Description
Return tidal prism and a freshwater-adjusted volume term.
Aquatic concentration and exchange calculations require a defined water-volume basis and compatible time intervals. An areal inventory differs from total mass, and linear endmember fractions may lie outside physical mixture bounds. Simple volume bookkeeping does not establish real mixing, residence time or chemical transformation.
Return tidal prism and a freshwater-adjusted volume term.
When to use this tool
Use Estuary Tidal Prism Volume Term when checking the stated concentration, inventory, mixture or exchange basis.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter highWaterVolume, lowWaterVolume, freshwaterInflow. Use the units and conventions below.
- Run the tool. Correct any format, range, or cross-field input error before interpreting the output.
- Read tidalPrism, fractionExchanged, adjustedMarineExchange. Use the output convention below.
Return tidal prism and a freshwater-adjusted volume term. Require highWaterVolume > 0, low volume within it and freshwaterInflow >= 0; prism = high-low, exchanged fraction = prism/high, adjustedMarineExchange = prism-freshwater.1
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| highWaterVolume | High Water Volume | Required. Finite number; strictly above 0. |
| lowWaterVolume | Low Water Volume | Required. Finite number; minimum 0. |
| freshwaterInflow | Freshwater volume during the same interval as the prism, rather than a raw flow rate. | Required. Finite number; minimum 0. |
| Output field | Interpretation | Returned shape |
|---|---|---|
| tidalPrism | Tidal Prism | Required. Finite number. |
| fractionExchanged | Fraction Exchanged | Required. Finite number. |
| adjustedMarineExchange | Adjusted Marine Exchange | Required. Finite number. |
{
"input": {
"highWaterVolume": 1000,
"lowWaterVolume": 700,
"freshwaterInflow": 50
},
"output": {
"tidalPrism": 300,
"fractionExchanged": 0.3,
"adjustedMarineExchange": 250
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- Freshwater input must be volume over the same interval, not a raw flow rate; negative adjusted terms are retained and complete estuarine exchange is not modeled.
- Inputs must satisfy both the field types and the cross-field conditions above. Invalid input causes an error; a successful false flag or documented placeholder is a different result.
- Numeric calculations use binary floating point unless exact decimal-integer arithmetic is explicitly stated. No hidden measurement tolerance or decimal rounding is added; nonfinite or out-of-contract results are rejected. Numeric signed-zero results are exported as zero.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use calibrated chemical measurements and a suitable complete mass-balance or transport model for actual water quality, exchange and ecological inference.
References
Similar or alternative tools
- Tank Exchange Fraction Per Cycle
Return retained original water under an exchange policy.
- Pond Salinity Mixing One Inflow
Return additive-volume pond/inflow salinity mixing.