Tides in the Sea of Okhotsk

Abstract

Eight major tidal constituents in the Sea of Okhotsk have been investigated using a numerical solution of tidal equations on a 5′ space grid. The tides are dominated by the diurnal constituents. Diurnal tidal currents are enhanced in Shelikhov Bay and Penzhinskaya Cuba, at Kashevarov Bank, in proximity to the Kuril Islands and at a few smaller locations. The major energy sink for diurnal tides (over 60% of the total energy) is Shelikhov Bay and Penzhinskaya Guba. The major portion of semidiurnal tide energy is dissipated in the northwestern region of the Sea of Okhotsk and in Shelikhov Bay and Penzhinskaya Guba. Nonlinear interactions of diurnal currents are investigated through K1 and O1 constituent behavior over Kashevarov Bank. These interactions generate residual circulation of the order of 10 cm s-1, major oscillations at semidiurnal and fortnightly periods (13.66 days), and higher harmonics of basic tidal periods. The M2 tidal current, caused by the nonlinear interaction of the diurnal constituents over Kashevarov Bank, constitutes approximately a half of the total M2 tide current there. The fortnightly current, through nonlinear interactions, also influences basic diurnal tidal currents by inducing fortnightly variations in the amplitude of these currents.