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Interaction of Tidal and Fluvial Processes in the Transition Zone of the Santee River, SC, USA

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Abstract

This study was conducted in the freshwater reach of the Santee River approximately 55 ± 4 km from the mouth, a transition zone from a fluvial to an estuarine tidal regime. The dataset comprises bathymetric surveys, current profile and bottom pressure measurements at two locations, and time series of discharge. Our data indicate that the transition zone is characterized by strong tidal dissipation and distinctive channel geometry. Tidal dissipation is evident in the rapid decrease of the M2 amplitude to the mean along-channel velocity ratio from 2.1 to 0.9 over a ∼6-km distance. Channel cross-sectional area in the transition zone converges at a higher rate than both upstream and downstream while channel depth reveals threefold variations in the form of adjacent shoals and deeps. We hypothesize that the enhanced tidal dissipation is at the same time a cause and a result of strongly convergent bathymetry in the transition zone.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to anonymous reviewers for their stimulating comments and suggestions. This study was supported by NSF grant EAR-1053299. AY was partially supported by the University of South Carolina start-up funds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    Alexander E. Yankovsky, Raymond Torres, Legna M. Torres-Garcia & Kyungho Jeon

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  1. Alexander E. Yankovsky
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  2. Raymond Torres
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  3. Legna M. Torres-Garcia
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  4. Kyungho Jeon
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Correspondence to Alexander E. Yankovsky.

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Yankovsky, A.E., Torres, R., Torres-Garcia, L.M. et al. Interaction of Tidal and Fluvial Processes in the Transition Zone of the Santee River, SC, USA. Estuaries and Coasts 35, 1500–1509 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9535-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9535-6

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