Temporal variability of the vertical stratification of a front in a tidal Region Of Freshwater Influence (ROFI) system

In the Dover strait, the ROFI along the French coast is delimited by a front. The variability of the vertical stratification of this front, studied with field data and model, is tidally dependent. The destratification always occurs at low water, when the current speed is strong, and the depth the lowest. Stratification occurs under the combined effects of a density gradient and the lateral component (seaward) of the tidal current. The duration of the stratification is a function of the tidal amplitude.