CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERNAL TIDE AND ITS ASSOCIATED COOLING SYSTEM IN GENKA BAY, OKINAWA, JAPAN

Abstract

Profiling and mooring measurements were carried out in Genka Bay, Okinawa, Japan to study the characteristics of the internal tidal current and its associated cooling system. The study results show that the depth-averaged current flows nearly parallel to the coastline. There is also an existence of a cross-shore internal tidal current according to the vertical structure of the horizontal current. This current influences on the bottom water temperature transmission from offshore to nearshore bottom water and changes the vertical temperature profile even of nearshore regions and thereby establishes a unique cooling system. Spectra of the baroclinic and bottom water temperature also congruent the internal tide based cooling system in GB.