Regardless of definition, residence time is frequently
compared with biogeochemical timescales to evaluate
the relative importance of physical, biological, and chemical processes in aquatic systems (Vallino and Hopkinson,
1998; Dame, 2012). Residence time can thus be used, for
example, to understand the fate of pollutants (Jonkers
et al., 2005), the modulation of algal growth and loss processes in regulating primary productivity (Lucas and
Thompson, 2012), and nutrient export from estuaries to
the continental shelf (Nixon et al., 1996). In estuaries,
residence time may be influenced by a range of physical
forcings including river flow (Shen and Haas, 2004), tides
(de Brye et al., 2012), and wind stress (Geyer, 1997). The
relative importance of drivers may vary between estuaries
(Geyer et al., 2000), spatially within estuaries (Shen and
Haas, 2004), and over time (de Brauwere et al., 2011).
Although different transport mechanisms can result in
similar residence times, their effects on water quality and
ecosystem function may not be equivalent (Geyer et al.,
2000).
Summary
Residence time is one of several “transport timescales”
that can be estimated to distill hydrodynamic processes
to better understand their importance relative to biological
and chemical processes and their influence on water quality and ecosystem function. Multiple specific definitions
of residence time may be found in the literature, all meant
to generally convey time spent by water (and the particles
and substances carried with it) inside a defined region.
Two of the most commonly employed definitions have
been described herein: (1) the time for a water parcel or
particle to exit a defined water body and (2) the time for
the mass of a scalar or freshwater volume within a water
body to be renewed. Methods for estimating residence
times are highly varied, including field-based (e.g., Geyer,
1997) and numerical (e.g., Delhez et al., 2004)
approaches.
Bibliography
Bolin, B., and Rodhe, H., 1973. A note on the concepts of age distribution and transit time in natural reservoirs. Tellus, 25, 58–62.
Dame, R. F., 2012. Ecology of Marine Bivalves: An Ecosystem
Approach, 2nd edn. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
de Brauwere, A., de Brye, B., Blaise, S., and Deleersnijder, E.,
2011. Residence time, exposure time and connectivity in the
Scheldt Estuary. Journal of Marine Systems, 84, 85–95.
de Brye, B., de Brauwere, A., Gourgue, O., Delhez, E. J. M., and
Deleersnijder, E., 2012. Water renewal timescales in the Scheldt
Estuary. Journal of Marine Systems, 94, 74–86.
Delhez, E. J. M., Heemink, A. W., and Deleersnijder, E., 2004.
Residence time in a semi-enclosed domain from the solution of
an adjoint problem. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 61,
691–702.
Dyer, K. R., 1997. Estuaries: A Physical Introduction. Chichester:
Wiley.
Geyer, W. R., 1997. Influence of wind on dynamics and flushing of
shallow estuaries. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 44,
713–722.
Geyer, W. R., Morris, J. T., Prahl, F. G., and Jay, D. A., 2000. Interaction between physical processes and ecosystem structure:
a comparative approach. In Hobbie, J. E. (ed.), Estuarine
Science: A Synthetic Approach to Research and Practice.
Washington: Island Press, pp. 177–206.
Jonkers, N., Laane, R. W. P. M., de Graaf, C., and de Voogt, P.,
2005. Fate modeling of nonylphenol ethoxylates and their
metabolites in the Dutch Scheldt and Rhine estuaries: validation
with new field data. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 62,
141–160.
Lucas, L. V., Thompson, J. K., 2012. Changing restoration
rules: exotic bivalves interact with residence time and depth to
control phytoplankton productivity. Ecosphere, 3(12), 1–26.
Monsen, N. E., Cloern, J. E., Lucas, L. V., and Monismith, S. G.,
2002. A comment on the use of flushing time, residence time,
and age as transport time scales. Limnology and Oceanography,
47(5), 1545–1553.
Nixon, S. W., Ammerman, J. W., Atkinson, L. P., Berounsky, V. M.,
Billen, G., Boicourt, W. C., Boynton, W. R., Church, T. M., Di
Toro, D. M., Elmgren, R., Garber, J. H., Giblin, A. E., Jahnke,
R. A., Owens, N. J. P., Pilson, M. E. Q., and Seitzinger, S. P.,
1996. The fate of nitrogen and phosphorus at the land-sea margin
of the North Atlantic Ocean. Biogeochemistry, 35, 141–180.
Sheldon, J. E., and Alber, M., 2002. A comparison of residence time
calculations using simple compartment models of the Altamaha
River Estuary, Georgia. Estuaries, 25(6B), 1304–1317.
Sheldon, J. E., and Alber, M., 2006. The calculation of
estuarine turnover times using freshwater fraction and tidal
prism models: a critical evaluation. Estuaries and Coasts,
29(1), 133–146.
Shen, J., and Haas, L., 2004. Calculating age and residence time in
the tidal York River using three-dimensional model experiments.
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 61, 449–461.
Takeoka, H., 1984. Fundamental concepts of exchange and transport time scales in a coastal sea. Continental Shelf Research,
3(3), 311–326.
Vallino, J. J., and Hopkinson, C. S., 1998. Estimation of dispersion
and characteristic mixing times in Plum Island Sound Estuary.
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 46, 333–350.
Zimmerman, J. T. F., 1976. Mixing and flushing of tidal embayments in the western Dutch Wadden Sea Part I: distribution
of salinity and calculation of mixing time scales. Netherlands
Journal of Sea Research, 10(2), 149–191.
Cross-references
Age
Timescale
RESIDUAL CIRCULATION
Geórgenes H. Cavalcante
Institute of Atmospheric Science, Federal University of
Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
Definition
In estuaries residual circulation is defined as the circulation left after removal of the oscillatory tidal component
from the current observations. In practice, this residual
may also include contributions from “rectified” tidal
RESIDUAL CIRCULATION
503
compared with biogeochemical timescales to evaluate
the relative importance of physical, biological, and chemical processes in aquatic systems (Vallino and Hopkinson,
1998; Dame, 2012). Residence time can thus be used, for
example, to understand the fate of pollutants (Jonkers
et al., 2005), the modulation of algal growth and loss processes in regulating primary productivity (Lucas and
Thompson, 2012), and nutrient export from estuaries to
the continental shelf (Nixon et al., 1996). In estuaries,
residence time may be influenced by a range of physical
forcings including river flow (Shen and Haas, 2004), tides
(de Brye et al., 2012), and wind stress (Geyer, 1997). The
relative importance of drivers may vary between estuaries
(Geyer et al., 2000), spatially within estuaries (Shen and
Haas, 2004), and over time (de Brauwere et al., 2011).
Although different transport mechanisms can result in
similar residence times, their effects on water quality and
ecosystem function may not be equivalent (Geyer et al.,
2000).
Summary
Residence time is one of several “transport timescales”
that can be estimated to distill hydrodynamic processes
to better understand their importance relative to biological
and chemical processes and their influence on water quality and ecosystem function. Multiple specific definitions
of residence time may be found in the literature, all meant
to generally convey time spent by water (and the particles
and substances carried with it) inside a defined region.
Two of the most commonly employed definitions have
been described herein: (1) the time for a water parcel or
particle to exit a defined water body and (2) the time for
the mass of a scalar or freshwater volume within a water
body to be renewed. Methods for estimating residence
times are highly varied, including field-based (e.g., Geyer,
1997) and numerical (e.g., Delhez et al., 2004)
approaches.
Bibliography
Bolin, B., and Rodhe, H., 1973. A note on the concepts of age distribution and transit time in natural reservoirs. Tellus, 25, 58–62.
Dame, R. F., 2012. Ecology of Marine Bivalves: An Ecosystem
Approach, 2nd edn. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
de Brauwere, A., de Brye, B., Blaise, S., and Deleersnijder, E.,
2011. Residence time, exposure time and connectivity in the
Scheldt Estuary. Journal of Marine Systems, 84, 85–95.
de Brye, B., de Brauwere, A., Gourgue, O., Delhez, E. J. M., and
Deleersnijder, E., 2012. Water renewal timescales in the Scheldt
Estuary. Journal of Marine Systems, 94, 74–86.
Delhez, E. J. M., Heemink, A. W., and Deleersnijder, E., 2004.
Residence time in a semi-enclosed domain from the solution of
an adjoint problem. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 61,
691–702.
Dyer, K. R., 1997. Estuaries: A Physical Introduction. Chichester:
Wiley.
Geyer, W. R., 1997. Influence of wind on dynamics and flushing of
shallow estuaries. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 44,
713–722.
Geyer, W. R., Morris, J. T., Prahl, F. G., and Jay, D. A., 2000. Interaction between physical processes and ecosystem structure:
a comparative approach. In Hobbie, J. E. (ed.), Estuarine
Science: A Synthetic Approach to Research and Practice.
Washington: Island Press, pp. 177–206.
Jonkers, N., Laane, R. W. P. M., de Graaf, C., and de Voogt, P.,
2005. Fate modeling of nonylphenol ethoxylates and their
metabolites in the Dutch Scheldt and Rhine estuaries: validation
with new field data. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 62,
141–160.
Lucas, L. V., Thompson, J. K., 2012. Changing restoration
rules: exotic bivalves interact with residence time and depth to
control phytoplankton productivity. Ecosphere, 3(12), 1–26.
Monsen, N. E., Cloern, J. E., Lucas, L. V., and Monismith, S. G.,
2002. A comment on the use of flushing time, residence time,
and age as transport time scales. Limnology and Oceanography,
47(5), 1545–1553.
Nixon, S. W., Ammerman, J. W., Atkinson, L. P., Berounsky, V. M.,
Billen, G., Boicourt, W. C., Boynton, W. R., Church, T. M., Di
Toro, D. M., Elmgren, R., Garber, J. H., Giblin, A. E., Jahnke,
R. A., Owens, N. J. P., Pilson, M. E. Q., and Seitzinger, S. P.,
1996. The fate of nitrogen and phosphorus at the land-sea margin
of the North Atlantic Ocean. Biogeochemistry, 35, 141–180.
Sheldon, J. E., and Alber, M., 2002. A comparison of residence time
calculations using simple compartment models of the Altamaha
River Estuary, Georgia. Estuaries, 25(6B), 1304–1317.
Sheldon, J. E., and Alber, M., 2006. The calculation of
estuarine turnover times using freshwater fraction and tidal
prism models: a critical evaluation. Estuaries and Coasts,
29(1), 133–146.
Shen, J., and Haas, L., 2004. Calculating age and residence time in
the tidal York River using three-dimensional model experiments.
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 61, 449–461.
Takeoka, H., 1984. Fundamental concepts of exchange and transport time scales in a coastal sea. Continental Shelf Research,
3(3), 311–326.
Vallino, J. J., and Hopkinson, C. S., 1998. Estimation of dispersion
and characteristic mixing times in Plum Island Sound Estuary.
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 46, 333–350.
Zimmerman, J. T. F., 1976. Mixing and flushing of tidal embayments in the western Dutch Wadden Sea Part I: distribution
of salinity and calculation of mixing time scales. Netherlands
Journal of Sea Research, 10(2), 149–191.
Cross-references
Age
Timescale
RESIDUAL CIRCULATION
Geórgenes H. Cavalcante
Institute of Atmospheric Science, Federal University of
Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
Definition
In estuaries residual circulation is defined as the circulation left after removal of the oscillatory tidal component
from the current observations. In practice, this residual
may also include contributions from “rectified” tidal
RESIDUAL CIRCULATION
503