Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of stratification on tidal circulation over the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of St. Lawrence: a numerical study using a three-dimensional shelf circulation model

  • Published:
Ocean Dynamics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A three-dimensional shelf circulation model is used to examine the effect of seasonal changes in water-column stratification on the tidal circulation over the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The model is driven by tidal forcing specified at the model’s lateral open boundaries in terms of tidal sea surface elevations and depth-averaged currents for five major tidal constituents (M2, N2, S2, K1, and O1). Three numerical experiments are conducted to determine the influence of baroclinic pressure gradients and changes in vertical mixing, both associated with stratification, on the seasonal variation of tidal circulation over the study region. The model is initialized with climatological hydrographic fields and integrated for 16 months in each experiment. Model results from the last 12 months are analyzed to determine the dominant semidiurnal and diurnal tidal components, M2 and K1. Model results suggest that the seasonal variation in the water-column stratification affects the M2 tidal circulation most strongly over the shelf break and over the deep waters off the Scotian Shelf (through the development of baroclinic pressure gradients) and along Northumberland Strait in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (through changes in vertical mixing and bottom stress). For the K1 constituent, the baroclinic pressure gradient and vertical mixing have opposing effects on the tidal circulation over several areas of the study region, while near the bottom, vertical mixing appears to play only a small role in the tidal circulation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bernier NB, Thompson KR (2006) Predicting the frequency of storm surges and extreme sea levels in the northwest Atlantic. J Geophys Res 111:C10009. doi:10.1029/2005JC003168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cartwright DE (1969) Extraordinary tidal currents near St Kilda. Nature 223:928–932

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummins PF, Masson D, Foreman MGG (2000) Stratification and mean flow effects on diurnal tidal currents off Vancouver Island. J Phys Oceanogr 30:15–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davies AM, Flather RA (1978) Computing extreme meteorologically induced currents, with application to the northwest European continental shelf. Cont. Shelf Res 7:643–683

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drozdowski A, Hannah CG, Loder JW (2002) The northwest Atlantic tidal current database. Can. Tech. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean. Sci. 222, 35 pp., Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada

  • Dupont F, Hannah CG, Greenberg DA, Cherniawsky JY, Naimie CE (2002) Modelling system for tides for the northwest Atlantic coastal ocean. Can. Tech. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean Sci. 221, 72 pp., Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada

  • Galperin B, Kantha LH, Hassid S, Rosati A (1988) A quasi-equilibrium turbulent energy model for geophysical flows. J Atmos Sci 45:55–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haney RL (1991) On the pressure gradient force over steep topography in sigma co-ordinate ocean models. J Phys Oceanogr 21:610–619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hannah CG, Shore JA, Loder JW, Naimie CE (2001) Seasonal circulation on the western and central Scotian Shelf. J Phys Oceanogr 31:591–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howarth MJ (1998) The effect of stratification on tidal current profiles. Cont Shelf Res 18:1235–1254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koutitonsky VG, Bugden GL (1991) The physical oceanography of the Gulf of St. Lawrence: A review with emphasis on the synoptic variability of the motion. The Gulf of St. Lawrence: small ocean or big estuary? Can Spec. Publ. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 113, edited by J.-C. Therriault, 57–90

  • Lu Y, Thompson KR, Wright DG (2001) Tidal currents and mixing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: an application of the incremental approach to data assimilation. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 58:723–735

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mellor GL (2004) Users guide for a three-dimensional, primitive equation, numerical ocean model. Princeton University, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Mellor GL, Yamada T (1982) Development of a turbulent closure model for geophysical fluid problems. Rev Geophys 20:851–875

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohashi K, Sheng J, Thompson KR, Hannah CG, Ritchie H (2008) The effect of stratification on the tidal circulation over the Scotian Shelf and the Gulf of St. Lawrence: A numerical study. Estuarine and Coastal Modeling, Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference, edited by M. Spaulding, 57–73

  • Ohashi K, Sheng J, Thompson KR, Hannah CG, Ritchie H (2009) Numerical study of three-dimensional shelf circulation on the Scotian Shelf using a shelf circulation model. Submitted to Cont Shelf Res

  • Pawlowicz R, Beardsley B, Lentz S (2002) Classical tidal harmonic analysis including error estimates in MATLAB using T_TIDE. Comput Geosci 28:929–937

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrie B (1975) M2 surface and internal tides on the Scotian shelf and slope. J Mar Res 33:303–323

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray RD (2006) Secular changes of the M2 tide in the Gulf of Maine. Cont Shelf Res 26:422–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheng J, Zhai X, Greatbatch RJ (2006) Numerical study of the storm-induced circulation on the Scotian Shelf during Hurricane Juan using a nested-grid ocean model. Prog Oceanogr 70:233–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith P (1983) The mean and seasonal circulation off southwest Nova Scotia. J Phys Oceanogr 13:1034–1054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson KR, Wright DG, Lu Y, Demirov E (2006) A simple method for reducing seasonal bias and drift in eddy resolving ocean models. Ocean Model 13:109–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson KR, Ohashi K, Sheng J, Bobanovic J, Ou J (2007) Suppressing bias and drift of coastal circulation models through the assimilation of seasonal climatologies of temperature and salinity. Cont Shelf Res 27:1303–1316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xing J, Davies AM (1998) Influence of stratification upon diurnal tidal currents in shelf edge regions. J Phys Oceanogr 28:1803–1831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zakardjian BA, Sheng J, Runge JA, McLaren I, Plourde S, Thompson KR, Gratton Y (2003) Effects of temperature and circulation on the population dynamics of Calanus finmarchicus in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Scotian Shelf: Study with a coupled, three-dimensional hydrodynamic, stage-based life history model. J Geophys Res 108:8016. doi:10.1029/2002JC001410

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to John Loder and Doug Gregory at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) for their assistance with the observations used in this study. We wish to thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. This study is part of the Centre for Marine Environmental Prediction (CMEP-Bay), supported by the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS). Additional financial support was provided by the Canadian Program for Energy Research and Development. J.S. is also supported by the Industrial Research Chair grant in “Regional Ocean Modelling and Prediction” funded jointly by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Martec Ltd. and Meteorological Service of Canada.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4J1, Canada

    Kyoko Ohashi, Jinyu Sheng, Keith R. Thompson & Harold Ritchie

  2. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada

    Charles G. Hannah

  3. Recherche en Prévision Numérique, Environment Canada, Dorval, QC, Canada

    Harold Ritchie

Authors
  1. Kyoko Ohashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jinyu Sheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Keith R. Thompson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Charles G. Hannah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Harold Ritchie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jinyu Sheng.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Phil Dyke

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ohashi, K., Sheng, J., Thompson, K.R. et al. Effect of stratification on tidal circulation over the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of St. Lawrence: a numerical study using a three-dimensional shelf circulation model. Ocean Dynamics 59, 809–825 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-009-0212-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-009-0212-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation