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The Fisher-Shannon (FS) information plane, defined by the Fisher information measure (FIM) and the Shannon entropy power (NX), was robustly used to investigate the complex dynamics of eight monthly streamflow time series in Colombia. In the FS plane the streamflow series seem to aggregate into two different clusters corresponding to two different climatological regimes in Colombia. Our findings suggest the use of the statistical quantity defined by the FS information plane as a tool to discriminate among different hydrological regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bahía Blanca estuary is a complex system of channels and tidal flats where the most important deep water harbour system of Argentina is located. The main goal of the present work was to obtain a hydrodynamic conceptual model for the Bahía Blanca coastal area. For this reason, a combined analysis of observed data and numerical modelling has been performed for the whole area. The gained knowledge on the system hydrodynamics could aid in the decision support for navigation security, waste water discharges management, sediment dredging and rejection operations among other applications. Due to the Bahía Blanca coastal vast area, hydrodynamic observations are scarce and located near the populated areas. In order to describe the hydrodynamics of such a complex and large system, the analysed tidal and current data from different periods have been completed through numerical modelling. Data analysis served to determine the main processes governing the Bahía Blanca hydrodynamics, to characterise the area using general descriptors, to provide inputs for the numerical model and to aid in evaluating its performance. In addition, a 2-dimensional application was set up using the MOHID water modelling system for the Bahía Blanca estuary. This application aimed to gain a better understanding of the system dynamics, to explain and test the consistency of the observed data and to reproduce the processes taking place. Model results were in good agreement with the analysed data and served to confirm an inconsistency found on the sea level observations. The combination of both methodologies served to further describe the hydrodynamic processes governing this coastal area and also to obtain a conceptual model for the water and property circulation in the Bahía Blanca estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study we compare performances of the prediction of hourly tidal level variations at Puerto Belgrano, a coastal site in the Bahia Blanca Estuary (Argentina), by means of the MOHID model, which is a numerical model designed for coastal and estuarine shallow water applications, and of an artificial neural network (ANN). It was shown that the ANN model is able to predict the hourly tidal levels over long term duration with at least seven days of observations and with a better performance in respect to the numerical model. Our findings can be useful to implement ANN-based tools for future studies of the hydrodynamics of Bahía Blanca estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The management of coastal systems where overlapping economic interests compete for the same resources make the use of integrated approaches indispensable. The Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) focuses mainly on three major goals: (1) overcoming the conflicts associated with the sectorial management, (2) preserving the productivity and biological diversity of coastal systems, and (3) promoting and equitable and sustainable allocation of coastal resources. The DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Responses) framework is a common tool that allows the description of environmental problems by defining the relationships between anthropogenic activities and the environment. In this context, the use of numerical models as integrative tools in ICZM has grown significantly over the years. This work focused on three estuarine systems in South America: Santos estuary (Brazil, 24° S) and Bahía Blanca estuary (Argentina, 39° S) in the Atlantic coast and Aysén fjord (Chile, 45°S) in the Pacific coast. These estuaries differ significantly in their physical, chemical and biological conditions, as well as on their socio-economic settings and human-related problems. Numerical models have been used to study the relation between the pressures derived from human activities and their impact on the state of each system. The results presents a contribute to increase the scientific knowledge needed to support the implementation of local legislations and policies, to assess different scenarios of coastal activities and sources use, to support management decisions and, ultimately, to promote sustainable of coastal resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]