Vertical structure of tidal currents in the Xuliujing Section of Changjiang River Estuary

Three long-term fixed acoustic Doppler current profilers were first used for investigating the vertical structure of tidal currents in Xuliujing Section of Changjiang River Estuary.Moreover,three different periods(spring,summer and fall)were also considered for investigating seasonal variations.The semi-diurnal tides were the most energetic,with along-channel speed of up to 80 cm/s for M_(2)constituent,which dominates at all stations with percent energy up to 65%–75%during seasons.The shape of tidal ellipses of the most energetic semi-diurnal constituent M_(2)showed obvious polarization of the flow paralleling to the riverbank,with the minor semi-axis being generally less than 20%of the major one.The maximum velocity of mean current is appeared in top layers at all the three stations,and the velocity decreased with the depth.The seasonal variations of direction are also observed,which is probably caused by complex local topography since the erosion and deposition in riverbed.Observed vertical variation of four parameters of M_(2)ellipses,agreed well with the optimally fit frictional solutions in top and middle layers.However,there was an obvious difference between frictional model and observed data in the lower water column.Discrepancies are probably on account of stratification,which strengthens in summer and fall due to the freshening influence of the Changjiang River Estuary outflow.

A study of impact of the reclamation and artificial island projects on tidal currents and sediment concentration in radial sand ridge field of the South Yellow Sea

The two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, MIKE21, is applied to simulate the tidal currents and sediment concentration in the radial sand ridges of the South Yellow Sea. Results are in accordance with in situ observations. Then the variations of tidal currents and suspended sediment concentration caused by reclamation and artificial islands projects are simulated. The results show that the impacts are limited around the project areas. After the projects, the fan-shaped, Jianggang centered tidal current pattern would be replaced by a pattern which is formed by two tidal paths. One locates at the Xiyang channel in north-south direction, and the other locates at the Huangshayang channel in east-west direction. The reclamation of Tiaozini separates the waters into south portion and north portion. The changes of sediment concentrations coincide with those of currents. Both the sediment concentrations and tidal currents increase at the northwest of Dongsha and the south of Gaoni, while both decrease at the north and south of Tiaozini, and the east and southwest of Dongsha.

Variations in tidal currents and suspended sediment concentration of the upper part of the North Channel of Changjiang Estuary over the past 10 years

The tidal current duration （TCD） and velocity （TCV） and suspended sediment concentration （SSC） were measured in the dry season in December, 2011 and in the flood season in June, 2012 at the upper part of the North Channel of Changjiang Estuary. They were assimilated with the measured data in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007, using the tidal range＇s proportion conversion. Variations in TCD and TCV, preferential flow and SSC have been calculated. Influences of typical engineering projects such as Qingcaosha fresh water reservoir, Yangtze River Bridge, and land reclamation on the ebb and flood TCD, TCV and SSC in the North Channel for the last 10 years are discussed. The results show that： （1） currently, in the upper part of North Channel, the ebb tide dominates; after the construction of the typical projects, ebb TCD and TCV tends to be larger and the vertical average ebb and flood SSC decrease during the flood season while SSC increases during the dry season; （2） changes in the vertical average TCV are mainly contributed by seasonal runoff variation during the flood season, which is larger in the flood season than that in the dry season; the controlling parameters of increasing ebb TCD and TCV are those large-scale engineering projects in the North Channel; variation in SSC may result mainly from the reduction of basin annual sediment loads, large-scale nearshore projects and so on.

Numerical simulation of tides, tidal currents and residual currents in the Yellow River estuary

A 3-D Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model was applied in the Bohai Sea,especially near the Yellow River estuary, to simulate the tides, tidal currents, residualcurrents and shear fronts, using unstructured triangular grids. In the case of anaccurate simulation of the tides and tidal currents in the Bohai Sea, this article focuseson the Yellow River mouth. The type of tides is irregular semi-diurnal and the type oftidal currents is the reciprocating flow, mostly parallel to the coastline. The tide inducedeulerian residual currents are a couple of eddies on each side of the river mouth, withthe anticlockwise on the left side and clockwise on the other side, and both of theeddies are enhanced by the Yellow River runoff. Two patterns of shear fronts areidentified at the conversion between the flood and ebb tidal phase. The results suggestthat the shear fronts be generated in the shallow water because the tidal phase of thecoastal area is ahead of the deeper seaward area, then moves seaward and finallydisappears 1-2 hours later.

Surface tidal currents in the open sea area to the east of the Zhoushan Islands measured with high frequency surface wave radar

Based on the quasi-harmonic analysis of 11 d vector ocean currents obtained from two high frequency sur- face wave radars located at Zhujiajian Island and Shengshan Island, the spatial distribution characteristics of surface tidal currents in the open sea area to the east of the Zhoushan Islands of Zhejiang Province, China are studied. The following conclusions are drawn from the analysis： the tidal current pattern in the open sea area to the east of Zhoushan Islands is primarily regular semidiurnal, which is significantly affected by the shallow water constituents. The directions of the major axes of tidal current ellipses of M2 lie approx- imately in the NW-SE direction. With the increasing of distance away from the coast, the directions of the tidal current ellipses gradually shift toward the E-W direction. The tidal currents are mainly reversing cur- rents. The spatial distribution of probable maximum current velocities decreases gradually from northeast to southwest which is basically in accordance with the spatial distribution of measured maximum current velocities. The residual currents near the coast are larger than those far away from the coast. The directions of the residual currents are basically north by east, and the angle to the due north increases gradually with the increasing distance away from the coast. The topography shows a certain impact on the spatial distri- bution of shallow water constituents, the rotation of tidal currents, the probable maximum currents and the residual currents.

Application of adjoint assimilation technique in simulating tides and tidal currents of the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea

Considering the interaction of different tidal waves, an adjoint numerical model is developed to simulate M2, S2, K1 and O1 tidal waves in the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea （B-Y-E） simultaneously. Compared with previous researches, by using the adjoint assimilation technique to inverse open boundary conditions and bottom friction coefficients based on altimetric data from TOPEX/Poseidon （T/P） and tidal gauges data, the precision of the numerical simulation is significantly improved. Selecting 14 days of simulated results after the initial wanning run to conduct harmonic analysis, the results can show the characteristics of M2, S2, K1 and O1 tidal wave systems perfectly in B-Y-E. Compared with 9 current stations, the calculated harmonic constants of tidal currents for M2 and K1 are in good agreement with the observed ones.

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of tides and tidal currents in the Lianzhou Bay and adjacent areas

A 3-D unstructured-grid, finite-volume coastal ocean model （FVCOM） was used to study the tides and tidal currents in the Lianzhou Bay and adjacent areas. The simulation results were in good agreement with observations. The co-tidal maps of K1 , O1 , and M2 indicated that K1 and O1 were mostly standing waves outside the Lianzhou Bay, while M2 had a largely propagating character. However, all three constituents became propagating waves when entering the Lianzhou Bay, due to the shallow waters. The tidal current ellipses showed the characters of K1 , O1 , and M2 constituents： K1 and O1 were rotating outside the bay, but rectilinear along the water channels inside the bay; M2 was mostly rectilinear over the whole area. The tidal-induced residual current shows the flow was divided into two branches by the Guantouling Peninsula： one turned to flow west; the other was blocked by the southern boundary of the peninsula, creating a clockwise circulation. In Lianzhou Bay, there were two circulation systems, a cyclonic one at the top of the bay and an anti-cyclonic at the mouth.

Effect of Distortion Ratio on Local Scour Under Tidal Currents and Waves

Five generalized physical models of different distortion ratios were built according to DOU Guo-ren's similarity theory of total sediment transport modeling for estuarine and coastal regions. Experiments on local scour in front of groins were made under the actions of tidal currents and waves with clear and sediment entraining water. The scour depths under different dynamic actions are compared. The effect of the distortion ratio on the depth of scour hole is discussed. A relationship between scour depths for distorted and undistorted models is given.

A 2D Mathematical Model for Sediment Transport by Waves and Tidal Currents

In this study, the combined actions of waves and tidal currents in estuarine and coastal areas are considered and a 2D mathematical model for sediment transport by waves and tidal currents has been established in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates. Non-equilibrium transport equations of suspended load and bed load are used in the model. The concept of background concentration is introduced, and the formula of sediment transport capacity of tidal currents for the Oujiang River estuary is obtained. The Dou Guoren formula is employed for the sediment transport capacity of waves. Sediment transport capacity in the form of mud and the intensity of back silting are calculated by use of Luo Zaosen＇ s formula. The calculated tidal stages are in good agreement with the field data, and the calculated velocities and flow directions of 46 vertical lines for 8 cross sections are also in good agreement with the measured data. On such a basis, simulations of back silting after excavation of the waterway with a sand bar under complicated boundary conditions in the navigation channel induced by suspended load, bed load and mud by waves and tidal currents are discussed.

Numerical simulation of construction project environmental impact on the tides and tidal currents in Aojiang offshore of Wenzhou

This paper have collected the measured tides and certain tidal current data in different stages of many projects during past three to five years near the Aojiang River. The harmonic method is used to analyze tide and tidal current data observed at five stations in the sea adjacent to Aojiang River. The results show that the tide is mainly regular and semidiumal in the sea near Aojiang of Wenzhou. The tidal amplitudes of M2 constituent are between 170 cm - 193 cm and the lags are between 260~ - 280~, According to the comparison of analytical results of harmonic constants of these stations in 2007, 2010 and 2011, the maximum change of tidal amplitudes and phase-lag range for the main semidiurnal tides （M2, $2, N2）, the diurnal tide （K1, O1） and the shallow water tide （M4, MS4, M6） are 1.8 cm - 4.4 cm and 3~ - 7~, respectively. After analyzing the tide and tidal current characteristics of Aojiang River, this paper uses an unstructured grid and Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model （FVCOM） to test the results of simulation. The simulated results agree well with the measured data. The new shoreline and depth which are produced by the construction projects closed in important major years, and the tide and tidal current field for the new shoreline and depth are constructed, which describe the superimposed influences of construction engineering in Aojiang estuary.

The spatio-temporal variation of wintertime subtidal currents in the western Taiwan Strait

A new data set of observations by six cruises of ship-mounted acoustic doppler current profiler（SADCP） and three 40 d long bottom-mounted ADCPs（BADCPs） is employed to reveal the spatiotemporal variability of tidal and subtidal currents in the western Taiwan Strait（TWS） during winter season. The results confirm the existence of intense cotidal lines for M2 tidal current, which is located north of 25°N. In this case, no existence of an amphidromic point can be identified. It is also revealed that the counter-wind current（CWC） can extend through the whole western TWS and even occupy the entire water column during winter monsoon relaxation. However,this CWC is observed to be thoroughly overwhelmed by the downwind China coastal current（CCC） during the two big monsoon bloom events in the winter of 2007, and the CCC consequently extends southward throughout the western TWS instead. Most importantly, the variation of the spatial extent for the CWC and the CCC in the western TWS is found to be well explained by the first two modes of the vector empirical orthogonal function（VEOF） analysis, that is, it is mainly controlled by a wind-driven quasi barotropic current as the first mode and slightly modulated by a relatively weak background current with a first-order baroclinic structure as the second mode.

Effects of Tidal Currents on Nonlinear Internal Solitary Waves in the South China Sea

The propagation and fission process of internal solitary waves （ISWs） with amplitudes of about 170 m are simulated in the northeast of the South China Sea （NSCS） by using the generalized Korteweg-de Vries （KdV） equation under continuous stratification. More attention is paid to the effects of the ebb and flood background currents on the fission process of ISWs. This kind of background current is provided by the composed results simulated in terms of monthly mean baroclinic circulation and barotropic tidal current. It is found that the obtained relation of the number of fission solitons to the water depth and stratification is roughly in accordance with the fission law derived by Djordjevic and Redekopp in 1978; however, there exists obvious difference between the effects of the ebb and flood background currents on the wave-lengths of fission solitons （defined as the distance between two neighboring peaks of ISWs）. The difference in nonlinearity coefficient a between the ebb and flood background currents is a main cause for the different wave-lengths of fission solitons.

Extraction of Intemal Tidal Currents from A Portion of Sea Current Profile

Internal tide is one of the major oceanic phenomena. Determination of internal tide is important for theoretical study and for ocean engineering research. As an inverse problem, extraction of internal tidal currents from sea currents is difficult. In this paper, a method is developed to extract internal tidal currents from a portion of the sea current profile based on the fact that the directions of internal tidal currents above and below the thermocline are inverse. Sea current data collected from the South China Sea is processed with this method. The internal tidal currents and the depth of the thermocline are successfully extracted. The depth of the thermocline determined is in good agreement with that measured in 1959.

Tidal currents in the coastal waters east of Hainan Island in winter

Using the 25-h continuing hydrographic observations at three successive stations in February 2012 and the mooring time series of current observations from January to March 2015,the tidal currents and tidal energy fluxes in the coastal waters east of Hainan Island in the northwestern South China Sea were analyzed.The diurnal and semidiurnal(using K_(1) and M_(2) as proxies,respectively)tidal currents and associated isopycnal undulations were derived with harmonic analysis.Results show that the velocities of the diurnal and semidiurnal tides derived from the 25-h observations are comparable to those from the mooring series.The semi-major axes of the tidal ellipses were O(4-7 cm/s)for barotropic tides and O(2-4 cm/s)for baroclinic tides.The directions were in NE-SW at deeper stations to N-S at the shallowest station for the diurnal tide and from NW-SE to NE-SW for the semidiurnal tide.Both the diurnal and semidiurnal isopycnal fl uctuations reached O(5 m),O(8 m),and O(10 m)at the cross-shelf stations(H03,H04,and H05)from 35 m,45 m,to 55 m,respectively,showing insignifi cant vertical variation,and the barotropic signals were predominate.The baroclinic diurnal tide showed fi rst-mode structures at H03-05,as does the semidiurnal tide at H03.The semidiurnal tide at H04 and H05 exhibited higher-mode structures.The time series of both the alongshore and cross-shore components reveal the vertically propagation features of the baroclinic tidal phase and energy.The calculated horizontal energy fl uxes of the diurnal and semidiurnal internal tides decreased from O(0.1 W/m)at H05 to O(0.01 W/m)at H03,implying a propagation and dissipation of energy from off shore to inshore.

Numerical study on tidal currents and seawater exchange in the Benoa Bay, Bali, Indonesia

A three-dimensional （3-D） finite volume coastal ocean model （FVCOM） was used for the study of water cir culation and seawater exchange in the Benoa Bay, Bali Island. The M2 tidal component was forced in open boundary and discharge from six rivers was included in the numerical calculation. The M2 tidal elevation produced by the FVCOM has a good agreement with the observation data. The M2 tidal current is also suc cessfully calculated under the ebb tide and flood tide conditions. The non-linear M2 tidal residual current was produced by the coastline geometry, especially surrounding the narrow strait between the Serangan Is- land and the Benoa Peninsula. The tidal residual current also generated two small eddies within the bay and one small eddy in the bay mouth. The salinity distribution influenced by river discharge could be success- fully calculated, where the numerical calculation and the observation results have a good correlation （r2） of 0.75. Finally in order to examine the seawater exchange in the Benoa Bay, the Lagrangian particle tracking method and calculation of residence time are applied. The mechanism of particle transport to the flushing of seawater is depicted clearly by both methods.

Vertical Structure of the Tidal Currents on the Continental Shelf of the East China Sea

The available data on tidal currents spanning periods greater than six months for the continental shelf of the East China Sea (26°30.052′N, 122°35.998′E) were analyzed using several methods. Tidal Current Harmonic Analysis results demonstrated that semi-diurnal tides dominated the current movement. The tidal currents of the principal diurnal and semidiurnal rotated clockwise with depth, with the deflection of the major semi-axes to the right in the upper layer and to the left in the lower layer. The vertical structures of two principal semi-diurnal constituents-M2 and S2-were similar, which indicates that the tidal currents are mainly barotropic in this area. The main features of the variation of the four principal tidal constituents with depth demonstrate that the currents in this region are influenced by the upper and lower boundary layers. Therefore, the tidal constituents of the shallow water are similar. Different vertical modes were calculated based on the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of the Eastern and Northern components of the tidal currents, with a variance contribution for the zero-order model of at least 90%. The variance contribution of the baroclinic model is minimal, which further reveals a strong barotropic character for the tidal currents of this region.

Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Surface Tidal Currents in the Southwest of Taiwan Strait

This study was conducted on the spatial distribution characteristics of surface tidal currents in the southwestern Taiwan Strait based on the quasi-harmonic analysis of current data obtained by two high frequency surface wave radar(HFSWR) systems. The analysis shows that the tidal current pattern in the southwestern Taiwan Strait is primarily semi-diurnal and influenced significantly by shallow water constituents. The spatial distribution of tidal current ellipses of M2 is probably affected by the interaction between two different systems of tide wave, one from the northern mouth of Taiwan Strait and the other from the Bashi Channel. The directions of the major axes of M2 tidal current ellipses coincide roughly with the axis of the Taiwan Strait. The spatial distribution of the magnitudes of the probable maximum current velocity(PMCS) shows gradual increase of the velocity from northeast to southwest, which is in accordance with the spatial distribution of the measured maximum current velocity(MMCS). The directions of the residual currents are in accordance with the direction of the prevailing monsoon wind at the Taiwan Strait and the direction of the Taiwan warm current during summer. The bathymetry also shows a significant effect on the spatial distribution characteristics of tidal currents.

Dynamical Control of Asymmetrically Oblique Tidal Currents to the Sedimentary Characteristics and Development of Linear Sand Ridges in the Liaodong Shoal, East Bohai Sea

The Liaodong Shoal is a group of linear sand ridges located in the east Bohai Sea of China.In this study,54 surface sediment samples have been collected,current measurements at 4 stations have been carried out and bathymetric data were obtained.The current directions are rightward deflected relative to the strikes of the sand ridges.Affected by the narrowing effect of the ridge,the current velocities exhibited an anti-‘C’type vertical profile.The velocities of the lower currents linearly correlate with the water depths.The near-bed current velocities over the troughs are estimated to be higher than those over the ridges,and this feature could be explained by the loss of kinetic energy together with the conversion between kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy.The sedimentary characteristics that are compatible with the tidal dynamics are developed across the ridges and troughs,including grain size compositions,grain size parameters,mineral compositions and Dhm indexes.The existence of the angles between the current directions and the strikes of the sand ridges is the key factor for the growth of the sand ridges.The asymmetric hydrodynamic features between the flood and ebb currents lead to the differences in the topographical and sedimentary characteristics on both sides of a sand ridge.Insufficient material supply led to the degradation of the sand ridges,and the reduction of the tidal current intensity has led to the development of the subordinate sand ridges in the troughs.Sand ridges are migrating.

Analysis of Tidal Current Energy Potential in the Major Channels of the Bohai Strait Based on Delft3D

The utilization and development of tidal current energy can help alleviate the current energy shortage,improve the global ecological environment,and maintain sustainable development.In this study,numerical simulation is carried out on a rectangular grid using Delft3D.The tidal current energy potential of the major channels in the Bohai Strait is further simulated and estimated by comparing the simulated and measured data.Results show that the flow module in Delft3D has good modeling ability for the assessment of tidal current energy potential.The average flow velocity,maximum flow velocity,and energy flow density are consistent.The Laotieshan Channel,located in the northern part of the Bohai Strait,shows a large tidal current energy potential.The maximum flow velocity of this channel can reach 2 m s-1,and the maximum energy flow density can exceed 500 W m-2.The tidal current energy in the Laotieshan Channel is more than 10 times that in other channels.Therefore,this study advocates for the continued exploration and exploitation of the tidal current energy resources in the Laotieshan Channel.

Analysis of tidal and residual currents across semi-enclosed bay mouth based on shipboard ADCP measurements

Based on 25 hours shipboard ADCP measurements across semi-enclosed bay mouth（Kemen Channel）, time series of tidal currents over 12 sites, which distribute evenly along the transect, were constructed to improve our understanding of tidal characteristics and residuals in this region. The tidal currents in Kemen Channel were identified as the regular semidiurnal and reversing tidal flows, with its behaviour more like standing waves. Moreover, the flood currents in the lower layers were found to be ahead of that in the upper layers and vice versa for ebb tides. The major of tidal ellipse for M2 constituent was found to be larger close to the southern side of the channel, with its incline also increasing toward the south. The signs of M4 constituent were also found mainly nearby the end points of this transect, indicating the importance of nonlinearity in tidal dynamics due to the shallower topography. A two-layer structure was found for the residual currents in Kemen Channel, flowing northeastwardly out of the Bay in upper 20m and southwestwardly into the bay in the lowers. Besides approximate 4.81×10^8 m^3 water exchanges were determined between the Luoyuan Bay and outer seas by the calculation of tidal flux through Kemen Channel.