Wind Effects on Tidal Currents in Gamak Bay

J. Ocean Eng. Technol. 2009;23(2):18-27.

Lee Moon-Ock,Kim Byeong-Kuk

Faculty of Marine Technology Chonnam National University,Graduate School Chonnam National University

Keywords: Tidal currents, Semi-enclosed bay, Wind, Gamak Bay, Numerical experiments, Correlation coefficients

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the effect of wind on the circulation of seawater in Gamak Bay, which contains numerous farms for fish and shellfish but suffers a significant loss by fisheries nearly annually from harmful algal blooms. In numerical experiments with a simplified bathymetry for Gamak Bay, the wind in summer appeared to more strongly influence the east-westward flow than the south-northward flow. In winter, this trend was nearly similar to the summer but seemed to have a greater effect on the flow at the north-west of the bay than the flow at the south mouth of the bay. On the other hand, in numerical experiments with a realistic bathymetry for Gamak Bay, the wind in summer appeared to more strongly influence the east-westward flow than the south-northward flow. Furthermore, the effect of the wind was stronger at the south mouth of the bay than at the north-west of the bay. In contrast, the wind in winter affected the east-westward flow more strongly and its effect appeared stronger at the north-west of the bay than at the south mouth of the bay. In addition, the effect of the wind tended to increase with distance from the east to the west. Therefore, the tidal currents in Gamak Bay proved to be strongly influenced by the wind, in particular east-westward. However, some measures are urgently required to improve the water quality of the bay, since the south-northward flow turned out to be obstructed by an east-westward shoal located in the middle of the bay.