Articles | Volume 19, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2805-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2805-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Turbidity in the fluvial Gironde Estuary (southwest France) based on 10-year continuous monitoring: sensitivity to hydrological conditions
I. Jalón-Rojas
UMR5805 EPOC, CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
Invited contribution by I. Jalón-Rojas, recipient of the EGU Outstanding Student Poster Award 2014.
S. Schmidt
UMR5805 EPOC, CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
A. Sottolichio
UMR5805 EPOC, CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
Related authors
No articles found.
Cristian M. Rojas, Lauren Ross, Betty John Kaimathuruthy, Isabel Jalón-Rojas, Aldo Sottolichio, and Nicolas Huybrechts
Ocean Sci., 22, 1311–1327, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1311-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1311-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Although estuaries typically exhibit high suspended sediment concentrations (SSC), only a few studies have investigated how the impact of SSC on density can affect the exchange between rivers and coastal waters. Here, we use numerical models to quantify the impact of SSC on water exchange based on an estuary with large SSC and tidal range. We found that the non-consideration of SSC leads to large differences in the exchange of water that could lead to the over-quantification of water transport.
Anna Bang Kvorning, Marie-Alexandrine Sicre, Gregor Luetzenburg, Sabine Schmidt, Thorbjørn Joest Andersen, Vincent Klein, Eleanor Georgiadis, Audrey Limoges, Jacques Giraudeau, Anders Anker Bjørk, Nicolaj Krog Larsen, and Sofia Ribeiro
Clim. Past, 22, 605–624, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-605-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-605-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
We compare two marine sediment cores collected from contrasting locations in Kane Basin, northwest Greenland. The two sites differ in terms of how much sediment they receive, the level of primary production, and the source and composition of organic matter. Despite these spatial differences, both records reveal a similar long-term environmental trend, a shift from cold, heavy sea-ice conditions between ca. 1750–1900 CE, towards more open, fresher, and biologically productive waters by 1950 CE.
Sabine Schmidt and Ibrahima Iris Diallo
Biogeosciences, 21, 1785–1800, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1785-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1785-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Along the French coast facing the Bay of Biscay, the large Gironde and Loire estuaries suffer from hypoxia. This prompted a study of the small Charente estuary located between them. This work reveals a minimum oxygen zone in the Charente estuary, which extends for about 25 km. Temperature is the main factor controlling the hypoxia. This calls for the monitoring of small turbid macrotidal estuaries that are vulnerable to hypoxia, a risk expected to increase with global warming.
Kate E. Ashley, Xavier Crosta, Johan Etourneau, Philippine Campagne, Harry Gilchrist, Uthmaan Ibraheem, Sarah E. Greene, Sabine Schmidt, Yvette Eley, Guillaume Massé, and James Bendle
Biogeosciences, 18, 5555–5571, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5555-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5555-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We explore the potential for the use of carbon isotopes of algal fatty acid as a new proxy for past primary productivity in Antarctic coastal zones. Coastal polynyas are hotspots of primary productivity and are known to draw down CO2 from the atmosphere. Reconstructions of past productivity changes could provide a baseline for the role of these areas as sinks for atmospheric CO2.
Cited articles
Alfieri, L., Burek, P., Feyen, L., and Forzieri, G.: Global warming increases the frequency of river floods in Europe, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 2247–2260, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-2247-2015, 2015.
Allen, G. P.: Déplacements saisonniers de la lentille de "crème de vase" dans l'estuaire de la Gironde, C. R. Acad. Sc. Paris, 273, 2429–2431, 1971.
Allen, G. P. and Castaing, P.: Suspended sediment transport from the Gironde estuary (France) onto the adjacent continental shelf, Marine Geol., 14, 47–53, 1973.
Allen, G. P., Sauzay, G., and Castaing, P.: Transport and deposition of suspended sediment in the Gironde Estuary, France, in: Estuarine Processes, edited by: Wiley, M., Academic Press, New York, 2 edn., 63–81, 1977.
Allen, G. P., Salomon, J. C., Bassoullet, P., Du Penhoat, Y., and De Grandpré, C.: Effects of tides on mixing and suspended sediment transport in macrotidal estuaries, Sediment. Geol., 26, 69–90, 1980.
Bonneton, P., Bonneton, N., Parisot, J.-P., and Castelle, B.: Tidal bore dynamics in funnel-shaped estuaries, J. Geophys. Res., https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JC010267, 2015.
Castaing, P. and Allen, G. P.: Mechanisms controlling seaward escape of suspended sediment from the Gironde: A macrotidal estuary in France, Marine Geol., 40, 101–118, 1981.
Castaing, P., Etcheber, H., Sottolichio, A., and Cappe, R.: Evaluation de l'evolution hydrodolique et sedimentaire du système Garonne-Dordogne-Gironde, Tech. rep., Rapport Agence de l'eau Adour-Garonne – Université de Bordeaux, 2006.
Chanson, H., Reungoat, D., Simon, B., and Lubin, P.: High-frequency turbulence and suspended sediment concentration measurements in the Garonne River tidal bore, Estuarine, Coast. Shelf Sci., 95, 298–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2011.09.012, 2011.
Contreras, E. and Polo, M. J.: Measurement frequency and sampling spatial domains required to characterize turbidity and salinity events in the Guadalquivir estuary (Spain), Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 2581–2589, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2581-2012, 2012.
De-Jonge, V. N., Schuttelaars, H. M., Van-Beusekom, J. E., Talke, S. A., and De-Swart, H. E.: The influence of channel deepening on estuarine turbidity levels and dynamics, as exemplified by the Ems estuary, Estuarine, Coast. Shelf Sci., 139, 46–59, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2013.12.030, 2014.
Doxaran, D., Froidefond, J. M., Castaing, P., and Babin, M.: Dynamics of the turbidity maximum zone in a macrotidal estuary (the Gironde, France): Observations from field and MODIS satellite data, Estuarine, Coast. Shelf Sci., 81, 321–332, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2008.11.013, 2009.
Dyer, K. R.: Fine sediment particle transport in estuaries, in: Physical Process in Estuaries, edited by: Dronkers, J. and van Leussen, W., Springer-Verlag, 427–445, 1988.
Etcheber, H., Schmidt, S., Sottolichio, A., Maneux, E., Chabaux, G., Escalier, J. M., Wennekes, H., Derriennic, H., Schmeltz, M., Quéméner, L., Repecaud, M., Woerther, P., and Castaing, P.: Monitoring water quality in estuarine environments: lessons from the MAGEST monitoring programme in the Gironde fluvial-estuarine system, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 831–840, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-831-2011, 2011.
Fettweis, M., Sas, M., and Monbaliu, J.: Seasonal, Neap-spring and Tidal Variation of Cohesive Sediment Concentration in the Scheldt Estuary, Belgium, Estuarine, Coast. Shelf Sci., 47, 21–36, https://doi.org/10.1006/ecss.1998.0338, 1998.
Fettweis, M., Monbaliu, J., Baeye, M., Nechad, B., and Van den Eynde, D.: Weather and climate induced spatial variability of surface suspended particulate matter concentration in the North Sea and the English Channel, Methods in Oceanography, 3–4, 25–39, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mio.2012.11.001, 2012.
Fontugne, M. R. and Jouanneau, J.-M.: Modulation of the particulate organic carbon flux to the ocean by a macrotidal estuary: Evidence from measurements of carbon isotopes in organic matter from the Gironde system. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci., 24, 377–387, 1987.
Garel, E., Nunes, S., Neto, J. M., Fernandes, R., Neves, R., Marques, J. C., and Ferreira, O.: The autonomous Simpatico system for real-time continuous water-quality and current velocity monitoring: examples of application in three Portuguese estuaries, Geo-Mar. Lett., 29, 331–341, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-009-0147-5, 2009.
Grabemann, I. and Krause, G.: Response of the turbidity maximum in the Weser Estuary to pulses in freshwater runoff and to storms, Phys. Est. Coast. Seas, edited by: Dronkers, J. and Scheffers, M., 83–92, 1998.
Grabemann, I. and Krause, G.: On Different Time Scales of Suspended Matter Dynamics in the Weser Estuary, Estuaries, 24, 688–698, 2001.
Grabemann, I., Uncles, R. J., Krause, G., and Stephens, J. A.: Behaviour of Turbidity Maxima in the Tamar (U.K.) and Weser (F.R.G.) Estuaries, Estuarine, Coast. Shelf Sci., 45, 235–246, https://doi.org/10.1006/ecss.1996.0178, 1997.
Guézennec, L., Lafite, R., Dupont, J. P., Meyer, R., and Boust, D.: Hydrodynamics of Suspended Particulate Matter in the Tidal Freshwater Zone of a Macrotidal Estuary (The Seine Estuary, France), Estuaries, 22, 717–727, https://doi.org/10.2307/1353058, 1999.
Hendrickx, F. and Sauquet, E.: Impact of warming climate on water management for the Ariège River basin (France), Hydrol. Sci. J., 58, 976–993, https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2013.788790, 2013.
Jay, D. A. and Musiak, J. D.: Particle trapping in estuarine tidal flows, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 20445–20461, 1994.
Klein, M.: Anti closckwise hysteresis in suspended sediment concentration during individual storms: Holbeck Catchment, Yorkshire, England, Catena, 11, 251–257, 1984.
Lanoux, A., Etcheber, H., Schmidt, S., Sottolichio, A., Chabaud, G., Richard, M., and Abril, G.: Factors contributing to hypoxia in a highly turbid, macrotidal estuary (the Gironde, France), Environ. Sci. Proc. Imp., 15, 585–595, https://doi.org/10.1039/c2em30874f, 2013.
López-Tarazón, J. A., Batalla, R. J., Vericat, D., and Francke, T.: Suspended sediment transport in a highly erodible catchment: The River Isábena (Southern Pyrenees), Geomorphology, 109, 210–221, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.03.003, 2009.
Mazzega, P., Therond, O., Debril, T., March, H., Sibertin-Blanc, C., Lardy, R., and Sant'ana, D.: Critical multi-level governance issues of integrated modelling: An example of low-water management in the Adour-Garonne basin (France), J. Hydrol., 519, 2515–2526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.09.043, 2014.
Mitchell, S.: Turbidity maxima in four macrotidal estuaries, Ocean Coast. Manage., 79, 62–69, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2012.05.030, 2013.
Mitchell, S., Akesson, L., and Uncles, R.: Observations of turbidity in the Thames Estuary, United Kingdom, Water Environ. J., 26, 511–520. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-6593.2012.00311.x, 2012.
Mitchell, S. B. and Uncles, R. J.: Estuarine sediments in macrotidal estuaries: Future research requirements and management challenges, Ocean and Coastal Management, 79, 97–100, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2012.05.007, 2013.
Pontee, N., Whitehead, P., and Hayes, C.: The effect of freshwater flow on siltation in the Humber Estuary, north east UK, Estuarine, Coast. Shelf Sci., 60, 241–249, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2004.01.002, 2004.
Romaña, A.: Estuaire de la Gironde. Campagnes "Libellule", Distribution longitudinale des paramètres mesurés et calculés, Tech. rep., Rapport Ifremer, Dépt. Env. Litt. et Gest. du Milieu Marin, 1983.
Saari, H. K., Schmidt, S., Castaing, P., Blanc, G., Sautour, B., Masson, O., and Cochran, J. K.: The particulate 7Be/210Pbxs and 234Th/210Pbxs activity ratios as tracers for tidal-to seasonal particle dynamics in the Gironde estuary (France): Implications for the budget of particle-associated contaminants, Science of the Total Environment, 408, 4784–4794, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.07.017, 2010.
Schmidt, S., Ouamar, L., Cosson, B., Lebleu, P., and Derriennic, H.: Monitoring turbidity as a surrogate of suspended particulate load in the Gironde Estuary: The impact of particle size on concentration estimates, ISOBAY 2014, abstract book, p. 17, 2014.
Schrottke, K., Becker, M., Bartholomä, A., Flemming, B. W., and Hebbeln, D.: Fluid mud dynamics in the Weser estuary turbidity zone tracked by high-resolution side-scan sonar and parametric sub-bottom profiler, Geo-Mar. Lett., 26, 185–198, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-006-0027-1, 2006.
Schuttelaars, H. M., de Jonge, V. N., and Chernetsky, A.: Improving the predictive power when modelling physical effects of human interventions in estuarine systems, Ocean Coast. Manage., 79, 70–82, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2012.05.009, 2013.
Sottolichio, A. and Castaing, P.: A synthesis on seasonal dynamics of highly-concentrated structures in the Gironde estuary, Comptes Rendus de l'Academie de Sciences – Serie IIa: Sciences de la Terre et des Planetes, 329, 795–800, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1251-8050(00)88634-6, 1999.
Sottolichio, A., Castaing, P., Etcheber, H., Maneux, E., Schmeltz, M., and Schmidt, S.: Observations of suspended sediment dynamics in a highly turbid macrotidal estuary, derived from continuous monitoring, J. Coast. Res., SI64, 1579–1583, 2011.
StataCorp: Stata Statistical Software: Release 12, 2011.
Talke, S. A., de Swart, H. E., and Schuttelaars, H. M.: Feedback between residual circulations and sediment distribution in highly turbid estuaries: An analytical model, Cont. Shelf Res., 29, 119–135, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2007.09.002, 2009.
Uncles, R. J., Easton, A. E., Griffiths, M. L., Harris, C., Howland, R. J. M., King, R. S., Morris, A. W., and Plummer, D. H.: Seasonality of the Turbidity Maximum in the Humber Ouse Estuary, UK, Marine Poll. Bull., 37, 206–215, 1998.
Uncles, R. J., Stephens, J. A., and Smith, R. E.: The dependence of estuarine turbidity on tidal intrusion length, tidal range and residence time, Cont. Shelf Res., 22, 1835–1856, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0278-4343(02)00041-9, 2002.
Uncles, R. J., Stephens, J. A., and Law, D. J.: Turbidity maximum in the macrotidal, highly turbid Humber Estuary, UK: Flocs, fluid mud, stationary suspensions and tidal bores, Est. Coast. Shelf Sci., 67, 30–52, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2005.10.013, 2006.
Uncles, R. J., Stephens, J. A., and Harris, C.: Towards predicting the influence of freshwater abstractions on the hydrodynamics and sediment transport of a small, strongly tidal estuary: The Devonshire Avon, Ocean Coast. Manage., 79, 83–96, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2012.05.006, 2013.
Williams, G. P.: Sediment concentration versus water discharge during single hydrologic events in rivers, J. Hydrol., 111, 89–106, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(89)90254-0, 1989.
Winterwerp, J. C. and Wang, Z. B.: Man-induced regime shifts in small estuaries – I: theory, Ocean Dynam., 63, 1279–1292, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-013-0662-9, 2013.
Yang, Y., Li, Y., Sun, Z., and Fan, Y.: Suspended sediment load in the turbidity maximum zone at the Yangtze River Estuary: The trends and causes, J. Geograph. Sci., 24, 129–142, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-014-1077-3, 2013.
Short summary
This study aims to analyse for the first time suspended sediment dynamics in the fluvial Gironde through a unique set of a 10-year continuous turbidity record. We demonstrate the following: the interest of turbidity-discharge hysteresis loops to evaluate the presence of sediment depositions; the relationships between features of the turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) and river flow; and the definition of hydrological indicators of the persistence and concentration of the TMZ.
This study aims to analyse for the first time suspended sediment dynamics in the fluvial Gironde...