Article
The effect of recycling traps and upwelling on estuarine chemical flux estimates

https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(96)00159-7Get rights and content

Abstract

Property-salinity plots are commonly used in the interpretation of estuarine and coastal dissolved chemical distributions as well as in making estimates of fluxes to the open ocean. Previous work has explored the interpretation of these diagrams from a theoretical point of view and has pointed out some of the assumptions inherent in their use. In this report a simple box model is used to explore the effect of recycling traps and upwelling on property-salinity plots. It is shown that both of these phenomena, if not accounted for, can lead to erroneous conclusions about dissolved fluxes to the open ocean. Simple relationships are derived from the box model which can be used to evaluate the effects of recycling and upwelling. The model is applied to the Amazon outflow region where recycling is important and to waters outside San Francisco Bay where upwelling is important. Additional analysis of the Louisiana Shelf and the western North Atlantic indicates the need for further consideration of upwelling effects in these regions.

References (14)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (33)

  • Refining real-time predictions of Vibrio vulnificus concentrations in a tropical urban estuary by incorporating dissolved organic matter dynamics

    2022, Science of the Total Environment
    Citation Excerpt :

    Estuaries are heterogeneous and idiosyncratic with unique biogeochemical features and high biological diversity and activity (Cai, 2011). They are known to be effective traps for nutrients, sediments, and pollutants from inflowing rivers and runoff (Shiller, 1996). By nature of their proximity to populous areas, estuaries are at high risk of anthropogenic impact from development and pollution.

  • Does a bottom-up mechanism promote hypoxia in the Mississippi Bight?

    2021, Marine Chemistry
    Citation Excerpt :

    Thus, the flux of offshore salty water through these coastal bottom waters is roughly three-fourths of the water balance. As noted elsewhere, this flux of salty offshore bottom water is an important and generally unquantified vector of coastal material transport (Shiller, 1996). Our model thus also provides a possible alternative to excess 210Pb inventories (Smoak et al., 1996) as a means of estimating this flux of salty offshore bottom water.

  • Temporal and spatial variations of dissolved and colloidal trace elements in Louisiana Shelf waters

    2016, Marine Chemistry
    Citation Excerpt :

    Indeed, Trefry and Presley (1982) suggested this as a mechanism for bringing “excess Mn” to Gulf of Mexico sediments. Quantifying this offshore flux of altered shelf bottom water remains an important unresolved problem (Shiller, 1996). This new survey, with greater spatial/temporal resolution than previously, has allowed an improved understanding of trace element and nutrient behavior in the outflow regions of the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River.

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text