Numerical Simulation of Kyucho along the Eastern Coast of the Noto Peninsula in 2004

Abstract

After the passage of typhoons along the eastern coast of the Noto Peninsula, the high-frequency strong current, Kyucho, often damaged the set-net fisheries. Numerical experiments were performed in this study, using a three-dimensional ocean general circulation model to understand the characteristics of the Kyucho. The model simulates well features such as the 20-hour lag of the typhoon, together with the large magnitude and periodicity of the horizontal velocity directly measured by current meters in 2004. The simulated results indicate that the surface drift current caused by the strong wind north of the peninsula causes the Kyucho along the eastern coast to have a strong advection effect, and to propagate along the coast of Toyama Bay as a linear, internal Kelvin wave. The difference among the three typhoon cases showed that the inertial amplitude of the drift current essentially controls the penetration of water mass from north of the peninsula into the bay.