Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2010, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (3): 1-9.doi: 10.11978/j.issn.1009-5470.2010.03.001cstr: 32234.14.j.issn.1009-5470.2010.03.001

• Marine hydrology •     Next Articles

Tidal energy fluxes and dissipation in the South China Sea without considering tide-generated potential energy

TONG Jing-quan1,2, LEI Fang-hui3, MAO Qing-wen1, QI Yi-quan1   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sci-ences, Guangzhou 510301, China; 2. Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; 3. CNOOC Research Center, Beijing 100027, China
  • Received:2008-12-25 Revised:2009-04-06 Online:2010-07-01 Published:2010-05-24
  • About author:佟景全(1979—), 男, 辽宁省庄河市人, 博士研究生, 目前从事海洋动力过程数值模拟和分析工作。
  • Supported by:

    中国科学院知识创新工程项目(Kzcx2-Yw-201); 国家科技计划支撑项目(2006BAB19B01); 国家“973计划”(2006CB403604)

Abstract:

The tidal energy fluxes and dissipation of the principal barotropic tidal constituents M2, S2, K1 and O1 over the South China Sea (SCS) are examined in detail using the simulated tidal results of the Estuarine, Coastal and Ocean Model(ECOM). The results show that the M2, S2, K1 and O1 tidal energy fluxes across the Luzon Strait from the west Pacific are 38.93, 5.77, 29.73 and 28.97 GW into the SCS respectively, and the corresponding fluxes across the Karimata Strait into the Java Sea are 2.42, 0.36, 8.67 and 7.86 GW, respectively. There are also M2 tidal energy fluxes of 25.28 GW into the Taiwan Strait from the East China Sea and northwest of the Luzon Strait. The semi-diurnal tidal energy fluxes into the Beibu Gulf of and the Gulf of Thailand (6.52 GW in all) are much weaker than the diurnal tides (24.74GW). There is 12.28GW of diurnal tidal energy flux into the Sulu Sea from the SCS, while 1.92 GW of semi-diurnal tidal energy flux in a contrary direction. The net tidal energy fluxes and bottom boundary layer dissipation, which should be equal to each other in steady state, are not balanced in each area of the SCS. The most convenient management to this is to modulate the bottom friction coefficients, which are calculated to be 0.0023, 0.0024, 0.0023, and 0.0021 for the Taiwan Strait, the Beibu Gulf, the Gulf of Thailand and deep sea areas in the SCS, respectively.

Key words: South China Sea, tidal energy flux, bottom boundary layer dissipation, bottom friction coefficient