Articles | Volume 20, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-931-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-931-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Jul 2024
Research article |
| 26 Jul 2024
| 26 Jul 2024
Exploring water accumulation dynamics in the Pearl River estuary from a Lagrangian perspective
Mingyu Li
State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, Department of Ocean Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China
Alessandro Stocchino
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau (CORE), Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, Department of Ocean Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China
Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau (CORE), Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
Tingting Zu
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
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The South China Sea is the largest semi-enclosed marginal sea in the western Pacific, features with unique layered circulation with rotating currents in its upper, middle, and deep layers. This study uses simulations to explore how stronger currents in the upper layer influence circulation across the entire basin. The vorticity analysis show that the enhanced upper currents increase the strength of middle and deep currents, driven by changes in bottom pressure and cross-slope movements.
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Short summary
In this study, we explored how water accumulates in a coastal estuary, a key factor affecting the estuary's environmental health and ecosystem. We revealed significant bottom accumulations influenced by plume fronts and velocity convergence, with notable seasonal variability. By analyzing trajectories, we identified subregions with distinct accumulation patterns and examined their interconnections, highlighting the substantial impact of tides and river discharge on these dynamics.
In this study, we explored how water accumulates in a coastal estuary, a key factor affecting...
