TASK 4. EXPLORATION OF NUMERICAL RESULTS
Objective:
To characterize the switching of residual flow drivers.
Expected results
- Longitudinal sections of residual flow and salinity over the thalweg and along the adjacent shoals.
- Transverse structure of residual flow and salinity fields along the estuary.
- Transverse flow index to characterize the residual flow structure (see below).
- Comparison of the ratio of tidal stress terms vs baroclinic pressure gradient term of the momentum equation with Fr0.
Along-estuary density gradients and hydrodynamic switching.
- Relation between the process-oriented experiments (simplified geometry) with the actual physical processes acting at the Guadiana estuary (simulations with real geometry).
Transverse flow index
The index (γ) will consist of integrating the along-estuary residual flow (v) at every cross-estuary section along the estuary.
Values of γ will represent predominantly 3 different possibilities for residual flows in the thalweg:
- vertically sheared exchange flow, typical of estuarine exchange.
- inflow throughout water column.
- outflow throughout water column.