A study on the formation mechanism of isolated cold dome and physical environment near the bottom of Suo-Nada in summer

Abstract

The formation process of dome shaped bottom cold water mass in summer Suo-Nada was investigated numerically. The observed field of water temperature and salinity were reproduced well by taking into account of tidal flow, while mere density current without tidal oscillation could not obtain enough accuracy. In the objective case, forming process of cold water mass could not be described only by mid-layer intrusion of well mixed Houyo Strait water to highly stratified water in Suo-Nada. It was suggested that the on-shore residual current near the bottom of Suo-Nada is playing important rolls to isolate the cold bottom water and suspend it to keep out of sinking into deep sea.