Direct measurements of World Ocean tidal currents with surface drifters
Advanced Search
Select up to three search categories and corresponding keywords using the fields to the right. Refer to the Help section for more detailed instructions.

Search our Collections & Repository

For very narrow results

When looking for a specific result

Best used for discovery & interchangable words

Recommended to be used in conjunction with other fields

Dates

to

Document Data
Library
People
Clear All
Clear All

For additional assistance using the Custom Query please check out our Help Page

The NOAA IR serves as an archival repository of NOAA-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other information authored or co-authored by NOAA or funded partners. As a repository, the NOAA IR retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
i

Direct measurements of World Ocean tidal currents with surface drifters

Filetype[PDF-19.56 MB]


Select the Download button to view the document
This document is over 5mb in size and cannot be previewed
Details Supporting Files You May Also Like

Details:

  • Journal Title:
    Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
  • Personal Author:
  • NOAA Program & Office:
    OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research)
  • Description:
    Velocities of surface drifters are analyzed to study tidal currents throughout the World Ocean. The global drifter data set spanning the period 1979–2013 is used to describe the geographical structure of the surface tidal currents at global scale with a resolution of 2°. Harmonic analysis is performed with two semidiurnal, two diurnal, and four inferred tidal constituents. Tidal current characteristics (amplitude of semimajor axis, rotary coefficient, tidal ellipse inclination, and Greenwich phase) are mapped over the World Ocean from direct observations. The M2 currents dominate on all the shallow continental shelves with magnitude exceeding 60 cm/s. They are also substantial (4–5 cm/s) over the main deep topographic features such as the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge, the Southwest Indian Ridge, and the Mariana Ridge. The S2 currents have amplitudes typically half the size of the M2 currents, with a maximum of about 30 cm/s. The K1 and O1 currents are important in many shallow seas. They are large in the vicinity of the turning latitudes near 30°N/S where they merge with inertial motions of the same frequency. They are also substantial in the South China Sea and Philippine Sea. Maps of rotary coefficients indicate that all tidal motions are essentially clockwise (anticlockwise) in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere. The rotary coefficient of the tidal currents is compared with the theory of freely and meridionally propagating baroclinic inertia‐gravity waves. The Greenwich phase of the M2 constituent has large‐scale coherent propagation patterns which could be interpreted as the propagation of the barotropic tide.
  • Keywords:
  • Source:
    Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 120(10), 6986-7003
  • DOI:
  • ISSN:
    2169-9275;2169-9291;
  • Format:
    PDF
  • Publisher:
    American Geophysical Union (AGU)
  • Document Type:
    Journal Article
  • Funding:
    Grant no. NA10OAR4320156
  • Rights Information:
    Other
  • Compliance:
    Library
  • Main Document Checksum:
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:

You May Also Like

Checkout today's featured content at repository.library.noaa.gov

Version 3.27.1