The Net Circulation in the West Passage of Narragansett Bay
1973
Weisberg, Robert H. | Sturges, III, Wilton
Narragansett Bay is a weakly stratified estuary comprised of three connecting passages of varying depths. The vertical distribution of horizontal velocity was observed in the West Passage using moored current meters. The instantaneous motion was characterized by semi-diurnal tidal currents of amplitude 25-60 cm/s. These currents exhibited a phase advance with depth (total water depth=12.8 m) ranging with lunar phase from 0-3 hrs. The primary objective of the study was the analysis of the net circulation, i.e., the motion exclusive of the periodic tides. The net current time series obtained by filtering out the tidal periodicities were found to be an order of magnitude less than the instantaneous motion and well correlated to the prevailing 2-10 m/ s wind. For periodicities about two days, the squared coherence and phase between the longitudinal components of wind and net near surface current were 0. 7 and 3 hours respectively.
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