Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2013, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (6): 28-35.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2013.06.005cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2013.06.005

• Marine Hydrography • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Simulation of the water exchange in the Pearl River Estuary during wet and dry seasons

PEI Mu-feng1, 2, 3, LI Shi-yu1, 2, HU Jia-tang1, 2, HU Xi-sheng4   

  1. 1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun-Yat Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; 2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Guangzhou 510275, China; 3. Marine Environmental Monitor Center of Beihai, State Oceanic Administration People’s Republic of China, Beihai 536000, China; 4. South China Sea Environment Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration People’s Republic of China, Guangzhou 510300, China
  • Received:2012-02-23 Revised:2012-10-15 Online:2013-12-20 Published:2014-01-21

Abstract:

Coupled one- and three-dimensional advection-diffusion models of dissolved conservative tracer were used to simulate the average residence time of the Pearl River Estuary in July 1999 (wet season) and February 2006 (dry season). Results indicate that the average residence time shows significant variation between wet and dry seasons. The average residence time of the estuary is 8.9 days in wet season and 27.3 days in dry season. In both seasons, the water exchange is the strongest in inner Lindingyang and the weakest in outer Lindingyang. The residence time of the estuary is longer at the spring tide than at the neap tide; however, it generally acts reversely with river runoff and monsoon. Actually, the residence time is relatively shorter in the regions adjacent to the river outlets and relatively longer in the outer regions, and it increases with depth, with more evident difference in the vertical in wet season than in dry season.

Key words: Pearl River Estuary, water exchange, residence time, numerical simulation, coupled calculation

CLC Number: 

  • P731.26