Circulation pattern in Puerto Galvan docks, Bahía Blanca, Argentina

PERILLO, GERARDO M. E.; PIERINI, JORGE O; PEREZ, DANIEL E; PICCOLO, M CINTIA

Mar del Plata

Congreso; Joint IAPSO-IABO Assemblies, 2001: An Ocean Odyssey; 2001

IAPSO-IABO

Puerto Galván is one of the five harbours that form the Bahía Blanca Harbour System, the largest and deepestof Argentina. The harbours are all located along the Canal Principal of the Bahía Blanca Estuary, a mesotidal,coastal plain environment formed by a series of major NW-SE trending major channels separating extensivetidal flats, low salt marshes and islands. Puerto Galván is constituted by two docks (5 and 2/3) located to theeast and west, respectively, of a wharf. All harbour operations are made along the wharf and the docks havemaximum operational depths along it. Six field cruises were made within a month period a long a completetidalcycle (over 13 h). At each cruise vertical profiles of magnitude and direction of the tidal currents over thesame section were determined using a 600 kHz acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The circulationpattern of both Puerto Galván docks are described. Lateral surface flow convergences appeared relative to thetidal flats and pier orientation as well as the development of vortex due to flow separation.