About Estuaries - Where Rivers Meet the Sea

	Estuarine Dynamics

Water Depth and Estuary Location

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The Constantly Changing Estuary
Tides Create Cyclical Changes in Estuaries
Classifying Estuaries by Water Circulation
Water Depth and Estuary Location
Weather, Seasons and Climate Create Change in Estuaries

The depth and location of an estuary affects and changes conditions such as temperature and number of organisms present.

Shallow estuarine waters allow great temperature changes. The sun heats up the estuary during the day, and cool waters from rivers and the sea enter the estuary by night. Tides also affect estuarine temperatures. At high tide, the deeper, lower reaches of the estuary remain cool, and only the top layers are heated by the sun. As the tide goes out, heating occurs more rapidly. Some estuarine organisms can withstand the variable estuarine temperatures, while others can not and attempt to escape.

In estuaries in temperate or polar regions there are high temperature differences which can result in a low number or plants and animals. In estuaries in tropical areas, where water temperature is more stable, the number of plants and animals is less affected.

Last Updated on: 05-24-2011