Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Thickness-Weighted Averaging in Tidal Estuaries and the Vertical Distribution of the Eulerian Residual Transport

Knut Klingbeil Department of Mathematics, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), Rostock, Germany

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Johannes Becherer College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon

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Elisabeth Schulz Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), Rostock, Germany

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Huib E. de Swart Department of Physics, Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands

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Henk M. Schuttelaars Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands

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Arnoldo Valle-Levinson Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

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Hans Burchard Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), Rostock, Germany

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Print Publication:
01 Jul 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-18-0083.1
Page(s):
1809–1826
Restricted access

Abstract

This paper presents thickness-weighted averaging (TWA) in generalized vertical coordinates as a unified framework for a variety of existing tidal-averaging concepts in seas and estuaries. Vertical profiles of resulting residual quantities depend on the specific vertical coordinate, which is held fixed during the averaging process. This dependence is demonstrated through the application to one-dimensional analytical tidal flow with sediment transport, to field observations from a tidal channel, and to model results from a two-dimensional estuary. The use of different coordinate systems provides complementary views on the residual dynamics and stresses the importance of a correct interpretation of residual quantities obtained by tidal averaging.

© 2019 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Knut Klingbeil, knut.klingbeil@io-warnemuende.de

Abstract

This paper presents thickness-weighted averaging (TWA) in generalized vertical coordinates as a unified framework for a variety of existing tidal-averaging concepts in seas and estuaries. Vertical profiles of resulting residual quantities depend on the specific vertical coordinate, which is held fixed during the averaging process. This dependence is demonstrated through the application to one-dimensional analytical tidal flow with sediment transport, to field observations from a tidal channel, and to model results from a two-dimensional estuary. The use of different coordinate systems provides complementary views on the residual dynamics and stresses the importance of a correct interpretation of residual quantities obtained by tidal averaging.

© 2019 American Meteorological Society. For information regarding reuse of this content and general copyright information, consult the AMS Copyright Policy (www.ametsoc.org/PUBSReuseLicenses).

Corresponding author: Knut Klingbeil, knut.klingbeil@io-warnemuende.de
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