Preliminary measurements of turbulence and environmental parameters in a sub-tropical estuary of Eastern Australia

In natural systems, mixing is driven by turbulence, but current knowledge is limited in estuarine zones where predictions of contaminant dispersion are often inaccurate. A series of detailed field studies was conducted in a small sub-tropical creek in eastern Australia. Hydrodynamic, physio-chemical and ecological measurements were conducted simultaneously to assess the complexity of the estuarine zone, notably the interactions between turbulence and environment. The measurements were typically performed at high frequency over a tidal cycle. The results provide an original data set to complement long-term monitoring and a basis for a more detailed study of mixing in sub-tropical systems. Unlike many long-term observations, velocity and water quality scalars were measured herein with sufficient spatial and temporal resolutions to determine quantities of interest in the study of turbulence, while ecological indicators were sampled systematically and simultaneously. In particular the results yielded contrasted outcomes, and the finding impacts on the selection process for key water quality indicators.