Abstract
The Río de la Plata Estuary, located at 35°00’S on the Atlantic coast, drains the second largest basin in South America. The drainage area covers over 3.1 x 106 km2 and includes parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is the most developed basin in South America: the population of the hinterland is estimated to be 30 million inhabitants. Two of the major ports in the region, the cities of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, lie along its shores. The Río de la Plata also provides access to ports upstream along the Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers. Biologically, the estuary is also very important (Cousseau 1985; Boschi 1988). The outer region, where the fresh waters rich in nutrients interact with the coastal waters, is the spawning and nursery area of many coastal species. Because of its regional importance, the Río de la Plata Estuary has been the subject of many research programs which try to understand different aspects of the environment and ecosystem.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Allen GP, Sauzay G, Castaing P (1976) Transport and deposition of suspended sediment in the Gironde Estuary, France. In: Wiley ML (ed) Estuarine processes. Academic Press, New York, vol II, pp 63–81
Allen GP, Salomon JC, Bassoullet P, Du Penhoat Y, De Grandpré C (1980) Effects of tides on mixing and suspended sediment transport in macrotidal estuaries. Sediment Geol 26: 69–90
Alvarez JA (1973) Predicción numérica de la onda de tormenta en el Río de la Plata. PhD thesis Univ Nac de Buenos Aires
Alvarez JA, Balay MA (1970) Ondas de tormenta en el Atlántico Sur. Bol SHN 7: 15–29
Balay MA (1959) Causes and periodicity of large floods in Río de la Plata. Int Hydrographic Rev 36: 123–151
Balay MA (1961) El Río de la Plata: entre la atmósfera y el mar. Bol SHN H-641
Barnes CA, Duxbury AC, Morse BA (1972) Circulation and selected properties of the Columbia River effluent at sea. In: Pruter AT, Alverson DL (eds) The Columbia River Estuary and adjacent ocean waters. Univ of Washington Press, Seattle pp 41–80
Bazán JM, Janiot LJ (1991) Zona de máxima turbidez y su relacion con otros párametros del Río de la Plata. Servicio Hidrografía Naval Inf Técnico 65/91 Buenos Aires
Bazán JM, Arraga E (1993) El Río de la Plata, un sistema fluvio-marftimo frágil? Acercamiento a una definicion de la calidad de sus aguas. Conf de Limnología, La Plata 71–82
Beardsley RC, Boicourt WC (1981) On estuarine and continental shelf circulation in the Middle Atlantic Bight. In: Warren BA, Wunsch C (eds) Evolution of physical oceanography. MIT Press Cambridge pp 198–233
Boschi EE (1988) El ecosistema estuarial del Río de la Plata (Argentina y Uruguay). An Inst Cienc del Mar y Limnol, Univ Nal Autón México, 15: 159–182
Bowman MJ (1988) Estuarine fronts. In: Kjerfve B (ed) Hydrodynamics of estuaries: estuarine physics. CRC Press Boca Raton, vol I, pp 85–132
Brandhorst W, Castello JP (1971) Evaluación de los recursos de anchoíta (Engraulis anchoita) frente a la Argentina y Uruguay. I. Las condiciones oceanográficas, sinopsis del conocimiento actual sobre la anchoíta y el plan para su evaluación. Proyecto de Desarrollo Pesquero FAO Tech Rep 29 Mar del Plata
Brandhorst W, Castello JP, Perez Habiaga R, Roa BH (1971) Evaluación de los recursos de anchoíta (Engraulis anchoita) frente a la Argentina y Uruguay. IV. Abundancia relativa entre las latitudes 34030′-44010′S en relación a las condiciones ambientales en agosto-septiembre de 1970. Proyecto de Desarrollo Pesquero FAO Tech Rep 36 Mar del Plata
Carreto JI, Negri RM, Benavidez HR (1982) Fitoplancton, pigmentos y nutrientes. Resultados Campañas III y VI del B/I Shinkai Maru 1978. In: Lesculescu V (ed) Campañas de investigación pesquera realizadas en el Mar Argentino por los B/I “Shinkai Maru” y “Walter Herwig” y el B/P “Marburg” 1978 y 1979. Contrib INIDEP 383 pp 181–201
Carreto JI, Negri RM, Benavidez HR (1986) Algunas características del florecimiento del fitoplancton en el frente del Río de la Plata. 1: Los sistemas nutritivos. Rev Inv y Des Pesq 5: 7–29
Cavallotto JL (1987) Morfología y dinámica sedimentaria en el Río de la Plata. Informe de Beca CIC Buenos Aires
Cavallotto JL (1988) Descripción e interpretación morfólogica del Río de la Plata. Simposio Internacional sobre el Holoceno en America del Sur, Comm on the Quaternary of S America Argentina
Chao S-Y (1988a) River-forced estuarine plume. J Phys Oceanogr 18: 72–88
Chao S-Y (1988b) Wind-driven motion of estuarine plumes. J Phys Oceanogr 18: 1144–1166
Chao S-Y, Boicourt WC (1986) Onset of estuarine plumes. J Phys Oceanogr 16: 3849–3860
Comisión Administradora del Río de la Plata (CARP) (1989) Estudio para la evaluacion de la contaminación en el Río de la Plata, CARP Montevideo, Buenos Aires
Ciappesoni HH, Salio P (1996) Pronóstico de sudestadas en el Río de la Plata a corto plazo. V II Congr Latinoam e Ibérico de Meteorología, Buenos Aires, Abstract
Conomos TJ, Gross MG, Barnes CA, Richards FA (1972) River-ocean nutrient relations in summer. In: Pruter AT, Alverson DL (eds) The Columbia River Estuary and adjacent ocean waters. Univ of Washington Press, Seattle, pp 151–175
Cousseau MB (1985) Los peces del Río de la Plata y su frente marítimo. In: Yañez-Arancibia A (ed) Fish community ecology in estuaries and coastal lagoons: Towards an ecosystem integration. UNAM Press Míxico pp 515–534
Cochrane JD, Kelly FJ (1986) Low-frequency circulation on the Texas-Louisiana continental shelf. J Geophys Res 91: 10645–10659
Depetris PJ, Griffin JJ (1968) Suspended load in the Río de la Plata drainage basin. Sedimentology 11: 53–60
Dyer KR (1986) Coastal and estuarine sediment dynamics. J Wiley and Sons, New York
Dyer KR (1995) Sediment transport processes in estuaries. In: Perillo GME (ed) Geomorphology and sedimentology of estuaries. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 423–449
Etala MP (1995) Un modelo para onda de tormenta en el Río de la Plata y plataforma continental, V I Congr Latinoam Cs Mar (COLACMAR) Mar del Plata, Abstract
Etala MP (1996a) Modelado de onda de tormenta en el Río de la Plata. Rev Inst Arg Navegación 5: 13–25
Etala MP (1996b) Primeras experiencias en la determinación en tiempo real del efecto atmosférico sobre el nivel del agua. Congr Latinoam e Ibérico de Meteorología, Buenos Aires, Abstract
Fong DA, Geyer WR, Signell RP (1997) The wind-forced response on a buoyant coastal current: observations of the western Gulf of Maine plume. J Marine Systems 12: 69–81
Framiñan MB, Brown OB (1993) Descripción del campo de temperaturas de superficie en el Río de la Plata exterior y la plataforma continental adyacente. Workshop on Comparative Studies of Oceanic, Coastal and Estuarine Processes in the Temperate Zones, Inter-American Institute Montevideo, Abstract
Framiñan MB, Brown OB (1996) Study of the Rfo de la Plata turbidity front Part I: Spatial and temporal distribution. Cont Shelf Res 16: 1259–1282
Gagliardini DA, Karszenbaun H, Legeckis R, Klemas V (1984) Application of Landsat MSS, NOAA-TI- ROS AVHRR and Nimbus CZCS to study La Plata River and its interaction with the ocean. Remote Sensing Environ 15: 21–36
Garvine RW (1987) Estuarine plumes and fronts in shelf waters: a layer model. J Phys Oceanogr 17: 1877–1896
Gelfenbaum G (1983) Suspended-sediment response to semidiurnal and fortnightly tidal variations in a mesotidal estuary. Columbia River, USA, Mar Geol 52: 39–57
Geyer WR (1993) The importance of suppression of turbulence by stratification on the estuarine turbidity maximum. Estuaries 16: 113–125
Geyer WR (1997) Influence of wind on dynamics and flushing of shallow estuaries. Estuarine Coastal Shelf Sci 44: 713–722
Glorioso PD, Flather RA (1995) A barotropic model of the currents off SE South America. J Geophys Res 100: 13427–13440
Grabeman I, Krause G (1989) Transport processes of suspended matter derived from time series in a tidal estuary. J Geophys Res 94: 14373–14379
Guarga R, Vinzon S, Rodriguez H, Piedra Cueva I, Kaplan E (1992) Corrientes y sedimentos en el Río de la Plata. CARP
Guerrero R, Acha E, Framinan M, Lasta C (1997) Physical oceanography of the Río de la Plata Estuary — Argentina. Cont Shelf Res 17: 727–742
Hansen DV, Rattray Jr M (1965) Gravitational circulation in straits and estuaries. J Marine Res 23: 104–122
Hubold G (1980) Hydrography and plankton off southern Brazil and Río de la Plata, August-November 1977. Atlantica 4: 1–22
Junod J (1996) Aspectos mareologicos de la Hidrovfa. Rev del Inst Arg de Navegacion 5: 45–52
Kourafalou VH, Oey L-H, Wang JD, Lee TN (1996) The fate of river discharge on the continental shelf 1. Modeling the river plume and the inner shelf coastal current. J Geophys Res 101: 3415–3434
Lasta C, Gagliardini DA, Milovich J, Acha M (1996) Seasonal variation observed in surface water temperature of Samborombon Bay, Argentina, using NOAA-AVHRR and field data. J Coastal Res 12: 18–25
Landry MR, Postel JR, Peterson WK, Newman J (1989) Broad-scale distributional patterns of hydrographic variables on the Washington/Oregon Shelf. In: Landry MR, Hickey BM (eds) Coastal oceanography of Washington and Oregon, Elsevier Amsterdam, pp 1–40
Li Y, Nowlin Jr WD, Reid RO (1997) Mean hydrographic fields and their interannual variability over the Texas-Louisiana continental shelf in spring, summer, and fall. J Geophys Res 102: 1027–1049
López Laborde J (1987a) Distribucion de sedimentos superficiales de fondo en el Río de la Plata exterior y plataforma adyacente. Invest Oceanolog 1: 19–30
López Laborde J (1987b) Caracterizacion de los sedimentos superficiales de fondo del Rfo de la Plata
exterior y plataforma adyacente. Anales Cient Univ Nac Agraria La Molina II:33–47
Marazzi ML, Menendez A (1991) Estudio de las corrientes en los canales de navegacion del Rfo de la Plata. INCYTH LHA-114-003-91
Mazio CA (1987) Modelo hidrodinamico para el Río de la Plata. 5th Simp Cientffico Com Teen Mixta del Frente Marftimo, Montevideo
Molinari G (1986) Simulacion numerica de la circulacion en el Río de la Plata. INCYTH Pub S5-017-86
Múnchow A, Garvine RW (1993) Buoyancy and wind forcing of a coastal current. J Marine Res 51: 293–322
Nagy GJ, Lopez Laborde J, Anastasfa LH (1987) Caracterizacion de ambientes del Río de la Plata Exterior (salinidad y turbiedad optica). Invest Oceanolog 1: 31 – 56
O’Connor WPO (1991) A numerical model of tides and storm surges in the Río de la Plata. Cont Shelf Res 11: 1491–1508
Officer CB (1976) Physical oceanography of estuaries (and associated coastal waters). John Wiley and Sons, New York
Ottmann F, Urien CM (1965) La melange des eaux douces et marines dans le Río de la Plata. Cahiers Oceanographiques 17: 213–234
Ottmann F, Urien CM (1966) Sur quelques problemes sedimentologiques dans le Rfo de la Plata. Rev Geogr Physique et Geol Dinamique 8: 209–224
Parker G, Marcolini S, Cavallotto JL, Violante R (1986a) Transporte y dispersion de los sedimentos actuales del Río de la Plata (analisis de texturas). ia Reunion de Sedimentología Argentina 38–41
Parker G, Cavallotto JL, Marcolini S, Violante R (1986b) Los registros acusticos en la diferenciacion de sedimentos subacueos actuales (Río de la Plata)., ia Reunion de Sedimentologfa Argentina 42–44
Postma H (1967) Sediment transport and sedimentation in estuarine environment. In: Lauff GH (ed) Estuaries. Am Assoc Adv Science, Washington, DC, Publ 83, pp 158–179
Romero SY (1994) Estudio de las ondas de tormenta sobre la costa atlantica argentina. Informe de Beca CONICET
Schubel JR (1968) Turbidity maximum of the Northern Chesapeake Bay. Science 161: 1013–1015
Schubel JR, Carter HH (1976) Suspended sediment budget for Chesapeake Bay. In: Wiley ML (ed) Estuarine processes. Academic Press, N.Y., vol II, pp 48–62
Schubel JR, Carter HH (1983) The estuary as a filter for fine-grained suspended sediment. In: Kennedy VS (ed) The estuary as a filter. Academic Press, New York, pp 81–105
Schwiderski EW (1981) Global ocean tides, part IV: The diurnal luni-dolar declination tide (Kj). In: Atlas of Tidal Charts and Maps. Naval Surface Weapons Center NSWC TR 81–142
Seluchi ME (1995) Diagnostico y pronostico de situaciones sinopticas conducentes a ciclogenesis sobre el este de Sudamerica. Geofisica Int 34: 171–186
Servicio de Hidrograffa Naval (1973) Batitermogramas caracterfsticos del Mar Argentino. SHN H-702
Servicio de Hidrograffa Naval (1996) Tablas de marea. SHN H-610
Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (1982) Estadfsticas climatologicas. SMN Buenos Aires
Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (1992) Estadfsticas climatologicas. SMN Buenos Aires
Simpson JH (1997) Physical processes in the ROFI regime. J Mar Systems 12: 3–15
Taljaard JJ (1967) Development, distribution and movement of cyclones and anticlyclones in the Southern Hemisphere during IGY. J Applied Meteorology 6: 973–987
Tossini L (1959) El sistema hidrografico de la Cuenca del Río de la Plata. Anales Sociedad Cientffica Argentina 167: 41–64
Uncles RJ, Stephens A (1989) Distributions of suspended sediment at high water in a macrotidal estuary. J Geophys Res 94: 14395–14405
Uncles RJ, Elliot RCA, Weston SA (1985) Dispersion of salt and suspended sediment in a partly mixed estuary. Estuaries 8: 256–269
Urien CM (1966) Distribucion de los sedimentos en el Río de la Plata Superior. Bol SHN 3: 197–203
Urien CM (1967) Los sedimentos modernos del Río de la Plata Exterior. Bol SHN 4: 113–213
Urien CM (1972) Rfo de la Plata Estuary environments. Geol Soc Am Mem 133: 213–234
Valle-Levins on A, Lwiza KMM (1995) The effects of channels and shoals on exchange between the Chesapeake Bay and the adjacent ocean. J Geophys Res 100: 18551–18563
Valle-Levinson A, O’Donnell J (1997) Tidal interaction with buoyancy-driven flow in a coastal plain estuary, In: Aubrey DG, Friedrichs CT (eds) Buoyancy effects on coastal and estuarine dynamics. Coastal and Estuarine Studies 53 AGU, Washington, DC, pp 265–281
Van de Kreeke J, Robaczewska K (1989) Effect of wind on the vertical circulation and stratification in the Volkerak Estuary. Netherlands J Sea Res 23: 239–253
Wessel P, Smith WHF (1991) Free software helps map and display data. Eos Trans AGU 72: 441–446
Wiseman Jr WJ (1986) Estuarine-shelf interactions. In: Mooers CNK (ed) Baroclinic processes on the continental shelves. Coastal and Estuarine Sciences 3 AGU, Washington, DC, pp 63–93
Wong K-C (1994) On the nature of transverse variability in a coastal plain estuary. J Geophys Res 99: 14209–14222
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Framiñan, M.B., Etala, M.P., Acha, E.M., Guerrero, R.A., Lasta, C.A., Brown, O.B. (1999). Physical Characteristics and Processes of the Río de la Plata Estuary. In: Perillo, G.M.E., Piccolo, M.C., Pino-Quivira, M. (eds) Estuaries of South America. Environmental Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60131-6_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60131-6_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64269-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-60131-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive