Tidal Characteristic Numbers of Temperature

graphical representations of the characteristic numbers of salinity

Motivation

The calculation as well as the graphic visualization of various tidal characteristic numbers of temperature and also for the advective transport of heat contributes to an improved understanding of tidally dominated transport processes in estuaries. Spatial variations of temperature, advective transport of heat by means of flood and ebb currents can be highlighted for areas like coastal seas and estuaries as well.

• As the calculations are performed separately for the durations of ebb- and flood-current it can be shown that transport paths can differ significantly for the two tidal phases. From this one can get additional insight with respect to the relevant transport mechanisms dominated by the tidal currents. This can be related to locally varying flood-ebb asymmetries for ebb volume and flood volume. Also the presence of horizontal gradients can contribute to this effect.

• The variation of temperature resulting from the local maximum as well as the local minimum of temperature can be quite large. This is a consequence of the different temperature of e.g. sea and fresh water. The value for the local temperature variation is mainly the result of the product between the horizontal temperature gradient and the lagrangian drift of a water particle during a complete tidal cycle.

An automatic analysis of all tidal characteristic numbers of temperature is carried through by the computer programs TDKSF and NCANALYSE.

Definitions for the Tidal Characteristic Numbers of Temperature

Program NCANALYSE

Flood Current

Advective Flood Transport of Heat

Exact amount of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during flood current due to advection. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT).

Diffusive Flood Transport of Heat

Exact amount of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during flood current due to (turbulent) diffusion. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT).

Advective Flood Transport-Rate of Heat

Exact transport rate of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during flood current due to advection. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT). On tidal flats this quantity is computed for the period of inundation only.

Diffusive Flood Transport-Rate of Heat

Exact transport rate of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during flood current due to (turbulent) diffusion. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT). On tidal flats this quanmtity is computed for the period of inundation only.

Mean Temperature Flood Current

Mean value of temperature during the flood current duration of a tide.

Ebb Current

Advective Ebb Transport of Heat

Exact amount of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during ebb current due to advection. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT).

Diffusive Ebb Transport of Heat

Exact amount of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during ebb current due to (turbulent) diffusion. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT).

Advective Ebb Transport-Rate of Heat

Exact transport rate of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during ebb current due to advection. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT). On tidal flats this quantity is computed for the period of inundation only.

Diffusive Ebb Transport-Rate of Heat

Exact transport rate of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during ebb current due to (turbulent) diffusion. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT). On tidal flats this quanmtity is computed for the period of inundation only.

Mean Temperature Ebb Current

Mean value of temperature during the ebb current duration of a tide.

Tidal Cycle

Maximum Temperature

maximum value of temperature during a complete tidal cycle (period between two subsequent slack water times of ebb current).

Minimum Temperature

minimum value of temperature during a complete tidal cycle (period between two subsequent slack water times of ebb current).

Mean Temperature

average value of temperature during a complete tidal cycle (period between two subsequent slack water times of ebb current).

Tidal Variation of Temperature

difference between the extreme values of temperature during a complete tidal cycle (period between two subsequent slack water times of ebb current).

Advective Residual Transport of Heat

residual amount of heat which is transported by means of ebb and flood currents through a cross section (the different transport directions are taken into account). If the advective transport by means of flood current is equal but in opposite direction of the ebb current transport this will result in a zero advective residual transport of heat.
Residual based on exact volume of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during a tidal cycle (flood current plus ebb current) due to advection. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT).

Diffusive Residual Transport of Heat

residual heat volume which is transported by means of diffusion during ebb and flood current through a cross section (the different transport directions are taken into account). If the diffusive transport for each of the tidal phases is equal but in opposite direction this will result in a zero diffusive residual transport of heat.
Residual based on exact volume of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during a tidal cycle (flood current plus ebb current) due to diffusion. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face. Reconstruction of the total vector by means of projection is left to visualization programs (e. g. NCPLOT).

Advective Tidal Transport of Heat

total amount of heat which is transported by means of advection during ebb and flood current through a cross section (the different transport directions are taken into account). Magnitudes for flood and ebb current transport are added.
Sum of individual transports (magnitudes) based on exact amount of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during a tidal cycle (flood current plus ebb current) due to advection. This quantity makes use of the normal flow of heat only, which is orthogonal to the flow face.

Advective Heat Transport, Flood-Ebb-Ratio

flood to ebb ratio for the amount of heat which are transported by means of flood and ebb currents.
Based on exact volume of salt (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section during a tidal cycle due to advection. Quantity is computed from the (face) normal components only.

Advective Heat Transport, Flood-Tide-Ratio

flood to tide ratio for the amount of heat which are transported by means of flood and tide (flood plus ebb) currents.
Based on exact amount of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section due to advection. Quantity is computed from the (face) normal components only.

Advective Heat Transport, Ebb-Tide-Ratio

ebb to tide ratio for the amount of heat which are transported by means of ebb and tide (flood plus ebb) currents.
Based on exact amount of heat (with exception of roundoff) which passes a certain cross section due to advection. Quantity is computed from the (face) normal components only.

Mean Temperature Flood Current : Mean Temperature

Ratio of mean temperature of flood current to mean temperature during the complete tide.

Mean Temperature Ebb Current : Mean Temperature

Ratio of mean temperature of ebb current to mean temperature during the complete tide.

Mean Temperature Flood Current : Mean Temperature Ebb Current

Ratio of mean temperature of flood current to mean temperature of ebb current.

Tidal Variation of Temperature : Mean Temperature

Ratio of tidal variation of temperature to mean temperature value of the tide.

Maximum Temperature : Mean Temperature

Ratio of maximum temperature of the tide to mean temperature value of the tide.

Minimum Temperature : Mean Temperature

Ratio of minimum temperature of the tide to mean temperature value of the tide.

Program TDKSF

Flood Current

Advective Flood Transport of Heat

amount of heat, which is transported by means of flood current through a cross section
Example: not available.

Ebb Current

Advective Ebb Transport of Heat

Amount of heat, which is transported by means of ebb current through a cross section
Example: not available.

Tidal Cycle

Maximum Temperature

Maximum value of temperature during a complete tidal cycle (period between two subsequent slack water times of ebb current)
Example: not available.

Minimum Temperature

Minimum value of temperature during a complete tidal cycle (period between two subsequent slack water times of ebb current)
Example: not available.

Mean Temperature

Average value of temperature during a complete tidal cycle (period between two subsequent slack water times of ebb current)
Example: not available.

Tidal Variation of Temperature

Difference between the extreme values of temperature during a complete tidal cycle (period between two subsequent slack water times of ebb current)
Example: not available.

Advective Residual Transport of Heat

Residual amount of heat which is transported by means of ebb and flood currents through a cross section (the different transport directions are taken into account). If the advective transport by means of flood current is equal but in opposite direction of the ebb current transport this will result in a zero advective residual transport of heat.
Example: not available.

Advective Temperature, Flood-Ebb-Ratio

Flood to ebb ratio for the amounts of heat which are transported by means of flood and ebb currents
Example: not available.

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