Abstract
Hourly sea levels recorded over a 16-month period at eight tide gauges throughout the estuarine system at Murrells, South Carolina, clarify the climatology of tidal distortion within this shallow, well-mixed estuary. Numerical results are consistent with these data and suggest comparable behavior in other geometrically-similar systems. The non-linear tidal response to changes in the amplitude-to-depth ratio (a/h) are investigated utilizing the spring-neap cycle over a single month and the offshore steric response over an entire year or more. As a/h increases in Murrells estuary due to greater tidal amplitude, tidal distortion becomes more flood dominant. However, patterns of non-linear tidal distortion in response to lower frequency ocean level change are strongly dependent upon proximity to local concentrations of intertidal flats. In areas of small tidal flat extent, as a/h decreases (due to rising sea level), tidal distortion becomes less flood dominant; in areas of extensive flats, absolute distortion and, therefore, flood dominant nature grows with greater h. Numerical modeling of estuary sea height and tidal velocity support the observations, which are consistent with the hypotheses of Aubrey and Speer (1985) and Speer and Aubrey (1985). They also have implications for changes in estuarine response to accelerated sea-level rise in the near future.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aubrey, D. G., 1986. Hydrodynamic controls on sediment transport in well-mixed bays and estuaries. In: van de Kreeke, J. (ed.), Physics of Shallow Estuarie and Bays. Springer-Verlag, New York, p. 245–258.
Aubrey, D. G. and Speer, P. E., 1985. A study of non-linear tidal propagation in shallow inlet/estuarine systems. Part I: Observations. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci., 21:185–205.
Boon, J.D. and Byrne, R.J., 1981. On basin hypsometry and the morphodynamic response of coastal inlet systems. Marine Geology, 40:27–48.
Boothroyd, J. C., 1969. Hydraulic conditions controlling the the formation of estuarine bedforms. In: Hayes, M.O. (ed.), Coastal Environments; N.E. Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Cont. No. 1-CRG, Univ. Massachusetts. Dept. of Geology Publication Series, Amherst, MA, p. 417–427.
Dronkers, J. J., 1964. Tidal Computations in Rivers and Coastel Waters. North Holland Publishing, Amsterdam, 516 pp.
Dronkers, J.J., 1986. Tidal asymmetry and estuarine morphology. Neth. J. Sea Res., 20:117–131.
DuBar, J. R., Johnson, H.S., Thorn, B. and Hatchell, W.O., 1974. Neogene stratigraphy and morphology, south flank of the Cape Fear Arch, North and South Carolina. In: Oaks, R. Q. and DuBar, J. R. (eds.), Post-Miocene Stratigraphy: Central and Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain. Utah State Univ. Press, Logan, Utah, p. 140–173.
Emery, K. O., 1967. Estuaries and lagoons in relation to continental shelves. In: Lauff, G. H. (ed.), Estuaries. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., Publ. 83, Washington, DC, p. 9–11.
Friedrichs, C. T. and Aubrey, D. G., in press. Non-linear tidal distortion in shallow well-mixed estuaries: a synthesis. Est. Coast Shelf Sci.
Fry, V.A., 1987. Tidal Velocity Asymmetries and Bedload Transport in Shallow Water Embayments. M.S. thesis, WHOI-MIT Joint Program in Oceanography, Woods Hole, MA, 50 pp.
Hoffman, J. S., Keyes, D. and Titus, J. G., 1983. Projecting Future Sea Level Rise, Methodology, Estimates to the Year 2100, and Research Needs. U.S. EPA 230–09-007, 121 pp.
Masch, F. D., Brandes, R. J. and Reagan, J. D., 1977. Comparison of numerical and physical hydraulic models, Mansonboro Inlet, North Carolina. Apendix 2, v. 1, Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamics (WRE). GITI Report 6, U.S. Army Coastal Eng. Res. Cent., 123 pp.
National Research Council (NRC), 1979. Carbon Dioxide and Climate: A Scientific Assessment. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 496 pp.
National Ocean Service, 1984. Index of tide stations: United States of America and miscellaneous other locations. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 140 pp.
Perry, F. C., Seabergh, W. C. and Lane, E. F., 1978. Improvements for Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. U.S. Army Engineer District, Charleston, and U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Mississipi. Technical Report H-78–4, 339 pp.
Postma, H., 1967. Sediment transport and sedimentation in the marine environment. In: Lauff, G. H. (ed.), Estuaries. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., Publ. 83, Washington, DC, p. 158–179.
Richards, H. G., 1974. Structural and stratigraphic framework of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. In: Oaks, R. Q. and DuBar, J. R. (eds.), Post-Miocent Stratigraphy: Central and Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain. Utah State Univ. Press, Logan, Utah, p. 10–20.
Speer, P. E. and Aubrey, D. G., 1985. A study of non-linear tidal propagation in shallow inlet/estuarine systems. Part II: Theory. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci., 21:207–224.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1988 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this paper
Cite this paper
Aubrey, D.G., Friedrichs, C.T. (1988). Seasonal Climatology of Tidal Non-Linearities in a Shallow Estuary. In: Aubrey, D.G., Weishar, L. (eds) Hydrodynamics and Sediment Dynamics of Tidal Inlets. Lecture Notes on Coastal and Estuarine Studies, vol 29. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4057-8_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4057-8_6
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-96888-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4057-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive