Chapters authored
Weather, Hydrological and Oceanographic Conditions of the Northern Coast of the Río de la Plata Estuary during ENSO 2009–2010
Climatic, hydrological, and oceanographic conditions were determined during the 2009–2010 El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the north coast of the Río de la Plata (RdlP) estuary. The maximum monthly rainfall was observed in the middle and upper La Plata basin during September 2009 and February 2010 (“El Niño” phase, (EN)). The monthly flow of RdlP showed an increase with rainfall and significant differences between ENSO phases. The wind stress showed fluctuations in both phases, being less intense during EN, during which time maximum flow of RdlP was observed. During the EN phase, increased precipitation contributed to variations in salinity and absence of water column stratification in the north coast of RdlP. This was also associated with variations in Secchi depth, oxygen saturation, and nutrient concentrations. The spatial location of the turbidity front was associated with the flow of the RdlP and wind stress, thus conditioning the physicochemical characteristics of the water column, mainly during EN phase.
Part of the book: Estuary
Climate Risks and Reasons for Concern along the Uruguayan Coast of the Rio de la Plata Estuary
The Uruguayan coast of the Río de la Plata river estuary (RdlP) is 300 km long. It encompasses an inner tidal river and a middle and an outer estuary. The RdlP is a micro-tidal system dominated by river inflow from the Paraná and Uruguay rivers and southern winds with increasingly frequent wind-induced storm surges impacting the coast. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation influences the river inflow, prevailing winds, water/sea level and beach erosion. First, we focus on the IPCC Reasons for Concern (RFC) about the trends of climate risks threatening the Uruguayan coast. The trends and maxima of air temperature, water/sea levels and river inflow in three coastal stations from 1980 to 2019 show temporal changes attributable to climate change and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The occurrence, evolution and Montecarlo simulations of return periods of the yearly river flow and sea level height maxima provide metrics of RFC to categorise the climate risks from past to projected future and the level of risk from undetectable to very high. Then, we summarise some current and expected climate risks and present the current adaptation framework and some expected impacts. The RFC has increased, reaching moderate to high-risk levels.
Part of the book: Estuary Research