A Study of Tidal Energy Dissipation and Bottom Stress in an Estuary

Abstract A Method for inferring an area-averaged bottom stress and energy dissipation rate in a tidal estuarine channel is presented. The one-dimensional continuity and momentum relations are developed using simplifying assumptions appropriate for a well-mixed shallow and narrow estuary. The finite-difference form of these relations is derived for a section of the Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, an estuary which has been shown to have a relatively large energy dissipation rate. A set of current, bottom-pressure and sea-level measurements from the Estuary is used to estimate time series of all important first- and second-order terms in the momentum equation. Except near slack water, we find that the instantaneous first-order balance must be between the surface-slope-induced pressure gradient and bottom-stress forces. Important second-order contributions to the balance come from the inertial and convective acceleration terms. Time series of bottom stress are inferred by summing the estimated terms. For th...