Weather induced subtidal flows through multiple inlets of an arctic microtidal lagoon

作     者：Chunyan Li Kevin M.Boswell Nazanin Chaichitehrani Wei Huang Renhao Wu 

作者机构：Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences College of the Coast and Environment Louisiana State University Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University Horn Point Laboratory Center for Environmental Science University of Maryland College of Marine Sciences and Technology Zhejiang Ocean University 

出 版 物：《Acta Oceanologica Sinica》 (海洋学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2019年第38卷第3期

页      面：1-16页

核心收录：

学科分类：08[工学] 081501[工学-水文学及水资源] 0815[工学-水利工程] 

基　　金：The National Key R&D Project of China under contract No.2017YFC1404201 the USA North Pacific Research Board Project under contract No.1229 the USA Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Awards under contract Nos M12PG00024(ACES)and M12PG00018(Arctic EIS) 

主　　题：wind-driven flows multiple inlets micro-tidal numerical model experiments counter-wind flows quasi-steady state 

摘      要：Estuarine processes in the arctic lagoons are among the least studied but important subjects, especially considering the rapid warming of arctic water which may change the length of ice-free period in the summer. In this paper, wind-driven exchange flows in the micro-tidal Elson Lagoon of northern Alaska with multiple inlets of contrasting widths and depths are studied with in situ observations, statistical analysis, numerical experiments, a regression model on the basis of dynamics, and remote sensing data. Water velocity profiles were obtained from a bottom deployed acoustic Doppler current profiler(ADCP) in the northwestern Eluitkak Pass connecting the Beaufort Sea to the Elson Lagoon during a 4.9 day ice-free period in the summer of 2013. The subtidal flow is found correlated with wind(R^2 value ～96%). Frequently occurring east, northeast and north winds from the arctic atmospheric high-and low-pressure systems push water from the Beaufort Sea into the lagoon through the wide inlets on the eastern side of the lagoon, resulting in an outward flow against the wind at the narrow northwestern inlet. The counter-wind flow is a result of an uneven wind forcing acting through the asymmetric inlets and depth,an effect of torque or vorticity. Under northwest wind, the exchange flow at the northwestern inlet reverses its direction, with inward flows through the upwind northwestern inlet and outward flows through the downwind eastern inlets. A regression model is established based on the momentum equations and Taylor series expansions. The model is used to predict flows in July and August of 2015 and July of 2017, supported by available Landsat satellite images. About 73%–80% of the time the flows at Eluitkak Pass are out of Elson Lagoon for the summer of 2015 and 2017. Numerical experiments are conducted to corroborate the findings and illustrate the effects under various wind conditions. A quasi-steady state balance between wind force and surface pressure gradient is c