Model results indicate that Urias coastal lagoon hydrodynamics
is governed by astronomical tides, topography and salinity gradients.
Due to the narrowness of the upper lagoon, especially the
creeks, wind speed does not contribute substantially to the circulation.
Simulations showed a strong salinity gradient, decreasing
from the upper estuary to the port entrance. This anti-estuarine
behavior is due to the absence of fresh-water supply in the upper
estuary and to a high evapotranspiration, especially in the warmest
months. Our results indicate that, following Largier et al. (1996) and
Valle-Levinson (2010), the Urias coastal lagoon could be classified
as a hypersaline-thermal and inverse estuary.