Two-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Tide and Tidal Current of Eight Major Tidal Constituents in the Bohai, Yellow, and East China Seas

Abstract

Numerical simulations of the eight major tidal constituents (M2, S2, K1, O1, N2, K2, P1, and Q1) in the Bohai, Yellow and East China Seas (BYES) were conducted using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) based on altimeter products from X-TRACK. Tidal harmonic constants and two-dimensional tidal current data with a spatial resolution of 1/12° were obtained. To validate the simulation results (SRs), harmonic constants from altimeters and tide gauges, two sea level anomaly time series, and velocity observations from 12 current meters were utilized. Additionally, data from five tidal models were used for comparison. The validation and comparison results demonstrated the accuracy of SR, especially when compared with coastal tide gauge data where SR performs exceptionally well. The cotidal charts and tidal current ellipses obtained through SR exhibited good continuity and consistency with the previous studies, effectively reflecting the tidal characteristics of the BYES. The SR can serve as a valuable reference and support for tidal-related fields in the BYES, including the supplement and verification of ocean measurements and the calculation of reference planes for ocean engineering.

Keywords

• tide
• tidal current
• satellite altimeter observations
• ROMS