Notice of RetractionThe Tidal Regime in the Quanzhou Bay: A Model Study

Observations at two tidal gages show that the M2 tide is dominant in the Quanzhou Bay. The cross section connecting two tidal gauges is tentatively taken as the lateral open boundary of the studied area and 10 tides are used to force the Princeton Ocean Model to simulate the tidal regime in the bay. A simple wetting and drying scheme and a river discharge model are also added to the POM to reproduce the alternative immersion and protrusion of the tidal flats on the flood and ebb, respectively, as well as the development of river plumes. Simulations show that the rectilinear currents dominate in the bay though the regions near the mouth of the bay are characterized by the rotary currents. In addition, based on the evolution of Jinjiang River plume, it can be suggested that the formation of the tidal flats may be due to the river-borne sediments, since the river-borne sand and clay settle down and accumulate in the downstream of the river plume.