Variations of temperature, salinity and current in the southern tidal passage of the Hangzhou Bay, China

Field surveys covering a spring-neap tidal period were conducted to investigate the characteristics of tidal dynamics within a curved channel in the southern Hangzhou Bay, China. The channel has a maximum depth of more than 100 m with an average tidal range of 2.5 m, serving as the main tidal passage in the southern part of the Hangzhou Bay. Water salinity, temperature and velocity data were collected from the ship-based transects and mooring measurements. During flood tide, the tidal current intrudes into the Hangzhou Bay through the northern side of the channel with a maximum velocity of about 2 m/s, while retreats through the southern side during ebb tide with a maximum velocity of 1.8 m/s. Due to the pressure, density gradients, the Coriolis force and centrifugal effect, a lateral exchange flow is generated as the tidal current relaxes from flood to ebb. Salinity and temperature data show that the water in the channel is weakly stratified during both spring and neap tides in summer time. However, mixing in the middle region will be enhanced by the lateral circulation. Mooring data indicate that the temperature and salinity are varying at a frequency similar to tidal current but higher than sea level oscillation. Our results support the hypothesis that the high frequency salinity and temperature variations could be generated by combination of the tidal current and the lateral exchanging flow.