Tidal Excursion Research Articles

Low salinity intrusions in the western English Channel

Low salinity (<35) surface waters (LSSW) at the southern entrance to the western English Channel (48.5°N, 5.1°W, near Ushant) were observed in late winter (March–April) in three successive years (2002–04) during near continuous ship of opportunity operations. The source of the LSSW is the northward spreading plumes from the Loire (47.5°N, 2.5°W) and Gironde (45.6°N, 1.2°W) along the French Atlantic coast. Fastest plume travel times were associated with northeasterly winds, consistent with Ekman theory. Differences between years in the mean winter (January–March) combined river discharges ( D) was consistent with the minimum salinities ( S min) of the LSSW (2004: D=4211 m 3 s −1, S min=33.68; 2003: D=3630 m 3 s −1, S min=33.90; 2002: D=1579 m 3 s −1, S min=34.53). Winter mean (1905–74) salinity is otherwise 35.33 near Ushant. The LSSW intruded into the western English Channel in each year, suggesting a common phenomenon. The low salinity intrusion was freshest (mean=35.11±0.21) and most penetrative (reaching 50.7°N, 1.0°W by the end of the year) in 2003 on account of (1) entering on a spring tide giving greater tidal excursion into the western English Channel and (2) intrusion favourable winds (southwesterly/southeasterly) acting on the longer term residual flow. Less penetration occurred in 2004 when the arrival of the LSSW coincided with a neap tide followed by intrusion-resistant northwesterly winds, resulting in a less saline (mean=35.20±0.23) intrusion. In 2004, transport tended to be offshore to at least 100 km from the French Atlantic coast (47°N, 4.8°W–48°N, 4.7°W). In 2002, the lower volume of plume water relative to the other years produced a more saline intrusion (mean=35.25±0.12). Prevailing westerly winds may have pushed this intrusion northwards beyond the route of the ferry, making it difficult to assess the true extent of the intrusion in 2002. A link of the LSSW to phases of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation index from a literature search of the last 84 years was inconclusive.

Longitudinal distribution and lateral pattern of megalopal settlement and juvenile recruitment of Carcinus maenas (L.) (Brachyura, Portunidae) in the Mira River Estuary, Portugal

Settlement is a critical process in the life history of crabs, and thus affecting the abundance, distribution and structure of estuarine communities. The spatial pattern of settlement of megalopae of the shore crab Carcinus maenas along a longitudinal estuarine gradient (Mira River Estuary, Portugal) was examined, as well as its effects on the juvenile population. To measure megalopal settlement, four replicate collectors were deployed in six equally spaced stations along the estuarine axis. Juveniles were collected on the same locations with a quadrat randomly deployed on the substrate. To assess fine-scale megalopal settlement within a curved region of the estuary, replicate collectors were deployed on both margins along Moinho da Asneira curve. Megalopae settled differently along the six longitudinal points, with a tendency to attenuate their settlement upstream. Within the curved region, megalopae preferentially settled on the left margin collectors, probably due to the weaker velocity speeds felt on this margin. Concerning the overall juvenile density, there were significant differences among the stations distributed along the estuary, but they did no reflect a longitudinal dispersion attenuation pattern. Size-frequency distribution of the juvenile population showed that the average size is higher on the left margin. Recruits (carapace length between 1.0 mm and 3.4 mm) were more abundant on the upstream stations. Density of early juveniles (3.4 mm–6.5 mm) and juveniles (6.5 mm–10 mm) was more stable throughout the estuary axis than that of recruits. This distribution pattern may result from tidal excursion processes or mechanisms to avoid biotic interactions, such as predation and competition.

The use of periphytic diatoms as a means of assessing impacts of point source inorganic nutrient pollution in south‐eastern Australia

Summary1. Periphytic diatoms are used as indicators of water quality because their ecological tolerances or preferences to environmental variables are thought to be predictable. However, much of the present autecological information for periphytic diatoms has been derived from studies conducted in the northern hemisphere. In this present study we used periphytic diatoms to determine the impacts of inorganic nutrient pollution in a tidal river system in the temperate latitudes of south‐east Australia. In so doing, we assess the suitability of the use of the ‘northern hemisphere’ ecological tolerance/preference data for periphytic diatoms.2. Artificial substrates were used to collect periphytic diatoms at 35 sites, which were positioned along the riverbanks and the middle of the river at various distances upstream and downstream of the sewage outfall. The sampling design took into account tidal excursions and the observed sewage plume dynamics. Periphytic diatoms were collected during the austral winter month of August and the austral spring months of September and October. We deployed the artificial substrates for 4 weeks to allow the periphytic diatoms to recruit and colonise, before identifying and enumerating the assemblages.3. Data analysis included two approaches: multivariate visualisations of combinations of environmental and biological data to investigate shifts in species structure of the periphytic diatom assemblage and multimetric indices based on ecological tolerance/preference data.4. We found that the spatial patterns inferred from multivariate and multimetric analyses were consistent. Temporal variation in the composition of the periphytic diatom assemblage was greater than the spatial variation along horizontal sections of the river (in any one deployment) due mainly to shifts between winter and spring species.5. Outfall effects were most apparent in winter, possibly because subsequent deployments were swamped by growth of spring periphytic diatoms. The outfall effects included a shift towards pollutant tolerant species and a reduction in the variability of the periphytic diatom assemblage across the river.6. We conclude that the use of periphytic diatoms and associated ecological tolerance/preference data as a means of assessing impacts of point source inorganic nutrient pollution is effective. An understanding of river and sewage flow patterns is essential to the design of appropriate monitoring programmes and to the interpretation of results, especially as periphytic diatoms are sensitive to many environmental variables.

Distribution and sources of surfzone bacteria at Huntington Beach before and after disinfection on an ocean outfall – A frequency-domain analysis

Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) were measured approximately 5 days a week in ankle-depth water at 19 surfzone stations along Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, California, from 1998 to the end of 2003. These sampling periods span the time before and after treated sewage effluent, discharged into the coastal ocean from the local outfall, was disinfected. Bacterial samples were also taken in the vicinity of the outfall during the pre- and post-disinfection periods. Our analysis of the results from both data sets suggest that land-based sources, rather than the local outfall, were the source of the FIB responsible for the frequent closures and postings of local beaches in the summers of 2001 and 2002. Because the annual cycle is the dominant frequency in the fecal and total coliform data sets at most sampling stations, we infer that sources associated with local runoff were responsible for the majority of coliform contamination along wide stretches of the beach. The dominant fortnightly cycle in enterococci at many surfzone sampling stations suggests that the source for these relatively frequent bacteria contamination events in summer is related to the wetting and draining of the land due to the large tidal excursions found during spring tides. Along the most frequently closed section of the beach at stations 3N-15N, the fortnightly cycle is dominant in all FIBs. The strikingly different spatial and spectral patterns found in coliform and in enterococci suggest the presence of different sources, at least for large sections of beach. The presence of a relatively large enterococci fortnightly cycle along the beaches near Newport Harbor indicates that contamination sources similar to those found off Huntington Beach are present, though not at high enough levels to close the Newport beaches.

A methodology for defining homogeneous water bodies in estuaries – Application to the transitional systems of the EU Water Framework Directive

A methodology is developed and tested for division of estuarine and coastal systems into water bodies for monitoring and management purposes. This division is often implicit in the choice of sampling stations and in pollution abatement measures applied to different locations – it is now an explicit requirement of European Union Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive) and recommended by United States Agencies such as EPA and NOAA. The approach considers both natural characteristics and the human dimension, by means of a stepwise methodology, which considers, on the one hand, morphology and salinity distribution, and, on the other, appropriate indicators of pressure and state. In the present application, nitrogen and phosphorus loading was used as the pressure component and chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen as indicators of state. The criteria for system division were defined based on (1) an adimensional shape factor and salinity classes for the natural component; and (2) a normalised pressure index and (ASSETS) eutrophication symptom classes for the human dimension. Water quality databases and GIS were used to develop spatial distributions for the various components, and the results were aggregated into a final water body division, using tidal excursion as a “common sense” test. The methodology was applied to three well-studied systems in Portugal, a tubular estuary (Mondego), a wide lagunal estuary (Sado) and a coastal barrier island system (Ria Formosa). Although a final definition of water bodies will usually be a policy decision, this type of approach for the division of coastal systems into management units scientifically informs the decision-making process.

Numerical modelling and analysis of temperature controlled density currents in Tomales Bay, California

The coastal region adjacent to Tomales Bay, California is dominated by wind-driven upwelling during spring and summer and the cold, upwelled water is moved towards Tomales Bay, entering the estuary with the flood tide. If the tidal excursion is ≥6 km and the cold water subducts beneath the warmer, less dense estuarine water, a temperature controlled density current may form and intrude towards the head of the estuary as a thermally stratified bottom layer. The numerical modelling was aimed at determining the capability of the Delft3D-FLOW model to reproduce the cold ocean water intrusion events, the response (development and progression) of these intrusions to differing physical scenarios and the comparative importance of the parameters to the intrusions. The numerical model successfully reproduced the density intrusions and showed that the persistence and break down of the density intrusions were affected by a number of physical parameters, to varying degrees. The sensitivity analysis showed that density intrusion formation is controlled by tidal conditions and ocean water temperature. The strength and persistence of the developed density intrusions are influenced by wind, insolation and estuary depth. Fresh water inflow at the head of the estuary had no impact on the density intrusions. Three-dimensional numerical modelling is thus a valuable tool in understanding the estuary and its functioning.

Transport through Tavernier Creek: a primary flushing pathway for Northeast Florida Bay

Current meter data from a 411-day study are used to characterize the movement of water through Tavernier Creek, a tidal channel in the Upper Florida Keys that connects northeastern Florida Bay with the narrow continental shelf on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Keys. The record reveals active tidal and nontidal exchanges. Strongest flood and ebb current speeds commonly reach 50 cm s−1. Low-frequency exchanges are highly coherent with the across-shelf component of local wind stress over time scales in excess of 2.5 days. Bay-shelf exchanges are investigated in four ways. Current measurements made while a drogue was tracked from one end of the creek to the other provide a relationship that can be applied to the time series of current meter data. Results suggest that ocean water reaches the bay end of the creek on 92% of the floods, and bay water reaches the ocean end on 94% of the ebbs. The Eulerian tidal excursion calculated from the amplitude of the M 2 tidal constituent is 1.42 times the length of the channel, and half-tidal cycle Eulerian displacements are commonly 1.5 times the length of the channel. Salinity measurements over a 165-day period document the arrival of bay and ocean water at a study site at about the midpoint of Tavernier Creek. Results suggest that the creek becomes completely flushed after about 450,000 m3 of water have entered from either end. Histograms of ebb and flood volume transports indicate that half-tidal cycle transports are commonly between 800,000 and 1,100,000 m3. The long-term movement of water through Tavernier Creek is a net outflow from Florida Bay. Results support the idea that Tavernier Creek serves as an effective conduit for exchanging bay and ocean water, and especially for draining the northeast corner of Florida Bay.

The structure of the coastal density front at the outflow of Long Island Sound during spring 2002

South of the eastern end of Long Island (Montauk Point) along the Eastern U.S. coast, a coastal density front forms between the buoyant outflow plume of the Long Island Sound (LIS) and the denser shelf waters offshore. During a 2-day cruise in April 2002, measurements of the density and velocity structure of this front were obtained from high-resolution CTD and ADCP data. Transects show the front intersecting the bottom inshore of the 30 m isobath and shoaling offshore. Variability in the location of the front is small offshore of the 40 m isobath, yet tidal excursions of the front along the bottom are significant (5 km) inshore of this depth. The frontal structure of the LIS plume was similar to observations of bottom-trapped coastal density fronts and shelf break fronts. A coastal jet in the along front direction was the main feature of the mean velocity field and was found to be in thermal wind balance with the mean density field. Stronger than expected offshore velocities near the surface, most likely a result of wind forcing, were the only exception to these similarities. In addition, analysis of temperature and salinity gradients along isopycnals gives evidence of secondary cross-frontal circulation and detachment of the bottom boundary layer. Characteristics of the LIS plume are used to evaluate recent analytical models of bottom-trapped coastal density fronts and bottom-advected plume theory, finding good agreement.

Short‐term intertidal bar mobility on a ridge‐and‐runnel beach, Merlimont, northern France

AbstractDigital elevation models and topographic profiles of a beach with intertidal bar and trough (ridge‐and‐runnel) morphology in Merlimont, northern France, were analysed in order to assess patterns of cross‐shore and longshore intertidal bar mobility. The beach exhibited a pronounced dual bar–trough system that showed cross‐shore stationarity. The bars and troughs were, however, characterized by significant longshore advection of sand under the influence of suspension by waves and transport by strong tide‐ and wind‐driven longshore currents. Profile changes were due in part to the longshore migration of medium‐sized bedforms. The potential for cross‐shore bar migration appears to be mitigated by the large size of the two bars relative to incident wave energy, which is modulated by high vertical tidal excursion rates on this beach due to the large tidal range (mean spring tidal range = 8·3 m). Cross‐shore bar migration is also probably hindered by the well‐entrenched troughs which are maintained by channelled high‐energy intertidal flows generated by swash bores and by tidal discharge and drainage. The longshore migration of intertidal bars affecting Merlimont beach is embedded in a regional coastal sand transport pathway involving tidal and wind‐forced northward residual flows affecting the rectilinear northern French coast in the eastern English Channel. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Toward a unified theory of tidally-averaged estuarine salinity structure

Equations are developed for the tidally-averaged, width-averaged estuarine salinity and circulation in a rectangular estuary. Width and depth may vary along the length of the channel, as may coefficients of vertical turbulent mixing and along channel diffusion. The system is reduced to a single first-order, nonlinear, ordinary differential equation governing the section-averaged salinity. A technique for specifying the ocean boundary condition is given, and solutions are found by numerical integration. Under different assumptions for the diffusion it is possible to reproduce the few existing analytical solutions, in particular the Hansen and Rattray (1965) Central Regime solution, and Chatwin's (1976) solution.The mathematical framework allows easy comparison of the results of different channel geometries and mixing coefficients. Of particular interest is the along-channel distribution of the diffusive fraction of up-estuary salt flux. It is shown that the Hansen and Rattray solution is always diffusion-dominated near the mouth. A theory is presented for estimating the diffusion coefficient within a tidal excursion of the mouth. It is shown that the resulting rapid along-channel increase of diffusion may explain some observed patterns of salinity structure: a decrease in both stratification and along-channel salinity gradient near the mouth. The theory is applied to the Delaware Estuary and Northern San Francisco Bay, and shows reasonable agreement with observed sensitivities of salt intrusion distance to river flow.

The impact of aging and habitual physical activity on static respiratory work at rest and during exercise.

We investigated the effects of aging on the elastic properties of lung tissue and the chest wall, simultaneously quantifying the contribution of each component to static inspiratory muscle work in resting and exercising adults. We further evaluated the interaction of aging and habitual physical activity on respiratory mechanics. Static lung volumes and elastic properties of the lung and chest wall (pressure-volume relaxation maneuvers) in 29 chronically sedentary and 29 habitually active subjects, grouped by age, were investigated: young (Y, 20-30 years), middle-aged (M, 40-50 years), and older (O, >60 years). Using static pressure-volume data, we computed the elastic work of breathing (joules per liter, J.l(-1)), including inspiratory muscle work, over resting and exercising tidal volume excursions. Elastic work of the lung (Y = 0.79 +/- 0.05; M = 0.47 +/- 0.05; O = 0.43 +/- 0.05 J.l(-1)) and chest wall (Y = -0.49 +/- 0.06; M = -0.12 +/- 0.07; O = 0.04 +/- 0.05 J.l(-1) ) changed significantly with age (P < 0.05). With aging, a parallel displacement of the chest wall pressure-volume curve resulted in a shift from energy being stored primarily during expiration to energy storage during inspiration, and driving expiration, both at rest and during exercise. Although deviating significantly from young adults, this did not significantly elevate static inspiratory muscle work but resulted in a redistribution of the tissues on which this work was performed and the phase of the respiratory cycle in which it occurred. Nevertheless, static inspiratory muscle work remained similar across age groups, at rest and during exercise, and habitual physical activity failed to influence these changes.

Non-linear channel?shoal dynamics in long tidal embayments

The dynamics of finite-amplitude bed forms in a tidal channel is studied with the use of an idealized morphodynamic model. The latter is based on depth-averaged equations for the tidal flow over a sandy bottom. The model considers phenomena on spatial scales of the order of the tidal excursion length. Transport of sediment mainly takes place as suspended load. The reference state of this model is characterized by a spatially uniform M2 tidal current over a fixed horizontal bed. The temporal evolution of deviations from this reference state is governed by amplitude equations: these are a set of non-linear equations that describe the temporal evolution of bed forms. These equations are used to obtain new morphodynamic equilibria which may be either static or time-periodic. Several of these bottom profiles show strong similarity with the tidal bars that are observed in natural estuaries. The dependence of the equilibrium solutions on the value of bottom friction and channel width is investigated systematically. For narrow channels (width small compared to the tidal excursion length) stable static equilibria exist if bottom friction is slightly larger than rcr. For channel widths more comparable to the tidal excursion length, multiple stable steady states may exist for bottom friction parameter values below rcr. Regardless of channel width, stable time-periodic equilibria seem to emerge as the bottom friction is increased.

Morphodynamics of intertidal bars on a megatidal beach, Merlimont, Northern France

The morphology, bedforms and hydrodynamics of Merlimont beach, in northern France, characterised by intertidal bars and a spring tidal range of 8.3 m, were surveyed over a 10-day experiment with variable wave conditions that included a 2-day storm with significant wave heights of up to 2.8 m. The beach exhibited two pronounced bar-trough systems located between the mean sea level and low neap tide level. Waves showed a cross-shore depth modulation, attaining maximum heights at high tide. The mean current was characterised dominantly by strong tide-induced longshore flows significantly reinforced by wind forcing during the storm, and by weaker, dominantly offshore, wave-induced flows. Vertical tidal water-level variations (tidal excursion rates) showed a bimodal distribution with a peak towards the mid-tide position and low rates near low and high water. The two bar-trough systems in the mid-tide zone remained stable in position during the experiment but showed significant local change. The absence of bar migration in spite of the relatively energetic context of this beach reflects high macro-scale bar morphological lag due to a combination of the large vertical tidal excursion rates in the mid-tide zone, the cross-shore wave structure, and the pronounced dual bar-trough system. The profile exhibited a highly variable pattern of local morphological change that showed poor correlation with wave energy levels and tidal excursion rates. Profile change reflected marked local morphodynamic feedback effects due mainly to breaks in slope associated with the bar-trough topography and with trough activity. Change was as important during low wave-energy conditions as during the storm. Strong flows in the entrenched troughs hindered cross-shore bar mobility while inducing longshore migration of medium-sized bedforms that contributed in generating short-term profile change. The large size and location of the two pronounced bars in the mid-tide zone of the beach are tentatively attributed respectively to the relatively high wave-energy levels affecting Merlimont beach, and to the cross-shore increase in wave height hinged on tidal modulation of water depths. These two large quasi-permanent bars probably originated as essentially breakpoint bars and are different from a small bar formed by swash and surf processes in the course of the experiment at the mean high water neap tide level, which is characterised by a certain degree of tidal stationarity and larger high-tide waves.

Tidal Breathing Analysis

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Explain why tidal breathing mechanics differ between infants and adults. 2. Describe the results of compensatory mechanisms used in infancy. 3. Explain the value of the ratio of time to peak tidal expiratory flow to expiratory time and how it can be performed. 4. Link the direction of movement of the rib cage and abdominal wall on a Konno-Mead plot with the cause of muscle failure. 5. Explain why respiratory inductance plethysmography values do not correlate well with those obtained with a pneumotachograph. Tidal breathing refers to inhalation and exhalation during restful breathing. The range of tidal breathing is determined both by the depth of inspiration and by the end point of passive exhalation at functional residual capacity (FRC), the point at which the outward elastic recoil of the rib cage (RC) is balanced by the inward elastic recoil of the lungs (Fig. 1). Although tidal breathing often is maintained within a relatively narrow range in a quietly breathing person who does not have lung disease, lung disease not only can change the normal character of breathing, but it can create change within a series of breaths. Therefore, for patients who have respiratory disease, it would be helpful to identify these alterations and follow their change during therapy. The breathing pattern should be altered as little as possible during measurement. Before discussing the methods of studying tidal breathing, understanding the mechanics of tidal breathing is important. Figure 1. Functional residual capacity (FRC) is the volume in respiration at which the outward elastic recoil of the rib cage is balanced by the inward elastic recoil of the lungs. ### Tidal Thoracic Motion Volume excursion during tidal breathing is initiated and primarily determined by downward diaphragmatic motion, which creates the negative intrathoracic pressure that drives inspiration. There also is a series of other …

Tidal oscillation of sediment between a river and a bay: a conceptual model

A conceptual model of fine sediment transport between a river and a bay is proposed, based on observations at two rivers feeding the same bay. The conceptual model consists of river, transitional, and bay regimes. Within the transitional regime, resuspension, advection, and deposition create a mass of sediment that oscillates landward and seaward. While suspended, this sediment mass forms an estuarine turbidity maximum. At slack tides this sediment mass temporarily deposits on the bed, creating landward and seaward deposits. Tidal excursion and slack tide deposition limit the range of the sediment mass. To verify this conceptual model, data from two small tributary rivers of San Pablo Bay are presented. Tidal variability of suspended-sediment concentration markedly differs between the landward and seaward deposits, allowing interpretation of the intratidal movement of the oscillating sediment mass. Application of this model in suitable estuaries will assist in numerical model calibration as well as in data interpretation. A similar model has been applied to some larger-scale European estuaries, which bear a geometric resemblance to the systems analyzed in this study.

Physical Impacts of Marine Aggregate Dredging on Seabed Resources in Coastal Deposits

A detailed study of the seabed surrounding dredge pits created during the mining of marine aggregate from a small licence off the south coast of the United Kingdom (“Licence Area 122/3”) has been completed. Over 350 km of high-resolution sidescan sonar imagery and 177 sediment samples have been obtained over a study area extending 10 km either side of the dredge zone (representing one full tidal excursion) in order to identify far-field effects on both physical and biological resources of the seabed.The physical results presented here for Area 122/3 clearly show that the physical impact of dredging (without screening) on the seabed is limited to a zone within approximately 300 m downtide of the dredge area. This will generally be within the dredge licence boundary due to operational procedures. There is no evidence of suspended sediments falling to the seabed beyond this zone and causing significant changes, which may be manifested as infilling of small pits by fine sediments, siltation within crevices or development of migratory sand ripples. However, there is some statistical evidence from grab sampling that surface sediments have a greater sand fraction within the excursion track of the plume, than those sediments either side. Despite this small change in seabed particle size distribution, the benthic communities do not exhibit a detectable impact, as reported in the accompanying paper by Newell et al. (2002).Analysis of ADCP backscatter data supports recent evidence for development of a near bed benthic boundary plume some 2–4 metres thick and a few tens of metres wide which extends beyond the limits of the dredge activity. On an extraction licence undertaking cargo screening, this near bed plume may exceed 4.5 kilometres downtide. Such a phenomenon provides a potential mechanism for impacting physical and benthic resources well beyond the dredge licence boundary and requires further investigation.

Variation in surface turbulence and the gas transfer velocity over a tidal cycle in a macro-tidal estuary

The gradient flux technique, which measures the gas transfer velocity (k), and new observational techniques that probe turbulence in the aqueous surface boundary layers were conducted over a tidal cycle in the Plum Island Sound, Massachusetts. Efforts were aimed at testing new methods in an estuarine system and to determine if turbulence created by tidal velocity can be responsible for the short-term variability ink. Measurements were made during a low wind day, at a site with tidal excursions of 2.7 m and a range in tidal velocity of nearly 1 m s−1. Estimates ofk using the gradient flux technique were made simultaneously with the Controlled Flux Technique (CFT), infrared imagery, and high-resolution turbulence measurements, which measure the surface renewal rate, turbulent scales, and the turbulent dissipation rate, respectively. All measurements were conducted from a small mobile catamaran that minimizes air- and water-side flow distortions. Infrared imagery showed considerable variability in the turbulent scales that affect air-water gas exchange. These measurements were consistent with variation in the surface renewal rate (range 0.02 to 2 s−1), the turbulent dissipation rate (range 10−7 to 10−5 W kg−1), andk (range 2.2 to 12.0 cm hr−1). During this low wind day, all variables were shown to correlate with tidal speed. Taken collectively our results indicate the promise of these methods for determining short-term variability in gas transfer and near surface turbulence in estuaries and demonstrate that turbulent transport associated with tidal velocity is a potentially important factor with respect to gas exchange in coastal systems.

Migrating sand waves

A simple mathematical model is described, which reproduces the major features of sand waves' appearance and growth and in particular predicts their migration speed. The model is based on the linear stability analysis of the flat configuration of the sea bottom subject to tidal currents. Attention is focused on the prediction of the complex growth rate Γ that bottom perturbations undergo because of both oscillatory fluid motions and residual currents. While the real part Γ r of Γ controls the amplification or decay of the amplitude of the bedforms, the imaginary part Γ i is related to their migration speed. Previous works on the migration of the sand waves (Nemeth et␣al. 2002) consider a forcing tide made up by the M2 constituent (oscillatory period equal to 12 h) plus the residual current Z0 and predict always a downcurrent migration of the bedforms. However, field cases exist of upcurrent-migrating sand waves (downcurrent/upcurrent-migrating sand waves mean bedforms moving in the direction of the steady residual tidal current or in the opposite direction, respectively). The inclusion of a tide constituent characterized by a period of 6 h (M4) is the main novelty of the present work, which allows for the prediction of the migration of sand waves against the residual current Z0. Indeed, the M4 tide constituent, as does also the residual current Z0, breaks the symmetry of the problem forced only by the M2 tide constituent, and induces sand-wave migration. The model proposed by Besio et␣al. (2003a) forms the basis for the present analysis. Previous works on the subject (Gerkema 2000; Hulscher 1996a,b; Komarova and Hulscher 2000) are thus improved by using a new solution procedure (Besio et␣al. 2003a) which allows for a more accurate evaluation of the growth rate for arbitrary values of the parameter r, which is the ratio between the horizontal tidal excursion and the perturbation wavelength.

A note on tidally generated sand waves

The process leading to the formation of sand waves in tide dominated coastal areas is investigated by means of the linear stability analysis of a flat sandy bottom subject to oscillatory tidal currents. The conditions for the decay or amplification of small bottom perturbations are determined for arbitrary values of the parameters of the problem. According to field observations, the initial growth of sand waves requires a minimum amplitude of the tidal current, even when the critical bed shear stress for the initial motion of sediment is set equal to zero. Moreover the minimum amplitude depends on sediment characteristics. In particular, the analysis shows that sand waves appear only for a sandy bottom and their growth does not take place when a coarse sediment covers the sea bed. The solution procedure extends the truncation method which is often used to describe the flow generated by the interaction of bottom perturbations with the oscillatory tidal current. The obtained results show that the truncation method describes the mechanism inducing the growth of sand waves, but values of the parameters exist for which its results are not quantitatively accurate. Finally, the asymptotic approach for large values of both r, which is the ratio between the amplitude of the horizontal tidal excursion and the wavelength of the bottom perturbations, and of the stress parameter s is modified in the bottom boundary layer to describe cases characterized by values of s of order one, which is the order of magnitude suggested by an analysis of field data.

Tide-induced residual current in a coastal lagoon of the Gulf of California

The non-linear tidal interactions in the narrow, shallow coastal lagoon Yavaros Bay are investigated using a vertically integrated two-dimensional numerical model. The model sea surface elevations and currents are validated by comparison of computed tidal harmonics against those derived from harmonic analysis of the sea surface and current time series. Calculations show that tides become mixed, mainly semidiurnal in the lagoon. MK 3, MS 4, and M 4, generated by advection and non-linear continuity, are the most energetic shallow water constituents. A large, half-basin clockwise eddy was found, whose source of energy is the M 2 tidal energy flux. The size of the shoal where the eddy occurs is almost the same as the maximum tidal excursion length (∼3 km).