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Bay Tide Amplitude is the average difference between water levels at high and low tide in a bay or estuary. It represents the vertical tidal range that affects coastal areas and is crucial for understanding tidal dynamics in semi-enclosed water bodies.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the tidal amplitude by dividing the tidal prism (volume of water entering/leaving the bay during a tidal cycle) by twice the surface area of the bay.
Details: Accurate calculation of bay tide amplitude is essential for coastal engineering, flood prediction, navigation planning, and understanding sediment transport processes in estuarine environments.
Tips: Enter the tidal prism filling bay in cubic meters (m³) and the surface area of the bay in square meters (m²). Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero.
Q1: What is a tidal prism?
A: Tidal prism is the volume of water that flows into or out of a bay during one tidal cycle, typically measured between mean high tide and mean low tide levels.
Q2: How is surface area of bay measured?
A: Surface area is typically measured at mean sea level and can be determined through bathymetric surveys, satellite imagery, or nautical charts.
Q3: What factors affect bay tide amplitude?
A: Bay geometry, tidal range at the entrance, friction, and resonance effects can all influence the actual tide amplitude within a bay.
Q4: Are there limitations to this formula?
A: This simplified formula assumes uniform tidal response and may not account for complex bay geometries, friction effects, or non-linear tidal dynamics.
Q5: How accurate is this calculation for real-world applications?
A: While useful for preliminary estimates, detailed tidal studies often require more sophisticated numerical models that account for additional hydrodynamic factors.