Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries

River discharge is important for the morphology and hydrodynamics of estuaries as it influences the salt intrusion process, tidal dynamics, freshwater supply (water resources management), and the occurrence of floods. Here we try to derive river regime characteristics from the seaward end: the estua...

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Main Authors: Gisen, J. I. A., Savenije, H. H. G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9355/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9355/2/Estimating%20bankfull%20discharge%20and%20depth%20in%20ungauged%20estuaries.pdf
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author Gisen, J. I. A.
Savenije, H. H. G.
author_facet Gisen, J. I. A.
Savenije, H. H. G.
author_sort Gisen, J. I. A.
building UMP Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description River discharge is important for the morphology and hydrodynamics of estuaries as it influences the salt intrusion process, tidal dynamics, freshwater supply (water resources management), and the occurrence of floods. Here we try to derive river regime characteristics from the seaward end: the estuary. It is found that there are empirical relationships that link the geometry of an estuary to its river regime, which can be used to estimate river discharge characteristics with the least of data available. The aims of this study are: (1) to derive empirical relations between geometrical characteristics of estuaries and the bankfull discharge; (2) to explore a physical explanation for this relation; and (3) to estimate the bankfull discharge in estuaries. The physical connection between an estuary and its river regime is found by combining estuary shape analysis, tidal dynamic analysis, and Lacey’s hydraulic geometry theory. The relationships found between the estuary depth, width, and bankfull river discharge have been tested in 23 estuaries around the world (including seven recently surveyed estuaries). From the analysis, it shows that the depth of an estuary is a function of the bankfull flood discharge to the power of 1/3, which is in agreement with Lacey’s formula. This finding not only provides a method to estimate estuary depth, it also allows estimating flood discharge characteristics from readily available estuary shape indicators.
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spelling ump-93552018-05-21T01:49:50Z http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9355/ Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries Gisen, J. I. A. Savenije, H. H. G. TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) TC Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering River discharge is important for the morphology and hydrodynamics of estuaries as it influences the salt intrusion process, tidal dynamics, freshwater supply (water resources management), and the occurrence of floods. Here we try to derive river regime characteristics from the seaward end: the estuary. It is found that there are empirical relationships that link the geometry of an estuary to its river regime, which can be used to estimate river discharge characteristics with the least of data available. The aims of this study are: (1) to derive empirical relations between geometrical characteristics of estuaries and the bankfull discharge; (2) to explore a physical explanation for this relation; and (3) to estimate the bankfull discharge in estuaries. The physical connection between an estuary and its river regime is found by combining estuary shape analysis, tidal dynamic analysis, and Lacey’s hydraulic geometry theory. The relationships found between the estuary depth, width, and bankfull river discharge have been tested in 23 estuaries around the world (including seven recently surveyed estuaries). From the analysis, it shows that the depth of an estuary is a function of the bankfull flood discharge to the power of 1/3, which is in agreement with Lacey’s formula. This finding not only provides a method to estimate estuary depth, it also allows estimating flood discharge characteristics from readily available estuary shape indicators. Wiley 2015-04-11 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9355/2/Estimating%20bankfull%20discharge%20and%20depth%20in%20ungauged%20estuaries.pdf Gisen, J. I. A. and Savenije, H. H. G. (2015) Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries. Water Resources Research, 51 (4). pp. 2298-2316. ISSN 1944-7973. (Published) http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014WR016227 DOI: 10.1002/2014WR016227
spellingShingle TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
TC Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering
Gisen, J. I. A.
Savenije, H. H. G.
Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries
title Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries
title_full Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries
title_fullStr Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries
title_full_unstemmed Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries
title_short Estimating Bankfull Discharge and Depth in Ungauged Estuaries
title_sort estimating bankfull discharge and depth in ungauged estuaries
topic TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
TC Hydraulic engineering. Ocean engineering
url http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9355/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9355/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9355/
http://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/9355/2/Estimating%20bankfull%20discharge%20and%20depth%20in%20ungauged%20estuaries.pdf