Estuarine mixing refers to the set of physical and biogeochemical processes that govern the blending of riverine freshwater with saline coastal ocean water in estuaries, creating strong horizontal and vertical gradients in salinity, temperature, and suspended material. It is controlled by tidal forcing, river discharge, stratification, turbulence, Coriolis effects, and basin geometry, and is commonly categorized into well-mixed, partially mixed, and highly stratified (salt wedge) regimes. Estuarine mixing regulates density structure, circulation patterns, residence times, and material fluxes, thereby strongly influencing nutrient distributions, contaminant transport, primary productivity, and the transformation and retention of terrestrial and marine inputs.
Using box jellyfish as an example, researchers from Kiel University show how the physics of density, not behavior or physiology, can prevent animals from reaching the surface even as they actively swim upward.
Plants & Animals
Jun 4, 2026
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A microscopic green pigment can provide major insights into how severe tropical cyclones called typhoons impact water flow and ecosystems. Called chlorophyll a, the pigment is responsible for absorbing light and initiating ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 16, 2026
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Every time we do a load of laundry, tiny fibers of polyester escape from our clothes and slip down the drain. These microfibers, so small they can be invisible to the naked eye, are among the most common forms of microplastic ...
Extreme rainfall is reshaping coastal waters along South Korea's shoreline, flushing nutrients from land into the sea and fueling the growth of algal blooms. A new multi-year study, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, ...
A new paper published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters warns of an emerging global threat posed by salt contamination of water supplies in tidal rivers worldwide. The paper, co-authored by David Ralston, Department ...
Environment
Jul 30, 2025
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