Wave-Current Coupling Effects on Flow and Salinity Circulations and Stratification in Saline Basins

Abstract

In many occasions, effects of wind induced waves and currents on the flow and salinity fields of water bodies are studied separately. In fact, some coupling mechanisms of the two phenomena cannot be ignored. The wave contribution to the salinity regime in saline waters is addressed in this paper. A coupled wave-flow numerical model has been used. The model has first been verified against field data from Öresund Link. The verified model has then been employed to investigate the wave-flow interaction effects on the salinity contents/distribution in an artificial rectangular basin. It was noticed that the wind-induced wave actions provide changes in the flow speed/direction, water surface level, and the salinity contents/patterns. The relative magnitude of the effects, however, varied in different cases. The wave- current coupling effect had notable impacts on salinity distribution/contents as it appeared to grant greater water mixing in the saline water bodies. The wave coupling effects on the salinity regime were more distinct in shallow/large water bodies and were increasing as the wave height and the initial salinity increased, making the effect pronounced in large hyper saline shallow lakes.