article · Journal of Physical Oceanography · 2014
Estuarine Frontogenesis
W. Rockwell Geyer, David K. Ralston
Cited by 41Open access
Abstract
Abstract Model studies and observations in the Hudson River estuary indicate that frontogenesis occurs as a result of topographic forcing. Bottom fronts form just downstream of lateral constrictions, where the width of the estuary increases in the down-estuary (i.e., seaward) direction. The front forms during the last several hours of the ebb, when the combination of adverse pressure gradient in the expansion and baroclinicity cause a stagnation of near-bottom velocity. Frontogenesis is observed in two dynamical regimes: one in which the front develops at a transition from subcritical to supercritical flow and the other in which the flow is everywhere supercritical. The supercritical front formation appears to be associated with lateral flow separation. Both types of fronts are three-dimensional, with strong lateral gradients along the flanks of the channel. During spring tide conditions, the fronts dissipate during the flood, whereas during neap tides the fronts are advected landward during the flood. The zone of enhanced density gradient initiates frontogenesis at multiple constrictions along the estuary as it propagates landward more than 60 km during several days of neap tides. Frontogenesis and frontal propagation may thus be essential elements of the spring-to-neap transition to stratified conditions in partially mixed estuaries.
Cite this paper
Geyer, W. R., & Ralston, D. K. (2014). Estuarine Frontogenesis. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 45(2), 546–561. https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-14-0082.1
Geyer, W. Rockwell, and David K. Ralston. “Estuarine Frontogenesis.” Journal of Physical Oceanography, vol. 45, no. 2, 2014, pp. 546–61, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-14-0082.1.
Geyer, W. Rockwell, and David K. Ralston. 2014. “Estuarine Frontogenesis.” Journal of Physical Oceanography 45 (2): 546–61. https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-14-0082.1.
Geyer, W.R. and Ralston, D.K. (2014) ‘Estuarine Frontogenesis’, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 45(2), pp. 546–561. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-14-0082.1.
@article{geyer2014estuarine,
title = {{Estuarine Frontogenesis}},
author = {Geyer, W. Rockwell and Ralston, David K.},
journal = {Journal of Physical Oceanography},
volume = {45},
number = {2},
pages = {546--561},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1175/jpo-d-14-0082.1}
}Made from the index record. Check names, capitalisation and page numbers against the paper. Need another style? AI for Research has over 10,000.