ABSTRACT
Transport and circulation processes in estuaries are driven primarily by river flow and tidal action. As in rivers and lakes internal factors such as friction and vertical mixing play important roles in the redistribution of pollutants in the marine environment. Tidal waves can generally be treated mathematically as long-period waves, allowing the applications of a powerful mathematical technique developed for the analysis of waves. Sea level fluctuations caused by strong storms are called storm surges, which can have devastating effects on low-lying coastal regions. Meteorological effects are the result of both local and remote wind forcing and other atmospheric pressure forcing separate from the wind. Water responds to an applied wind stress within a few hours and to the cessation of the wind in about the same time frame. The solution of the equations for circulation and mixing is generally based on simplifications and assumptions regarding the spatial and temporal complexity of the system and its boundary conditions.
