Along-channel variability of Total Exchange Flow in a narrow, well-mixed estuary: influence of the M4 tide

Díez-Minguito, Manuel; Burchard, Hans

doi:10.5194/os-22-1861-2026

Articles | Volume 22, issue 3

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1861-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1861-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 22, issue 3

Research article

|

18 Jun 2026

Research article |

| 18 Jun 2026

Along-channel variability of Total Exchange Flow in a narrow, well-mixed estuary: influence of the M4 tide

Manuel Díez-Minguito and Hans Burchard

Data sets

Atmospheric, hydrodynamic and water quality observations from environmental-quality stations, water level sensors, acoustic Doppler velocimeters, and meteorological stations located at the Guadalquivir river estuary (2008-2010) G. Navarro et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3459610

Model code and software

Data supporting Total Exchange Flow analysis in the Guadalquivir Estuary (Spain) M. Díez-Minguito and H. Burchard https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20729202

Short summary

Combining field observations with an analytical tidal scenario, we estimated in the Guadalquivir estuary its Total Exchange Flow (TEF), which has implications for water quality and residence times. The influence of tidal asymmetry on TEF is also explored. Results reveal a spatial variability in TEF and that salinity–current covariance exerts greater control on TEF than tidal asymmetry. The approach is suitable for regional studies evaluating sensitivity to changes in runoff, salinity and tides.