Tracer experiments in the Rhine Basin: evaluation of the skewness of observed concentration distributions

This paper shows that by applying Schmid's [Schmid, B.H., 2002. Persistence of skewness in longitudinal dispersion data: can the dead zone model explain it after all?. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering 128 (9), 848-854, September 1, ASCE] approach to the River Rhine and its tributaries Mosel (Germany) and Aare (Switzerland), the observed persistence of the skewness can be reproduced, taking into account the changes in the river topography. Moreover, it is demonstrated that irregularities of the riverbed and banks, and vegetation along the river borders, resulting in 'natural dead zones', contribute to the persistence of the skewness. In addition, the physical processes behind the observed mass-transfer coefficient have been analysed.