Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Estuary Classification Revisited

Anirban Guha Civil Engineering Department, and Institute of Applied Mathematics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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Gregory A. Lawrence Civil Engineering Department, and Institute of Applied Mathematics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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Print Publication:
01 Aug 2013
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-12-0129.1
Page(s):
1566–1571
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Abstract

Studies over a period of several decades have resulted in a relatively simple set of equations describing the tidally and width-averaged balances of momentum and salt in a rectangular estuary. The authors rewrite these equations in a fully nondimensional form that yields two nondimensional variables: (i) the estuarine Froude number and (ii) a modified tidal Froude number. The latter is the product of the tidal Froude number and the square root of the estuarine aspect ratio. These two variables are used to define a prognostic estuary classification scheme, which compares favorably with published estuarine data.

Corresponding author address: Anirban Guha, Civil Engineering Department, The University of British Columbia, 2002–6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. E-mail: aguha@mail.ubc.ca

Abstract

Studies over a period of several decades have resulted in a relatively simple set of equations describing the tidally and width-averaged balances of momentum and salt in a rectangular estuary. The authors rewrite these equations in a fully nondimensional form that yields two nondimensional variables: (i) the estuarine Froude number and (ii) a modified tidal Froude number. The latter is the product of the tidal Froude number and the square root of the estuarine aspect ratio. These two variables are used to define a prognostic estuary classification scheme, which compares favorably with published estuarine data.

Corresponding author address: Anirban Guha, Civil Engineering Department, The University of British Columbia, 2002–6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. E-mail: aguha@mail.ubc.ca
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Journal of Physical Oceanography

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