Dynamics of estuarine residual circulation in a narrow channel including tidal-nonlinear effects

Numerical modeling of a semienclosed narrow channel demonstrates the dynamical dependency of an estuarine residual circulation (ERC) on tidal amplitudes. The ERC is defined by tidally-averaged current field. The tidally-averaged fields show that the ERC-strength variation is classified into highly stratified, partially stratified and weakly stratified ranges, respectively. The ERC becomes weaker as the tidal amplitude (and hence vertical mixing) increases in the highly and weakly stratified ranges. However, the ERC becomes stronger oppositely in the partially stratified range. The nonlinear forces induced by tides significantly affect the ERC as well as the pressure gradient force due to the freshwater flux and the vertical stress divergence (vertical eddy viscous force). In particular, the tidal stress and tidally-oscillating component of vertical stress divergence are quite important in ERC dynamics. The latter causes the enhancement of ERC in proportion to the vertical mixing in the partially stratified range.