Cross-Shore Internal Waves in Zanpa Coastal Region of Okinawa Island.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Nakaza, Eizo; Rahaman, S. M. B.; Kitamura, Yasushi; Pawlak, Geno; Tsukayama, Seikoh
- Source
- Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal & Ocean Engineering. Jan/Feb2006, Vol. 132 Issue 1, p36-46. 11p. 14 Graphs.
- Subject
- *INTERNAL waves
*OCEAN waves
*TIDAL currents
*WAVE energy
*WATER temperature
*TEMPERATURE
*REEFS
*SLOPES (Physical geography)
- Language
- ISSN
- 0733-950X
Comprehensive field observations were made to establish a baseline of the existing tidal current structure and internal wave phenomena in a coastal region. Water temperature distributions at different depths and vertical profiles of horizontal current were examined in detail. Time series of horizontal current and near-bottom temperature fluctuations are explained by internal wave theories following two-layer and continuous density distributions. Study results show the propagation of cross-shore internal waves in an area where bottom topography is characterized by near-critical slope. Near-bottom cold internal current that flowed toward the shore significantly influenced the water temperature distributions in the region. The vertical structure of east-west horizontal current showed that its transmission was consistent with the phase propagation of theoretically calculated internal waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]