Estuaries of South America: their geomorphology and dynamics.

PERILLO, GERARDO MIGUEL EDUARDO; PICCOLO MARIA CINTIA; PINO QUIVIRA, M.

Springer-Verlag

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 1999 p. 223

3-540-65657-X

As long as freshwater is discharged into the sea, there is the potential for the development of an estuary. Although this concept appears to be simple, the marked differences in geomorphologic, oceanographic, atmospheric and biogeochemical conditions that occur along the coasts of the world result in a wide variety of estuarine types. The variety is so large that severalwayshave been used as mean to define and classifythem (Perillo 1995a). Although work in estuaries can be traced back to the beginning of the century, a formal definition was not available up to the ´50Swhen studies by Ketchum (1951) first, and then by Pritchard (1952), shaped the basic concepts about their geomorphologic and physical characteristics. Since them, the number of researchers and the knowledge about estuaries worldwide have bursted. Fifty years ago the estuarine oceanography was concentrated on Chesapeake Bay and few estuaries in Europe. Nowadays estuarine research has spread so much that we have a very well defined knowledge of their geomorphology and dynamics to the point that we are seriously developing classification schemes that are abstracting this vast knowledge. Etymologically, estuary derives from the Latin word "aestus"long as freshwater is discharged into the sea, there is the potential for the development of an estuary. Although this concept appears to be simple, the marked differences in geomorphologic, oceanographic, atmospheric and biogeochemical conditions that occur along the coasts of the world result in a wide variety of estuarine types. The variety is so large that severalwayshave been used as mean to define and classifythem (Perillo 1995a). Although work in estuaries can be traced back to the beginning of the century, a formal definition was not available up to the ´50Swhen studies by Ketchum (1951) first, and then by Pritchard (1952), shaped the basic concepts about their geomorphologic and physical characteristics. Since them, the number of researchers and the knowledge about estuaries worldwide have bursted. Fifty years ago the estuarine oceanography was concentrated on Chesapeake Bay and few estuaries in Europe. Nowadays estuarine research has spread so much that we have a very well defined knowledge of their geomorphology and dynamics to the point that we are seriously developing classification schemes that are abstracting this vast knowledge. Etymologically, estuary derives from the Latin word "aestus""aestus"