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<p>Tidal rivers and estuaries may experience high levels of suspended particulate matter (SPM), which impacts water quality and ecosystem functioning. The processes controlling the development of estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) are fairly well understood. However, predicting the maximum SPM concentration in an estuary based on aggregated parameters (estuarine dimensions, river discharge, tidal range) remains, up to now, impossible without extensive in-situ measurements and/or numerical models. This study introduces an approach that links the strength of the ETM to the tidal, river, and morphological characteristics of a system. Using in-situ data from contrasting meso- to macro-tidal estuaries, we found a consistent pattern of maximum SPM concentrations within a two-dimensional parameter space. The resulting turbidity diagram reveals a high SPM hotspot in estuaries with specific forcing conditions, corresponding to intermediate relative tidal amplitudes and freshwater Froude numbers. This multi-site research advances our predictions of ETM intensity in tide-dominated estuaries, offering a straightforward method to explore potential turbidity trajectories under various human pressures.</p>

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Relating estuarine turbidity maxima to tide and river conditions

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月23日

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  • Florent Grasso,
  • Eliott Bismuth,
  • Hans Burchard,
  • Sophie Defontaine,
  • Frank Kösters,
  • Robert Lafite,
  • Lloyd Reese,
  • Aldo Sottolichio,
  • Thijs van Kessel,
  • Joris Vanlede,
  • Dirk Sebastian van Maren,
  • Régis Walther,
  • Anna Zorndt

摘要

Tidal rivers and estuaries may experience high levels of suspended particulate matter (SPM), which impacts water quality and ecosystem functioning. The processes controlling the development of estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) are fairly well understood. However, predicting the maximum SPM concentration in an estuary based on aggregated parameters (estuarine dimensions, river discharge, tidal range) remains, up to now, impossible without extensive in-situ measurements and/or numerical models. This study introduces an approach that links the strength of the ETM to the tidal, river, and morphological characteristics of a system. Using in-situ data from contrasting meso- to macro-tidal estuaries, we found a consistent pattern of maximum SPM concentrations within a two-dimensional parameter space. The resulting turbidity diagram reveals a high SPM hotspot in estuaries with specific forcing conditions, corresponding to intermediate relative tidal amplitudes and freshwater Froude numbers. This multi-site research advances our predictions of ETM intensity in tide-dominated estuaries, offering a straightforward method to explore potential turbidity trajectories under various human pressures.