For the first time, the analysis of historical salinity data and new current series is combined with high resolution numerical simulations, with the aim of understanding the processes that occur in the active and important Río de la Plata estuary (South America). With that objective, the first relatively long ADCP current series collected in two points of the estuary are analyzed. Only 25% of the currents variance is accounted by the tide. Approximately another 25% is associated with internal wave activity at the sampling locations, where a strong stratification exists. These waves are forced by land-sea breeze and tide and are very frequent during spring and summer. The remaining 50% of the energy is wind driven and occurs in synoptic to intra-seasonal... |