Estimation of current driving force in Suo Sea, the Seto Inland Sea, japan

The characteristic of seawater exchange in the Suo Sea was investigated from observation results. The seawater exchange in the Suo Sea is strongly influenced by the river discharge and the intrusion of open seawater through the Bungo Channel. The seawater exchange around the Suo Sea is influenced by the annual cycle of the current field in overall the Seto Inland Sea. The close relationship among the annual cycle of sea level height (SLH) in the Seto Inland Sea, SLP and density was indicated from observation results. Based on the results, in order to estimate the annual cycle of current field in the Inland Sea, the two-dimensional numerical model reflected the annual cycle of density and sea level pressure (SLP) distributions and SLH at the boundaries facing the Pacific as the driving force was developed. The importance of the seasonal current driving force to the seawater exchange around the Suo Sea was indicated by two-dimensional numerical simulation.