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Long-term dispersion of contaminants in small estuaries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2006

Ronald Smith
Ronald Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge
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Abstract

It is shown that the use of axes moving with the tide (Shinohara et al. 1969) simplifies the analysis of contaminant dispersion in estuaries. Attention is restricted to estuaries which are small in the sense that cross-sectional mixing is rapid and that the tidal elevation can be taken to be constant along the estuary. In agreement with the work of Fischer (1972a, b) it is found that the dominant mechanism for dispersion is the transverse shear and not the vertical shear. Results are presented to illustrate the dependence of the upstream penetration of salt upon the estuary geometry as well as upon the fresh-water discharge rate.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 82 , Issue 1 , 19 August 1977 , pp. 129 - 146
Copyright
© 1977 Cambridge University Press

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