Effects of mean and tidal current interaction on the tidally induced residual current.

Abstract

A weakly nonlinear depth dependent tidal model has been developed to study the effects of mean and tidal current interation on the tidally induced residual current. The model is applied to the northern and southern sides of Georges Bank. The weakly nonlinear approximation is reasonable for the southern section, but only marginally applicable to the deep water area of the northern section. For the depth averaged tidal current, only the amplitudes of the along isobath component are significantly affected by the interaction. The effects on the amplitudes decrease from the surface. For the cross isobath tidal current, its changes in the upper portion of the water collumn generally correspond positively with the change in the along isobath tidal current, and those in the lower portion correspond negatively. (from authors' abstract)