Dinámica de flujo, del campo salino y de los sedimentos finos en el Río de la Plata

Abstract

This article summarizes the main advances made by our group in the study of flow and substance transport dynamics in the Río de la Plata, based on the implementation of various models (RMA, MOHID, MARS) and incorporating existing high-quality field information. In the Río de la Plata, the main forcings that influence water circulation are flow discharge from its tributaries, tide waves (astronomic and meteorologic), and winds. There is a clear difference between the inner-middle region and the outer region of the Río de la Plata. The division between these two regions is known as the frontal region, where there is considerable widening of the section and an increase in depth. Because of these characteristics, the salinity field coming from the Atlantic Ocean reaches this region, with greater intensity in the deep regions where the saline stratification is more pronounced. This in turn gives the residual velocities in the middle region the typical two-dimensional characteristics of a flow discharge (net transport toward the outer region), while the residual flow in the outer region shows more complex, three-dimensional characteristics, with mainly incoming flow toward the continent in the deep areas and flow discharge mainly through the shallow coastal areas. There is an area of almost nil residual current in the frontal region. In addition to this clear spacial difference in the behavior of the body of the water, the meteorological conditions have a determining influence. The present study discusses diverse behaviors of the currents, salinity and fine sediment dynamics under calm and storm conditions.