A Nondivergent Barotropic Model for Wind-Driven Circulation in a Closed Region

Abstract

An analytical model is developed for nondivergent barotropic flow in a rectangular region, with depth contours parallel to the longshore boundary. The model is linear, with flow forced by wind stress and subject to dissipation by bottom stress. The friction due to the bottom stress is parameterized by a single friction coefficient, which represents a gross decay time for the whole region. Analytical solutions are developed in detail for a steady or periodic wind stress, which is independent of the cross-shelf coordinate. Results are presented for a range of values of the region dimension and the friction coefficient. Comparisons are made between the analytical model and recent observations of the wind-driven flow in the northern Great Barrier Reef.