The Río de la Plata Estuary, Argentina-Uruguay

摘要: The Rio de la Plata is an extensive and shallow coastal plain estuary on the western South Atlantic coast (35–36°S). receives freshwater from America’s second largest basin (about 3.2 million km2) through Parana River, one of longest in world, its main tributary, Paraguay Uruguay River. funnel extends for over 280 km head (25 wide), at confluence rivers, to 230-km-wide mouth between Punta Rasa del Este. A submerged shoal, Barra Indio, represents a geomorphological barrier divides into inner outer system (Fig. 13.1). fluvial under strong tidal influence, with depth 1 5 m, about 180 long up 80 wide 13,000 km2. In mixohaline brackish area 22,000 km2, both depths (5–25 m) section width increase concomitantly However, increases 38,000 km2 if based mean position 30 isohaline (Guerrero et al. 1997a,b). limit waters continental shelf depends dynamics estuary. characteristics are large spatial scale occurrence quasi-permanent salt wedge regime, which generates border (bottom surface salinity fronts) plays important role reproductive processes fish species where high zooplankton biomass concentrates.