Hydrodynamic observations from the Magdalena River Estuary during low-discharge conditions (March 2020)

Description

This repository contains hydrodynamic observations collected in the Magdalena River Estuary (Colombia) during a 25-hour field campaign conducted on 14–15 March 2020 under low-discharge conditions (~3000 m³ s⁻¹), when a persistent salt wedge occupied the estuary. The dataset includes: (i) cross-sectionally averaged measurements of velocity, salinity, and density along two transverse sections located 3.4 km (X1) and 2.4 km (X2) upstream from the river mouth; (ii) longitudinal salinity surveys along the estuarine thalweg; and (iii) water-level records from two fixed stations located 8.2 km (X0) and 1.6 km (X3) upstream from the river mouth. The observations characterize the vertical and longitudinal structure of the salt wedge and provide information on the temporal variability associated with the tidal cycle. These data can be used for studies of estuarine circulation, stratification, salt transport, mixing processes, and momentum balance analyses, as well as for numerical model calibration and validation. The dataset was acquired within the framework of research project 64683 (Contract No. 145-2019), funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Colombia (MINCIENCIAS). The repository contains the following three files in MATLAB (.mat) format: 1. VelX_Dens_Sal_march2020_transv_sections.mat This file contains cross-sectionally averaged profiles of along-channel velocity, salinity, and density measured at two transects (X1 and X2) upstream from the river mouth. Velocity data were obtained using a Teledyne RiverPro 1200 kHz ADCP, while salinity and temperature profiles were measured with a SonTek CastAway CTD and converted to density using TEOS-10 routines. Variables included: - Velx_X1, Velx_X2: along-channel velocity profiles (m s⁻¹). - Sal_X1, Sal_X2: salinity profiles (g kg⁻¹). - Dens_X1, Dens_X2: density profiles (kg m⁻³). - Time_ADCP_X1, Time_ADCP_X2: ADCP measurement times. - Time_CTD_X1, Time_CTD_X2: CTD measurement times. - Z: vertical coordinate (m). 2. Long_sal_trans_HW_LW.mat This file contains longitudinal salinity sections surveyed along the estuarine thalweg during near-high-water (HW) and near-low-water (LW) conditions. These observations describe the longitudinal extent and geometry of the salt wedge. Variables included: - Dist_HW, Dist_LW: along-channel distance grids. - Dep_HW, Dep_LW: depth grids. - Sal_HW, Sal_LW: salinity fields (g kg⁻¹). 3. WaterLevel_march2020_X0_X3.mat This file contains water-level records from stations X0 and X3 operated by the Colombian Maritime Authority (DIMAR). Both records are referenced to the same vertical datum. Variables included: - Time_wl: observation times. - wl_X0: water level at station X0 (m). - wl_X3: water level at station X3 (m).

Steps to reproduce

No additional steps are required to reproduce the dataset. The files are provided in MATLAB (.mat) format and can be directly loaded into MATLAB or compatible software.

Institutions

• Universidad del Norte

  Atlántico, Barranquilla
• Universidad Nacional de Colombia

  Bogota D.C., Bogotá

Categories

Funders

• Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación

  Bogotá

  Grant ID: Project 64683 (Contract No. 145-2019)

Licence