Vertical Structure of the Tidal Current Ellipse in a Rotating Basin

Abstract

Tidal current ellipses formed by the Coriolis effect are investigated theoretically, taking account of the effect of horizontal boundaries. This study reveals that even in a narrow bay, the tidal current ellipse appears in the inside of the bottom boundary layer, although the ellipticity cannot be recognized in the outside of the boundary layer. In a wide bay, the ellipticity is observed even in the outside and it is larger in the inside. The rotation direction of these ellipses is counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere. And also, the Coriolis force has an effect to deflect the major axis of the ellipse in the inside of the boundary layer. These nature of the tidal current ellipse is well explained by the consideration of the formation mechanism of the ellipse.