Estimating Estuarine Reaeration Rates

Abstract

Estuarine reaeration rates induced by wind and bottom stresses are compared through calculation of air-water-mass-transfer coefficients. For typical tidal velocities and depths, the transfer coefficient (and hence reaeration) induced by wind speed greater than 5 m/s exceeds the transfer coefficient generated by bottom stress. For wind speed less than 1.5 m/s, wind influence on the transfer coefficient is negligible relative to bottom stress. For intermediate wind speeds, the transfer coefficient may be dominated by wind or by bottom stress.