Water Resources. Vol. 46, No. 1, Pages 29-38, 2019

P. Yu. Semkin^a^, *, P. Ya. Tishchenko^a, V. B. Lobanov^a_, A. F. Sergeev^a, Yu. A. Barabanshchikov^a, T. A. Mikhailik^a, G. Yu. Pavlova^a, A. V. Kostyleva^b, E. M. Shkirnikova^a, P. P. Tishchenko^a, and T. L. Chizhova^a
Translated by G. Krichevets

^aIl’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 690041 Russia

^bSouthern Division, Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Gelendzhik, 353470 Russia

Abstract—Field studies of the seasonal and daily dynamics of the mixing zone were carried out in the microtidal estuary of the Partizanskaya River. The position of the mixing zone was determined by river runoff volume. The upstream boundary of the mixing zone was located at a distance from 5 (at river discharge of 73.67 m³/s) to 12.5 km (at 7.7 m³/s) from the mouth bar. The estuary features a two-layer water circulation, resulting in the formation of halocline with a gradient of water salinity of up to 30‰ per 1 m. Salinity variations at rifts, caused by tides, reach 27‰ over a 3-hour period.

Keywords: estuary, river mouth area, mixing zone, water circulation, Partizanskaya River, Nakhodka Bay, Primor’e

Water Dynamics and Structure in the Estuary of the Partizanskaya River (Nakhodka Bay, Sea of Japan)