Articulos Cientificos

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    Tidal and residual dynamics in an Inland Sea fjord system
    (Journal of Marine Systems, 2026-07) Higueras Sepúlveda, Joan Manuel; Cáceres, Mario A.; Valle-Levinson, Arnoldo
    Velocity measurements were collected to characterize the transverse flow structure of five across-channel circuits in the inland sea of Northern Chilean Patagonia. Current profiles were recorded with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) during repeated transects in each circuit, spanning a semidiurnal tidal cycle. Tidal current amplitudes increased southward as cross-sections became narrower and shallower. An analytical model adequately replicated the main features of tidal currents in three frictionally dominated transects in the Huemules and Quesahuén circuits. The observed residual flow patterns in the northern circuits varied from a twolayer quasi-geostrophic pattern in the Moraleda-Refugio and Del Medio passage to a three-layer pattern in Moraleda-Tuap, and to a laterally sheared pattern in southern circuits (Huemules and Quesahuén). The observed patterns showed similarities to other estuaries, but in fjords a three-layer residual flow is more common due to greater depth. A southward decrease in Kelvin (Ke) and Richardson (Ri) numbers suggested more influence of rotational effects and stratification in the northern transects, whereas a southward increase of the Ekman number (Ek) suggested an enhancement of frictional effects in the southern circuits. Across-channel dynamic balance in northern circuits was quasi-geostrophic and influenced by advection, whereas southern circuits were ageostrophic and dominated by friction. By applying estuarine circulation concepts to tidal and residual dynamics, this work revealed the transition from deep, wide, rotation-influenced northern fjords to narrow, shallow, friction-dominated southern passages. Most of the concepts of estuarine dynamics for plain, shallow estuaries applied to this fjord system.