Abstract
The spatial and temporal variabilities of alongshore semi-diurnal tidal currents in the northern Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba are examined using long-term (10. month) observations of velocity measured by acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) deployed in deep, offshore waters and in the shallow coastal zone over the period October 2008 to July 2009. Semi-diurnal tidal currents were observed throughout the entire study in both the deep and shallow velocity records. This finding differs from previous studies that observed the disappearance of semi-diurnal tidal currents from January to May, suggesting that such a disappearance is not a predictable, recurring feature of tidal currents in the Gulf. The velocity records combined with monthly hydrographic data show that the persistence of the semi-diurnal tidal currents throughout the winter and spring likely resulted from shallow upper layer depths in 2009. The dependence of the magnitude of the semi-diurnal tidal currents on the seasonally varying stratification is examined.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 14-28 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Journal of Marine Systems |
Volume | 102-104 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research was supported by the ISF . The moored measurements were conducted as part of NATO project SfP982220. We thank the Israel National Monitoring Program for CTD data and the management and staff of the Inter-university Institute (IUI) for Marine Sciences in Eilat for their cooperation and assistance.
Keywords
- Marginal seas
- Spectral analysis
- Stratification
- Tidal currents