1. What is Tidal Duration Calculation?

Tidal duration is an efficient way of guesstimating how much water there is, at any given time of day, over a particular point. It represents the time period associated with tidal movements in coastal areas.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( T \) — Tidal Duration (seconds)
• \( P \) — Tidal Prism Filling Bay (m³)
• \( Q_{max} \) — Maximum Instantaneous Ebb Tide Discharge (m³/s)
• \( \pi \) — Archimedes' constant (approximately 3.14159)

Explanation: The formula calculates the tidal duration by relating the tidal prism volume to the maximum ebb tide discharge rate.

3. Importance of Tidal Duration

Details: Accurate tidal duration calculation is crucial for coastal engineering, navigation planning, tidal energy assessment, and understanding coastal ecosystem dynamics.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter tidal prism in cubic meters (m³) and maximum instantaneous ebb tide discharge in cubic meters per second (m³/s). All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is tidal prism?
A: Tidal prism is the volume of water in an estuary or inlet between mean high tide and mean low tide, or the volume of water leaving an estuary at ebb tide.

Q2: What is maximum instantaneous ebb tide discharge?
A: Maximum instantaneous ebb tide discharge per unit width [length^3/time-length]. Ebb is the tidal phase during which water level is falling.

Q3: Why is π used in the formula?
A: The π constant accounts for the sinusoidal nature of tidal movements and provides a more accurate representation of the tidal cycle.

Q4: What are typical values for tidal duration?
A: Tidal duration typically ranges from a few seconds to several hours, depending on the specific coastal location and tidal characteristics.

Q5: Are there limitations to this calculation?
A: This calculation provides an estimate and may not account for all complex hydrodynamic factors in specific coastal environments.