Abstract

Abstract The steady state circulation of a constant barotropic current around a coastal headland, bay, or combination of the two, located on a flat bottom, mid-latitude β-plane is considered. The maximum displacement of the coastal features from the mean straight coastline is assumed to be small compared to the longshore variation of the coastline. Under this slowly varying coastline approximation, a linearised vorticity equation is derived for the perturbation stream function. An analytical solution for the perturbation stream function is obtained using a Green's function technique. For a specified coastline the effects of coastal orientation, linear friction and the strength of the mean flow are investigated. The model predicts that the flow field will adopt the pattern of the coastline. The question of whether a coastal feature is likely to induce linear flow dynamics within the coastal boundary layer is also addressed. In the case when a single Gaussian headland or bay violates the slowly varying long...

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