Radium isotopes assess water mixing processes and its application in the Zhujiang River estuary

Xiaoyi Guo; Bochao Xu; Zhigang Yu; Xiuqin Li; Haiming Nan; Huimin Jian; Xueyan Jiang; Shaobo Diao; Maosheng Gao

doi:10.1007/s00343-017-6069-6

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Radium isotopes assess water mixing processes and its application in the Zhujiang River estuary

Updated：2023-05-16

- Radium isotopes assess water mixing processes and its application in the Zhujiang River estuary
- Journal of Oceanology and Limnology Vol. 35, Issue 5, Pages: 1108-1116(2017)
- Affiliations：
  
  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology Ministry of Education Ocean University of China
  2. Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology
  3. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Ocean University of China
  4. South China Sea Environmental Monitoring Center State Oceanic Administration
  5. Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology
- Author bio：
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s00343-017-6069-6
  CLC：
- Online First：01 October 2016，
  
  Published：2017
- Accepted：
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Guo, X., Xu, B., Yu, Z. et al. Radium isotopes assess water mixing processes and its application in the Zhujiang River estuary., Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 35, 1108–1116 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-017-6069-6
DOI：

Guo, X., Xu, B., Yu, Z. et al. Radium isotopes assess water mixing processes and its application in the Zhujiang River estuary., Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 35, 1108–1116 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-017-6069-6 DOI：

摘要

Abstract

Radium (Ra) isotopes are useful for tracing water mass transport and examining estuarine hydrological dynamics. In this study

several hydrological parameters

nutrients

chlorophyll-a (chl-a)

suspended particulate matter (SPM) and Ra isotopes (223Ra

224Ra and 226Ra) of surface waters of the Zhujiang (Pearl) River estuary (ZRE) were measured. This was done for both winter (December) and summer (July) seasons

to quantitatively understand the seasonal characteristics of river plume flow rate and trajectories

as well as the ecological response. The results show that Ra concentrations in summer were higher than in winter

especially 224Ra (about 2–5 times higher). The spatial distribution of three Ra isotopes and relative Ra water ages indicated that river water mainly flushed out of ZRE through the western side in winter

where the water transport was about 5 days faster than in the eastern zone. In summer

diluted river water expended to the east side

resulting in fairly similar water ages for both sides of the river mouth. Although nutrients were higher during the summer season

lower chl-a concentrations indicated that reduced primary production might be caused by high SPM (low light penetration). The results obtained from this study will provide knowledge needed for effectively developing and managing the ZRE.

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references

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