Open AccessThe Flow of Water through the Irish Sea and its Relation to Wind
Author(s) -
Bowden K. F.,
Hughes P.
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
geophysical journal of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0016-8009
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1961.tb00337.x
Subject(s) - geology , submarine , irish sea , current (fluid) , channel (broadcasting) , oceanography , flow (mathematics) , hydrology (agriculture) , geotechnical engineering , mechanics , engineering , telecommunications , physics
Summary The method of studying water movements by measuring the electrical potential produced by the transport of water through the Earth's magnetic field has been applied to flow through the Irish Sea. Continuous readings of these potentials were made between 1954 November and 1958 March on a submarine cable which lies on the sea bed of the North Channel between Portpatrick and Donaghadee. Similar measurements were made further south on a Nevin—Howth cable during the period 1956 December to 1958 March. To calibrate the cable signals, direct current measurements were made at different depths in a number of localities in the North Channel. No measurements were carried out to calibrate the Nevin—Howth cable, however, but an estimate was made from values given in Admiralty publications. Daily values of the current in the North Channel referred to the long period mean as zero are presented and it is shown that high correlations existed during the winter months between these flows and the regional winds. During the summer, however, the correlation was not as strong. Linear regression equations relating the mean flow to the regional wind were computed for bi‐monthly, six‐monthly and total periods. The results showed that a wind from S49°E was the most effective in producing a transport of water northwards through the North Channel and that under these conditions the flow amounted to about I per cent of the wind speed. Furthermore, estimates of the accumulated transport of water due to the wind, suggest that the mean flow over a long period deduced from the salinity distribution may be due almost entirely to the residual effect of the wind. From consideration of a current surge on 1955 November 2 it is shown that the flow lagged behind the generating wind by only about two hours. Correlation of the Portpatrick and Nevin records confirmed the occurrence of periods of wind induced flow through the Irish Sea as a whole. Uncertain changes in the zero of each cable, which were probably attributable to Earth currents, prevented a study being made of the water balance.