Effluent Diffusion and Sediment Dispersion at Microtidal River Mouths, Predicted Using Mathematical Models

Plume characteristics, associated with fluvial discharge into a microtidal environment, are predicted using mathematical models. Such predictions are compared with field measurements from the River Louros, western Greece. Combined frictionally-dominated and buoyant plume expansion models show encouraging agreement (i.e. to within ± 1%) with temperature, salinity and velocity observations. The inclusion of particle settling velocities into the analysis enables surficial sea-bed sediment size distribution to be determined. The predicted patterns show close correspondence with those collected from the subaqueous delta of a small river in Greece. The approach described may form the more general basis for the prediction of riverine sediment deposition on inner continental shelves.