Estuarine Dynamics and Residence Times

Vocabulary flashcards covering estuarine box models, residence time, freshwater flushing time, and tidal prism calculations based on the lecture notes.

Box model: Water Balance

$$R + V_2 = V_1$$

Box model: Salt Balance

$$R\times S_0+V_2\times S_2=V_1\times S_1=$$

($V_2 \times S_2 = V_1 \times S_1$ )

Residence Time

$T = \frac{R}{F}$,

where $T$ = residence time, $R$ = reservoir size, $F$ = flux (amount per unit time), and $F_{\text{in}} = F_{\text{out}}$

Freshwater flushing time, fraction of freshwater method

$T = \frac{S_O - S_n}{S_O} \times \frac{V_n}{Q_r}$,

where $T$ = flushing time, $S_O$ = incoming salinity (ocean endmember), $S_n$ = estuary salinity, $V_n$ = estuary volume, and $Q_r$ = river flow into estuary

Flushing time, tidal prism

$T = \frac{V_d + P}{P} \times f$,

where $T$ = flushing time, $V_d$ = low-tide volume, $P$ = volume of tidal prism ($\text{Surface area} \times \text{Tidal range}$), and $f$ = tidal frequency (# of tides per day)