Physics of transport in the oligohaline reach of the Delaware Estuary

Physics of transport in the oligohaline reach of the Delaware Estuary | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Physics of transport in the oligohaline reach of the Delaware Estuary Philip J Duzinski, Robert Chant This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4889233/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 16 Apr, 2025 Read the published version in Estuaries and Coasts → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract A study of transport mechanisms in the oligohaline reach of the Delaware Estuary examines several locations with rapid changes in cross-sectional area that increase the horizontal salinity gradient, the exchange flow, and the upstream salt flux. This study is motivated by the proximity of municipal drinking water intakes upstream of the oligohaline range of the estuary, which can advance to just below the City of Philadelphia during low flow events. A Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) numerical model was used to analyze the potential mechanisms of dispersion in the tidal Delaware River. While the model domain is largely within the tidal-fresh upper estuary, the domain below Philadelphia becomes oligohaline during low-flow events. Results found that landward transport of salt is facilitated by a combination of steady vertical shear dispersion and tidal oscillatory salt flux, with the latter becoming increasingly important approaching the upstream extent of salt intrusion. Frontogenesis is also an important intrusion mechanism in the vicinity of specific bathymetric features. Moreover, the tidal advection of these fronts produces strong lateral gradients that drive secondary flows and produce stronger tidal oscillatory salt flux away from the regions of frontogenesis. Salt intrusion impacts to drinking water supplies Estuarine frontogenesis Tidal density fronts Tidal oscillatory salt flux Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 16 Apr, 2025 Read the published version in Estuaries and Coasts → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Aug, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 18 Aug, 2024 Editor invited by journal 10 Aug, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 10 Aug, 2024 First submitted to journal 10 Aug, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4889233","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":341803710,"identity":"da7475d5-99c4-4519-ac50-4b8b3e12c284","order_by":0,"name":"Philip J Duzinski","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA/0lEQVRIie3PMWsCMRTA8RcePJfDOaLQrxBwEFHwqySLt5RSKMgNHa4Ucl/BQdrP0MU5JdDpcHZw8DhwttDhxia2UJf0HAvNn/Agw4+8AMRifzHOHgwQ+IMgM5DUaSf5GSkdwVYCcCLgCdMgoY2M+o/ulYWddftFLaqn3U0Xcc8+Mhsk49WrIxuLNCiHUq0Pd4QkcFCGidiq3DBtifg1GrW2SiMI7Ol5K0mIp7VRK086x4sIJy7dYrkniWDvehr+y9IRuUmFW2wo5NvBk1sLZZiMeFrtj4vJ7GqZ1r3mfqeei+KlajIeXswP+XM3p2mTIPgmZ30R1vxCYrFY7N/1CcKRVvqh0AMiAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6145-779X","institution":"Philadelphia Water Department","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Philip","middleName":"J","lastName":"Duzinski","suffix":""},{"id":341803711,"identity":"2a287c41-a0da-48c8-a103-3cae0fe84925","order_by":1,"name":"Robert Chant","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Rutgers University: Rutgers The State University of New Jersey","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Robert","middleName":"","lastName":"Chant","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-08-09 22:03:50","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4889233/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4889233/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-025-01532-1","type":"published","date":"2025-04-16T15:57:26+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":81050965,"identity":"abaff711-8ce7-4664-8e67-684f531f88b7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-04-21 16:09:01","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1672965,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Oligohalinesubmission081024.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4889233/v1_covered_3ee36048-8cd3-43d7-b703-db6f29068bc9.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Physics of transport in the oligohaline reach of the Delaware Estuary","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"estuaries-and-coasts","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"esco","sideBox":"Learn more about [Estuaries and Coasts](https://www.springer.com/journal/12237)","snPcode":"12237","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/esco/","title":"Estuaries and Coasts","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Salt intrusion impacts to drinking water supplies, Estuarine frontogenesis, Tidal density fronts, Tidal oscillatory salt flux","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4889233/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4889233/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eA study of transport mechanisms in the oligohaline reach of the Delaware Estuary examines several locations with rapid changes in cross-sectional area that increase the horizontal salinity gradient, the exchange flow, and the upstream salt flux. 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