the QCSR on saltwater intrusion in the Changjiang Estuary. The model results showed that the narrowed upper reaches of the North Channel decreased the water diversion ratio and thus increased salinity in the North Channel. During the moderate tide after neap tide, the salinity decreased at the water intake of the QCSR because saltwater intrusion was obstructed at flood slack at the surface, while the salinity increase during the moderate tide after spring tide was mainly due to the intensified saltwater intrusion during spring tide. The deepening of the channel near the QCSR resulted in an increased water diversion ratio, and the salinity in the Eastern Chongming Shoal decreased by more than 0.5 psu during spring tide; however, the saltwater intrusion was enhanced due to the strengthened baroclinic force, which is proportional to the water depth. During neap tide, the salinity in the entire North Channel decreased because of a 1.4% increase in the water diversion ratio of the North Channel and the relatively weak tide.

Modelling Study of Transport Time Scales for a Hyper-Tidal Estuary

This paper presents a study of two transport timescales (TTS), i.e., the residence time and exposure time, of a hyper-tidal estuary using a widely used numerical model. The numerical model was calibrated against field measured data for various tidal conditions. The model simulated current speeds and directions generally agreed well with the field data. The model was then further developed and applied to study the two transport timescales, namely the exposure time and residence time for the hyper-tidal Severn Estuary. The numerical model predictions showed that the inflow from the River Severn under high flow conditions reduced the residence and exposure times by 1.5 to 3.5% for different tidal ranges and tracer release times. For spring tide conditions, releasing a tracer at high water reduced the residence time and exposure time by 49.0% and 11.9%, respectively, compared to releasing the tracer at low water. For neap tide conditions, releasing at high water reduced the residence time and exposure time by 31.6% and 8.0%, respectively, compared to releasing the tracer at low water level. The return coefficient was found to be vary between 0.75 and 0.88 for the different tidal conditions, which indicates that the returning water effects for different tidal ranges and release times are all relatively high. For all flow and tide conditions, the exposure times were significantly greater than the residence times, which demonstrated that there was a high possibility for water and/or pollutants to re-enter the Severn Estuary after leaving it on an ebb tide. The fractions of water and/or pollutants re-entering the estuary for spring and neap tide conditions were found to be very high, giving 0.75–0.81 for neap tides, and 0.79–0.88 for spring tides. For both the spring and neap tides, the residence and exposure times were lower for high water level release. Spring tide conditions gave significantly lower residence and exposure times. The spatial distribution of exposure and residence times showed that the flow from the River Severn only had a local effect on the upstream part of the estuary, for both the residence and exposure time.