The Pattern of Caspian Sea Water Penetration Into Anzali Wetland: Introduction of a Salt Wedge

Measuring salinity of water at different depths along six transacts at the mouth of the wetland and along five tributaries connecting the wetland to the sea the extent of Caspian Sea penetration into Anzali Wetland was determined. The results demonstrated a depth-dependent salinity gradient extending up to ۱۰ kilometres into the wetland. A pattern of saltwater and freshwater interface is presented and the role of this interface in enhancing sedimentation is discussed.   REFERENCES Acha, E. M., Mianzan, H. W., Iribarne O, Gagliardini, D. A., Lasta, C. and Daleo, P. (۲۰۰۳) The role of the Rio de la Plata bottom salinity front in accumulating debris. Marine Pollution Bulletin ۴۶, ۱۹۷- ۲۰۲.  Duck, R. W., and McManus, J. (۲۰۰۳) The effects of frontal systems on mixing in estuaries. ECSA ۸ Mixing/Modelling. ۶, ۱۵۱- ۱۵۵. Duck, R. W. and Wewetzer, S. F. K. (۲۰۰۱). Impact of frontal systems on estuarine sediment and pollutant dynamics. The Science of the Total Environment ۲۶۶, ۲۳- ۳۱. Dumont. H. (۱۹۹۵) Ecocide in the Caspian Sea. Nature, ۳۷۷, ۱۷۶- ۱۸۰. Dyer, K. R. (۱۹۹۴) Estuarine sediment transport and deposition. In K. Pye (Ed.) Sediment Transport and Depositional Processes, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, ۱۹۳- ۲۱۸. Kosarev, A. N. and Yablonskaya, E. A. (۱۹۹۴) The Caspian Sea. SPB Academic, The Netherlands. pp. ۳۷- ۶۲. Mason, C. F. (۱۹۹۴) Biology of Freshwater Pollution. Longman Scientific & Technical. pp. ۹۵- ۱۲۳. Pritchard, D. W. ( ۱۹۶۷) Estuaries: Sediment transport and sedimentation in estuaries. In G.H. Lauff (Ed.) Estuaries, American Association for the Advancement of Science, pp. ۱۵۸- ۱۷۹. Reeves A. D. and Duck, R. W. (۲۰۰۱). Density fronts: Sieves in the estuarine sediment transfer system? Physics and Chemistry of the Earth ۲۶, ۸۹- ۹۲. Shantia, H. (۱۹۸۹) Effects of Caspian sea level on Anzali wetland ecosystem (in Farsi).. Proc. Caspian Sea Level Expansion Seminar. Ramsar, July ۱۹۸۹. pp.۱۴۱- ۱۴۲. Sharifi, M. (۱۹۸۹) Summer Release of Phosphate in Anzali Wetland. In the proceedings of the sixth Chemical and Chemical Engineering, Rasht. pp. ۴۳- ۴۴. Sharifi, M. (۱۹۹۰) Assessment of Surface Water Quality by an Index System in Anzali Basin. In The Hydrological Basis for Water Resources Management. Ed Shamir, U., and Jiaqi, C. Institute of Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK. IAHS Press. pp. ۱۶۳- ۱۷۱. Simpson, J. H. and Nunes, R. A., (۱۹۸۱) The tidal intrusion front: An estuarine convergence zone. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science ۱۳, ۲۵۷- ۲۶۶. Simpson, J. H., and Turrell, W. R. (۱۹۸۶). Convergent fronts in the circulation of tidal estuaries. In D. A. Wolfe (Ed.) Estuarine Variability, Academic Press, New York, pp. ۱۳۹-۱۳۲.

Keywords:

Anzali Wetland , Caspian Sea , Frontal Systems , Point Source Pollution , Salt Water Interface