Hydrography of the inner shelf offshore Bahía Blanca estuary

CUADRADO, DIANA; PICCOLO MARIA CINTIA; PERILLO, GERARDO MIGUEL EDUARDO

THALASSAS (SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA)

Universidad de Vigo

Lugar: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA; Año: 2002 vol. 18 p. 45 - 56

0212-5919

In this paper a quantitative description of the hydrographic regime in the inner shelf offshore Bahia Blanca and Colorado River estuaries based on temperature, salinity, suspended matter and currentvelocity data is described. Both estuaries contribute in different ways to the physical characteristics of the environment. The Colorado River estuary is the major source of freshwater into the EI Rincon area, whereas the Bahia Blanca estuary is a source ofrelatively warm and salty water. Accordingly, the influence of both estuaries in the distribution of the water properties is observed. It the Colorado River into the inner shelf was quantified.The processes involved at the Bahia Blanca Estuaryis the first time the influence of the discharge s the first time the influence of the discharge of the Colorado River into the inner shelf was quantified. The processes involved at the Bahia Blanca Estuary are different from the typical estuary pattern. Exchange processes between estuaries andembayments with offshore waters are seldom analyzed in detail, especially in relation to the circulation of the inner shelves. With the information obtained by two currentmeters two regimes are identified, one associated with the estuarine waters and one with the coastal waters.