Formation of water masses and fronts due to density-induced current system

Abstract

Several numerical experiments were carried out on the formation of water masses and their fronts such as observed in the Kii Channel in winter. Such water masses and fronts may caused by density-induced current system. The phenomenon is assumed to take place in the vertical two-dimensional plane not involving the effect of the earth's rotation. The linear momentum equation and the diffusion-advection equations of salinity and temperature are integrated with respect to time under a vertically hydrostatic condition. The result is that two rolls which correspond to the onshore water mass and the offshore water mass are formed with an accompanying front between them. The apparent diffusion coefficient reaches a relatively great amount inside the water masses and drops down to the eddy diffusivity level at the front. The dependence of the synoptic distributions of the temperature and salinity on several parameters is also examined. Finally another experiment is carried out involving the effect of the earth's rotation, which results in a rather different distribution pattern from that of the non-rotating model.