Dissolved oxygen stratification in two micro-tidal partially-mixed estuaries

Abstract

The controlling physical factors for vertical oxygen stratification in micro-tidal, partially-mixed estuaries are discussed in this paper. A theoretical deduction shows that vertical stratification of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration can be explained by the extended Hansen and Rattray's Central Region theory, which suggests that in addition to biological factors such as photosynthesis, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), sediment oxygen demand (SOD), vertical DO profiles are mainly controlled by physical factors such as surface re-aeration, river flow, and estuarine gravitational circulation. Vertical mixing of DO from surface re-aeration and photosynthesis sets a DO profile of higher concentration near the surface and lower near the bottom. With a positive seaward longitudinal DO gradient, strong river flow and estuarine gravitational circulation can cause lower DO concentrations near the surface and higher near the bottom. The actual vertical oxygen profile is then determined by the relative magnitude of the above-mentioned mechanisms. It is sensitive to two parameters: (1) the strength of the gravitational circulation ( u E); and (2) the relative importance between biochemical oxygen demand and vertical diffusivity ( α). Vertical DO stratification usually becomes weaker as u E increases. The impact of gravitational circulation on vertical oxygen distribution becomes more important for a larger α. The impact of α on oxygen stratification is profound. As u E (and river flow) increases, DO stratification appears to be less sensitive to the value of α. Surface-to-bottom differences in DO concentrations (ΔDO) is negligible when α is small ( α < 0.5). As α increases, ΔDO increases under a weak to moderate gravitational circulation mode ( u E ≤ 5 cm s −1). Under a strong gravitational circulation mode, ΔDO becomes negative with a small α ( α < 2), and as α continues to increase, ΔDO becomes positive. The newly-deduced governing equation for vertical oxygen stratification is applied to two micro-tidal, partially-mixed estuarine systems: the Cape Fear River Estuary (CFRE) and the Pamlico River Estuary (PRE) of North Carolina. In the CFRE, although strong vertical salinity stratification exists, DO concentrations are usually well mixed. De-coupling between salinity stratification and oxygen stratification is mainly due to a relatively stronger estuarine gravitational circulation and higher freshwater inflow in the system. It appears that river flow and gravitational circulation are the dominant factors in controlling oxygen stratification in the CFRE. In contrast, vertical stratification of DO concentrations is closely correlated with that of salinity in the PRE. In the PRE, the estuarine gravitational mode and river flow are often both very weak, and DO stratification is very sensitive to the value of α. With negligible influence from tidal mixing, the system is more sensitive to vertical mixing regulated by salinity stratification and wind. As a result, vertical DO stratification is closely correlated with salinity stratification in the PRE.