The effects of channels and shoals on exchange between the Chesapeake Bay and the adjacent ocean

The role of bathymetric changes in determining the transport of water and salt in the lower Chesapeake Bay was investigated using high-resolution acoustic Doppler current profiler and conductivity-temperature-depth profiles. The results differ from the classical two-layer pattern of estuarine circulation modified by Coriolis effects but are consistent with recent hydrographic observations. Semidiurnal flow was highest over the navigational channels, and lateral gradients were strongest in regions of sharp bathymetric changes. The depth-averaged mean longitudinal flow consisted of inflow in the navigational channels and outflow over the shoals. The mean transverse flow showed near-surface convergence over the channels. -from Authors