TY - JOUR T1 - Intratidal and Subtidal Circulation in a Tropical Estuary during Wet Season: The Maroni, French Guiana A1 - Ross,Lauren A1 - Sottolichio,Aldo A1 - Maury,Tanguy A1 - Lesourd,Sandric A1 - Gardel,Antoine AD - Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA AD - CNRS EPOC Laboratory, University of Bordeaux, 33615 Pessac, France AD - USR LEEISA, CNRS, Ifremer, University of Guyane, 97300 Cayenne, French Guiana AD - UMR 6143 M2C, University of Caen-Normandie, 14000 Caen, France UR - https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00594/70588/ DO - 10.3390/jmse7120433 KW - tropical estuary KW - subtidal flow KW - wet season KW - wind-driven flow KW - channel curvature N2 - Observations of water level, current velocity, river discharge, wind and salinity were collected in the Maroni estuary, on the border of French Guiana and Suriname during the wet season of 2018 to explore subtidal circulation patterns. Measurements are complimented by the application of analytical models with an aim to diagnose forcing mechanisms responsible for producing subtidal flows during the day of data collection and to extrapolate these findings to other time periods with variable wind and river forcing. Subtidal along-channel flows were found to be dominated by river discharge, with seaward directed velocities found throughout the channel section reaching 40 cm s −1 . This pattern was altered with strong southwesterly winds, which produced and inverse gravitational circulation pattern despite the elevated river discharge. Secondary, or cross-channel flows, displayed a three-layer vertical structure in the main channel due to a combination of channel curvature and tidal asymmetry in the lateral baroclinic pressure gradient. The pressure gradient was produced by a salinity intrusion front that only manifested in the channel during flood tide. This is the first comprehensive study of tidal and subtidal flow dynamics in the Maroni estuary. Y1 - 2019/12 PB - MDPI AG JF - Journal Of Marine Science And Engineering SN - 2077-1312 VL - 7 IS - 12 ID - 70588 ER -