The Anomaly of Mean Sea Level in Seymour Narrows, B.C.

1954 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 853-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Wilfred LaCroix ◽  
John P. Tully

During surveys of the tides and tidal currents in Seymour Narrows (1945 to 1950) the Canadian Hydrographic Service noted that there was a depression of mean sea level of the order of half a foot. There is a considerable fall of sea level along the Narrows and the square of the velocity of the current is proportional to this hydraulic head. The anomaly is a necessary consequence of the velocity, and it can be predicted from either the tidal or the tidal-current data. The annual net transport of water through the Narrows is seaward and is about five times as great as the discharge of the Fraser River.

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2190
Author(s):  
Changjun Qi ◽  
Lejun Ma ◽  
Qinggai Wang ◽  
Yuan Zhai ◽  
Jixuan Li ◽  
...  

A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model for the waters off the coast of Jiangsu, where there are radial sand ridges (RSRs) (hereinafter, the RSR area), was established based on measured topographic, tide level and tidal current data. Considering the complex topographic and geomorphic characteristics of the RSR group in this area, an unstructured grid was used for the calculation. A four-layer refinement was applied to the grid from outside to inside to better fit the complex topography. The simulations were performed to examine the response of the hydrodynamic environment to the morphology of the RSRs in three scenarios, namely, when there are natural RSRs, no RSRs, and partially reclaimed RSRs. When there are no or partially reclaimed RSRs, the tidal current field still exists in a radial pattern in the RSR area. The radial tidal current field is relatively stable and is not controlled by the morphologies of the RSRs. The topographic changes do not alter the distribution pattern of the radial tidal current field but do affect the local current fields. When there are no RSRs, the flood currents can directly reach Jianggang. Under practical conditions, the RSRs block the tidal currents during a flood tide to some extent. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced when the RSRs are partially reclaimed. For example, during an ebb tide, when the tidal currents encounter sand ridges or reclamation areas, their streamlines bend, and they flow around the obstacles. This change will affect the material transport, sediment deposition and seabed erosion.


Author(s):  
Michael Z. Li ◽  
Yongsheng Wu ◽  
Charles Gordon Hannah ◽  
William A. Perrie

Waves and tidal currents can interact to produce strong seabed shear stress and mobilization of sediments on continental shelves. Modelled wave and tidal current data for a 3-year period were used in a combined-flow sediment transport model to simulate the seabed shear stresses and the mobilization of uniform medium sand on the continental shelves of Canada. The modelling results are presented to establish the first national framework of seabed disturbance and sediment mobility on the continental shelves of Canada. Strong waves and tidal currents on the Canadian continental shelves produce mean bed shear velocity >5 cm·s<sup>−1</sup>. Medium sand can be mobilized >50% of the time over many areas on the shelves. The mobilization by tidal currents occurs over 36% and by waves over 50% of the shelf area, demonstrating that mobilization of sediments is dominated by waves on the Canadian continental shelves. Combined shear stresses due to wave and tidal current interaction further increase sediment mobilization to over 68% of the shelf area. The spatial variation of the relative importance of wave and tidal disturbances allows classification of the continental shelves into six disturbance types. Innovative Seabed Disturbance (SDI) and Sediment Mobility (SMI) indices are proposed to quantify the seabed exposure to oceanographic processes and sediment mobilization, incorporating both the magnitude and frequency of these processes. The proposed SDI and SMI, together with the disturbance type classification, can be used as standard parameters to best quantify seabed disturbance and sediment mobility on other shelves of the world.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Hadi Hermansyah ◽  
Nining Sari Ningsih ◽  
Nabil Nabil ◽  
Ayi Tarya ◽  
Syahruddin Syahruddin

HighlightsThe results of the model and observation showed the similarity of the amplitude and phase formedAt the highest tide was in the position above the Sea Mean level and the current velocity was lower than when heading to the tideThere was a difference in the direction of the current when heading towards high tideStratification of the water column in both seasons tended to be classified in well-mixed watersAbstractBalikpapan Bay is significant as a link between the cities within and outside of East Kalimantan by becoming the primary path used for local transportation and distribution of produced goods. The various anthropogenic activities increased liquid wastes and debris, which flowed through channels and rivers along the bay. This study aimed to determine tidal current patterns in Balikpapan Bay and its influence on salinity and temperature distributions. This study applied a baroclinic three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic model, employing wind, tides, and density variations, resulting from the differences of temperature and salinity, as the model input. To simulate the tidal current flow, we applied MOHID Water Modeling System, which the tidal current patterns depicted current directions and speeds at the different tidal conditions. During the displacement toward the high tidal condition, the water mass moves northwestward entering the river body, while at the displacement toward the low tidal condition, the water mass moves southeastward, which flows toward the coast and without the bay. The current speed varies at certain tidal conditions. At the highest tidal condition, the surface elevation ranged 1.3 - 1.5 m above mean sea level; the current rate is lower compared to the displacement toward high tidal condition, which ranged from 0.01 - 0.15 m/s. At the lowest tidal condition, the surface elevation reached 1 - 1.2 m below mean sea level, and the weaker flow velocity took place (less than 0.15 m/s). The results also showed that the water mass temperature tends to be higher in the inner part of Balikpapan Bay, the Balikpapan Bay waters profile that is increasingly shallow towards the bay head also causes this area to tend to have a higher temperature. Also, areas located on the inside of the bay tend to get more freshwater input from rivers, so this area has lower salinity while the area located at the mouth of the bay tends to be of higher salinity because it gets a lot of mass input of seawater from the Makassar Strait.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 2405-2420
Author(s):  
Do-Seong Byun ◽  
Deirdre E. Hart

AbstractA new approach enabling the prediction of tidal currents, for observation sites with as little as ≥25 h of data, has been developed as a practical way of utilizing very short tidal current records. We name this technique the complete tidal species modulation with tidal current constant corrections (CTSM+TCCC) method. In addition to a short-term tidal current record from the “observation site,” this technique also requires (i) ideally half a year (specifically, ≥183 days from any time) and (ii) concurrent (≥25 h) sea level observation records from a nearby “reference site.” The reliability of the CTSM+TCCC method is tested for three different tidal current regimes (almost rectilinear, elliptical, and near circular) in Geyonggi Bay, South Korea, using daily slices (25 h long) of 29-day tidal current records from each observation station, plus sea level records from the nearby Incheon reference station. RMSE analysis of the resulting prediction time series demonstrates that the CTSM+TCCC method produces reasonably accurate predictions based on observation station records derived from spring, but not neap, tide periods. We conclude that our method can be successfully employed to make tidal current predictions using 25-h observation station records obtained from spring tide periods, ideally gathered during periods of relatively calm weather. As well as testing the sensitivity of CTSM+TCCC predictions to observation record timing, the effect of reference station location was investigated using records from 20 stations spread along the South Korean coasts. Results revealed that tidal records from nearby tidal current observation and sea level reference stations produce reasonable current predictions, since proximal locations share similar tidal species’ modulated tidal and tidal current behaviors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 869
Author(s):  
Ya-Mei Li ◽  
Ze-Yu Li ◽  
An-Dong Liu ◽  
Yu-Tian Zhu ◽  
Shi-Ming Wang ◽  
...  

An integrated wave-tidal current power turbine is affected by both wave and tidal current forces, and its energy efficiency is closely related to the velocity and direction of the two forces. To improve the probability of the horizontal axis turbine reaching maximum energy efficiency under real-time changing sea conditions, we performed the following investigations in this study. Based on the actual application scenario of Lianyungang port, a time series prediction model of tidal current (velocity and flow direction) and wave (mean wave direction, mean wave period, and significant wave height) data for the past year was established. The changes in waves and tidal currents within 24 h after the cutoff point of the existing data were predicted. The integrated wave-tidal current mechanism was studied, and the superposition of wave energy and tidal current energy was transformed into the equivalent velocity vector of wave-tidal current integration. The conversion coefficient between waves and equivalent flows was determined by a numerical wave flume simulation. According to the historical wave and tidal current data, the equivalent velocity range of the integrated action of waves and tidal currents in Lianyungang was determined. The influence of different blade motions on the energy harvesting efficiency of the turbine under the corresponding flow conditions was studied using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method to determine the blade motion law of the turbine. The blade motion law of the prototype was verified in a sea trial experiment. The experimental results were basically consistent with the simulation results for the blade motion law designed according to the wave and tidal current prediction law. This design scheme can provide a reference for engineering design for the development and utilization of new marine energy.


1975 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 395-407
Author(s):  
S. Henriksen

The first question to be answered, in seeking coordinate systems for geodynamics, is: what is geodynamics? The answer is, of course, that geodynamics is that part of geophysics which is concerned with movements of the Earth, as opposed to geostatics which is the physics of the stationary Earth. But as far as we know, there is no stationary Earth – epur sic monere. So geodynamics is actually coextensive with geophysics, and coordinate systems suitable for the one should be suitable for the other. At the present time, there are not many coordinate systems, if any, that can be identified with a static Earth. Certainly the only coordinate of aeronomic (atmospheric) interest is the height, and this is usually either as geodynamic height or as pressure. In oceanology, the most important coordinate is depth, and this, like heights in the atmosphere, is expressed as metric depth from mean sea level, as geodynamic depth, or as pressure. Only for the earth do we find “static” systems in use, ana even here there is real question as to whether the systems are dynamic or static. So it would seem that our answer to the question, of what kind, of coordinate systems are we seeking, must be that we are looking for the same systems as are used in geophysics, and these systems are dynamic in nature already – that is, their definition involvestime.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2557-2568 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wronna ◽  
R. Omira ◽  
M. A. Baptista

Abstract. In this paper, we present a deterministic approach to tsunami hazard assessment for the city and harbour of Sines, Portugal, one of the test sites of project ASTARTE (Assessment, STrategy And Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe). Sines has one of the most important deep-water ports, which has oil-bearing, petrochemical, liquid-bulk, coal, and container terminals. The port and its industrial infrastructures face the ocean southwest towards the main seismogenic sources. This work considers two different seismic zones: the Southwest Iberian Margin and the Gloria Fault. Within these two regions, we selected a total of six scenarios to assess the tsunami impact at the test site. The tsunami simulations are computed using NSWING, a Non-linear Shallow Water model wIth Nested Grids. In this study, the static effect of tides is analysed for three different tidal stages: MLLW (mean lower low water), MSL (mean sea level), and MHHW (mean higher high water). For each scenario, the tsunami hazard is described by maximum values of wave height, flow depth, drawback, maximum inundation area and run-up. Synthetic waveforms are computed at virtual tide gauges at specific locations outside and inside the harbour. The final results describe the impact at the Sines test site considering the single scenarios at mean sea level, the aggregate scenario, and the influence of the tide on the aggregate scenario. The results confirm the composite source of Horseshoe and Marques de Pombal faults as the worst-case scenario, with wave heights of over 10 m, which reach the coast approximately 22 min after the rupture. It dominates the aggregate scenario by about 60 % of the impact area at the test site, considering maximum wave height and maximum flow depth. The HSMPF scenario inundates a total area of 3.5 km2.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamish Steptoe ◽  
Nicholas Henry Savage ◽  
Saeed Sadri ◽  
Kate Salmon ◽  
Zubair Maalick ◽  
...  

AbstractHigh resolution simulations at 4.4 km and 1.5 km resolution have been performed for 12 historical tropical cyclones impacting Bangladesh. We use the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting 5th generation Re-Analysis (ERA5) to provide a 9-member ensemble of initial and boundary conditions for the regional configuration of the Met Office Unified Model. The simulations are compared to the original ERA5 data and the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) tropical cyclone database for wind speed, gust speed and mean sea-level pressure. The 4.4 km simulations show a typical increase in peak gust speed of 41 to 118 knots relative to ERA5, and a deepening of minimum mean sea-level pressure of up to −27 hPa, relative to ERA5 and IBTrACS data. The downscaled simulations compare more favourably with IBTrACS data than the ERA5 data suggesting tropical cyclone hazards in the ERA5 deterministic output may be underestimated. The dataset is freely available from 10.5281/zenodo.3600201.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 595
Author(s):  
Américo Soares Ribeiro ◽  
Carina Lurdes Lopes ◽  
Magda Catarina Sousa ◽  
Moncho Gomez-Gesteira ◽  
João Miguel Dias

Ports constitute a significant influence in the economic activity in coastal areas through operations and infrastructures to facilitate land and maritime transport of cargo. Ports are located in a multi-dimensional environment facing ocean and river hazards. Higher warming scenarios indicate Europe’s ports will be exposed to higher risk due to the increase in extreme sea levels (ESL), a combination of the mean sea level, tide, and storm surge. Located on the west Iberia Peninsula, the Aveiro Port is located in a coastal lagoon exposed to ocean and river flows, contributing to higher flood risk. This study aims to assess the flood extent for Aveiro Port for historical (1979–2005), near future (2026–2045), and far future (2081–2099) periods scenarios considering different return periods (10, 25, and 100-year) for the flood drivers, through numerical simulations of the ESL, wave regime, and riverine flows simultaneously. Spatial maps considering the flood extent and calculated area show that most of the port infrastructures' resilience to flooding is found under the historical period, with some marginal floods. Under climate change impacts, the port flood extent gradually increases for higher return periods, where most of the terminals are at high risk of being flooded for the far-future period, whose contribution is primarily due to mean sea-level rise and storm surges.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 205
Author(s):  
Serafino Afonso Rui Mucova ◽  
Ulisses Miranda Azeiteiro ◽  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
Carina Lurdes Lopes ◽  
João Miguel Dias ◽  
...  

Mean sea-level is expected to rise significantly by 2100 in all scenarios, including those compatible with the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement. Global sea level rise projections indicate devastating implications for populations, ecosystem services and biodiversity. The implications of the sea-level rise (SLR) on low-lying islands and coastal regions and communities are substantial and require deep-rooted coping measures. In the absence of adequate responses for coping, Mozambique is expected to record huge losses, with an impact on the economy and development in many sectors of its coastal regions mainly in northern Mozambique. This research aimed to perform projections on SLR in Mozambique, and to understand its role and implications on the north coast of the country. SLR was estimated through the analysis of model outputs that support the global estimates of the fifth IPCC report near the Mozambican coast, for each of the four representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios. Regional coastline retreat and coastal erosion were estimated through the results of global sandy coastlines projections developed by Vousdoukas. Mean sea-level rise projections indicate that regional estimates for the Mozambican coast are relative higher than global estimates (~0.05 m) for all representative concentration pathways (RCPs). Yet, we highlight significant differences in sea-level rises of 0.5 m, 0.7 m or 1.0 m by 2100 compared to the global mean. It is expected that with the increase in the mean sea level in the northern part of the Mozambican coast, erosive effects will increase, as well as the retreat of the coastline until 2100. With this, the tourism sector, settlements, ecosystem services and local populations are expected to be significantly affected by 2050, with increased threats in 2100 (RCP4.5, RCP8.5). Local responses for coping are proposed and properly discussed for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios through 2100.


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