INFLUENCE OF SEAWATER EXCHANGE WITH ARIAKE SEA ON STRATIFED FLOW FIELD IN YATSUSHIRO SEA

Abstract

 We developed the hydrodynamic model of Yatsushiro Sea in order to analyze stratified flow field and water quality in Yatsushiro Sea. Yatsushiro Sea is connected to Ariake Sea with very narrow strait, which cannot be modelled due to the limitation of computational capacity. Therefore, we made an attempt to develop the SYA (Strait between Yatsushiro Sea and Ariake Sea) model to estimate fluxes of seawater exchange through SYA. It was found that there is no seasonal difference in seawater exchange flux. As a result, field observations were successfully reproduced by applying the SYA model into the Yatsushiro Sea model with good agreements.