A Diagnostic Calculation of Continental Shelf Circulation.
Abstract
An attempt is made to compute from observed density the three-dimensional velocity field in a continental shelf region that is bounded by the coast on one side and open to the ocean along the rest of its perimeter. The bottom topography of the shelf region is found to be of crucial importance. For a nondimensional depth gradient greater than the square root of the Ekman number, E, based on the vertical eddy viscosity and a scale depth, the isobaths become geostrophic contours in the sense that the barotropic part of the velocity field possesses no component normal to the isobaths. In such case, the flow field everywhere away from the coast is determined once the geostrophic velocity vector becomes known at some reference point along each of the isobaths. (Modified author abstract)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- AD0787740
Entities
People
- Chich-yuan Peng
- Ya Hsueh
Organizations
- Florida State University