Long-Period Tides in an Atmospherically Driven, Stratified Ocean

Abstract

ong-period tides (LPT) are studied using a stratified, primitive equation model on a global domain and in the presence of a fully developed, atmospherically forced ocean general circulation. The major LPT constituents, from termensual to nodal (18.6 yr) periods, are examined. Ocean circulation variability can overwhelm the longest tide signals and make inferring LPT from data difficult, but model results suggest that bottom pressure offers cleaner signal-to-noise ratios than sea level, particularly at low latitudes where atmospherically driven variability is substantially stronger at the surface than at the bottom. Most tides exhibit a significant large-scale dynamic response, with the tendency for weaker nonequilibrium signals in the Atlantic compared to the Pacific as seen in previous studies. However, across most tidal lines, the largest dynamic signals tend to occur in the Arctic and Nordic Seas and also in Hudson Bay. Bathymetry and coastal geometry contribute to the modeled nonequilibrium behavior. Baroclinic effects tend to increase with the tidal period. Apart from short spatial-scale modulations associated with topographic interactions, the excitation of various propagating baroclinic wave modes is clearly part of the modeled LPT, particularly at tropical latitudes, for fortnightly and longer-period tides.