RESULTS OF A FIELD STUDY OF THE TIDE LINE MECHANISM
Abstract
The concentration of foam and trash to form a visible line along the boundary between two dissimilar water masses is a daily occurrence in the waters near Panama City, Florida. The name 'tide line' is used to designate this phenomenon as its development and degeneration coincide with the ebb and flow of the tide. During the falling tide the water from St. Andrew Bay flows through the jetties into the Gulf of Mexico spreading outward as a thin surface layer. A brief investigation of this estuarine sea water boundary, carried out under various weather and sea conditions, was undertaken in the early winter of 1959. The thin layer of overlying estuarine water was found to be two to four feet deep with its front, the tide line, generally extending more than three miles offshore, before the rising tide caused its breakup. Abrupt changes in sound velocity, temperature, and salinity occurred at the interface between the estuarine and Gulf water masses. Based on the preliminary results obtained, a recommendation to continue investigation of tide line phenomenon is made.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0289837
Entities
People
- G. B. Austin
- R. H. Payne