Water and salt budget in the Azikode Estuary during postmonsoon season

Abstract

Computed values of flux showed that seaward Eulerian residual flow of water was the major factor influencing the salt and water budget in the Azikode Estuary. Depth integrated residual flow was seaward at all depths. Upstream transport of salt was mainly due to diffusion. Salt transport due to vertical current shear increased in the upstream direction. The magnitude of Stokes drift was greater near the barmouth where tidal action was high. At section 1, near the barmouth, the effective eddy diffusivity K_z increased from surface to mid-depth and then decreased. However at section 2, K_z showed two maxima at non-dimensional depths η = 0.3 and η = 0.8. Due to increasing stratification and less tidal action values of effective eddy diffusivity were less in section 2.