Open AccessSimulation of the semidiurnal tides in the Strait of Gibraltar
Author(s) -
Tejedor Luis,
Izquierdo Alfredo,
Kagan Boris A.,
Sein Dmitry V.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/1998jc900102
Subject(s) - geology , tidal waves , ellipse , elevation (ballistics) , current (fluid) , tide gauge , internal tide , tidal current , energy flux , flux (metallurgy) , geodesy , boundary current , geophysics , oceanography , geometry , sea level , ocean current , physics , internal wave , mathematics , materials science , astronomy , metallurgy
The M 2 and S 2 surface tides in the Strait of Gibraltar are simulated using a two‐dimensional, nonlinear, boundary‐fitted coordinate model with a nominal resolution of ∼0.5 km. Good agreement is achieved with tide gauge and bottom pressure observations, as well as with current measurements made during the Gibraltar Experiment. The cotidal charts and the maps of tidal current ellipse parameters, which have been constructed on the basis of the model results, reproduce all of the known features of the spatial structure of the M 2 and S 2 tidal waves. These results also show that a ∼90° phase difference between tidal velocity and elevation is detected in much of the Strait of Gibraltar, thus suggesting a small mean tidal energy flux through the strait. The model results give evidence of the general direction for the M 2 and S 2 net tidal energy fluxes to the west. This finding is consistent with an observed southwestern tidal phase propagation and remains qualitatively unchanged when varying the strait's geometry as well as boundary and astronomical forcings.