In stratified estuaries susceptible to wind mixing events, the changes in stratification have important implications for estuarine dynamics. Understanding the timescale associated with these mixing events and indirect wind impacts is dependent on estimating the restratification timescale. Bay-wide stratification observations, turbulence time series, and long-term data were examined to quantify the response mechanisms and restratification times in Mobile Bay. Observations showed moderate increases in stratification occurred over 2–3 days after the mixing event and were spatially variable. Turbulence data and model results that further highlight the period of returning stratification had changes in the relative contribution of tidal straining and gravitational exchange for the residual circulation in the estuary. Estimates of dissipation for the two ADVs averaged 2.6–3.1 × 10⁻⁵ m² s⁻³ prior to the mixing event and increased to 1.4–8.5 × 10⁻⁴ m² s⁻³ after the mixing event. These changes showed with increasing stratification; the turbulent dissipation decreased. These results highlight initial high returns in stratification are slowed over time as the exchange and mixing in the bay develop, and stratification returns to its premixed state.

中文翻译：

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浅层高分层河口风混事件后的重新定殖观测

在易受风混合事件影响的分层河口中，分层的变化对河口动力学具有重要意义。了解与这些混合事件和间接风影响相关的时间尺度取决于估计重新定标时间尺度。对海湾范围内的分层观测，湍流时间序列和长期数据进行了检查，以量化莫比尔湾的响应机制和重新定殖时间。观察结果表明，在混合事件发生后的2-3天内，分层发生了中等程度的增加，并且在空间上有所变化。进一步强调返回分层期的湍流数据和模型结果改变了潮汐应变和重力交换对河口残余循环的相对贡献。。6–3 。在混合事件之前为1×10 ^-5  m ²  s ^-3，并增加到1 。4-8 。混合事件后5×10 ^-4  m ²  s ^-3。这些变化随着分层的增加而显示。湍流耗散降低。这些结果表明，随着海湾中交换和混合的发展，分层的初始高收益随着时间的流逝而减慢，并且分层返回到其预混合状态。