A note on flow structure in the Great Ouse estuary

Abstract

Field measurements of vertical profiles of velocity and salinity along with turbulence measurements have been used to examine the effect of density gradients on the flow structure in the Great Ouse estuary. During the flood tide shear and longitudinal density gradients cause well mixed conditions in the lower part of the water column. In the upper part of the water column secondary flow effects induced by transverse density gradients, and acceleration effects can contribute to the formation of stable vertical density gradients. On the ebb tide the vertical density gradient appears to be the dominant factor which determines the structure of the flow. The velocity and shear stress data show the evidence of large scale motions which are consistent with the postulated flood and ebb flow structures.