Year-to-year change in water exchange characteristics in a semi-enclosed bya, Lake Hamana

Abstract

The year-to-year change in characteristics of water exchange between Lake Hamana, a semi-enclosed bya, and the adjacent open sea is investigated. The destruction of the bay mouth by a typhoon in 1953 and subsequent stabilization work on the bay mouth from 1954 to 1973 resulted in an increase in the tidal prism volume of the bay (Mazda, 1983). In the present paper, a simple model has been constructed in which the magnitude of water exchange depends on the tidal prism, and using this model, the year-to-year increase in salinity of the bay water after 1953 can be well explained. Consequently, it can be said that the salinity increase after 1953 is a result of a progressive increase in water exchange caused by successive changes in topography of the bay mouth. The extent of water exchange in Lake Hamana, which varies seasonally, has increased gradually since 1953, and became stable after about 1967. For instance, at present the turnover time of the bay for exchange with open sea water reaches a maximum (2.9 months) in January and a minimum (0.9 month) in October, while in 1955 it is estimated to have been about 2.5 times that at the present time.