Publication Date:
2015-10-29
Description:
Seasonal information of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and chlorophyll, combined with meteorological and river discharge time series were used to describe the oceanographic conditions in the Reloncavi fjord (41°35' S; 72°20' W). The winds in the fjord valley blow mainly down-fjord during winter, reinforcing the upper layer outflow, while in spring–summer winds have a predominant up-fjord direction contrary to upper layer outflow. The fjord, with a deep sill at the mouth, was well stratified year-round and showed a thin surface layer of brackish water with mean salinities between 10.4 ± 1.4 (spring) and 13.2 ± 2.5 (autumn). The depth of the upper layer changed slightly along the different studied seasons remaining at about 4.5 m near the mouth. This upper layer presented a mean outflow (Q1) of 3185 ± 223 m3 s−1, which imply a flushing time of about 3 days of this layer. The vertical salt flux was ∼ 37 tons of salt per second, similar to the horizontal salt flux observed in the upper layer. These estimations will contribute to a better management of the aquaculture on this region.
Print ISSN:
1812-0806
Electronic ISSN:
1812-0822
Topics:
Geosciences
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