Abstract
The connection between the ocean and the land is made possible thanks to rivers, which are a vital component of the Earth's system. They govern the hydrological and biogeochemical contributions to the coastal ocean through surface and subsurface water discharge and influence local circulation and the distribution of water masses, modulating processes such as upwelling and mixing. This paper provides an overview of recent approaches to representing coastal river discharges and processes in operational ocean forecasting systems (OOFSs), with a particular focus on estuaries. The methods discussed include those currently adopted in coarse-resolution ocean forecasting systems, where mixing processes are primarily parameterized, as well as more advanced modelling and coupling approaches tailored to high-resolution coastal systems. A review of river data availability is also presented, illustrating various sources of freshwater discharge and salinity, from observational data to climatological datasets, alongside operational river discharge products that enhance the representation of water discharges in operational systems. New satellite-derived datasets and emerging river modelling techniques are also introduced. In addition, responses from a survey of existing OOFS providers are synthetized, with a focus on how river forcing is treated, from global to coastal scales. Challenges such as data accuracy, standardization, and model coupling are discussed, highlighting the need for improved interfaces between monitoring and modelling systems. Finally, some recommendations and ways forward are formulated in relation to identified limitations in current OOFSs.
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