Subtidal Variability of Estuarine Outflow, Plume, and Coastal Current: A Model Study

The time evolution of an estuary plume and its coastal front over a continental shelf is numerically calculated here using a three-dimensional model with eddy mixing based on the turbulence kinetic energy closure. The plume and front system is found to be unsteady with a natural period of about 5–10 days, during which the plume pulsates and intermittent coastal currents propagate down the coast.