Author(s): Brian Morse; Danielle Messier; Edward Stander; Tung-Thanh Quach

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: No Keywords

Abstract: Three years of winter process monitoring along a 5.8 km long meso-tidal estuary is presented. The Portneuf Estuary, located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, is bounded upstream by a hydroelectric dam, and empties into theSt. Lawrence at Forrestville, Quebec. While river spring flows and tidally induced flows may reach several hundred m /s, winter water entering the estuary is generally on the order of 20 m3/s. Ice hinges and pressure ridges characterize the estuary. Ice thicknessvaries laterally and is at a minimum in the centre of the channel where snow-ice overlays S1 (and locally S2) ice. Despite the saline environment, virtually all the ice is brine free. Daily ice formation and/or melt appears to be dependent on the temperature of the incoming St. Lawrence waters, the distance from the Portneuf estuary mouth, and tidal range (neap or spring). In turn, the presence of the ice cover attenuates the tidal range and the water flow rates. Velocity profiles are quite uniform over the depth except during the time salt water influx.

DOI:

Year: 2002