Formula Used:
From: | To: |
Tidal Prism Filling Bay 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. It's a crucial parameter in coastal engineering and tidal hydraulics.
The calculator uses the Keulegan formula:
Where:
Explanation: This formula accounts for non-sinusoidal tidal characteristics using Keulegan's constant to provide more accurate tidal prism calculations.
Details: Accurate tidal prism calculation is essential for coastal engineering projects, estuary management, sediment transport studies, and understanding tidal hydrodynamics in bays and inlets.
Tips: Enter tidal duration in years, maximum instantaneous ebb tide discharge in cubic meters per second, and Keulegan constant. All values must be positive numbers.
Q1: What is the typical range for Keulegan Constant?
A: The Keulegan constant typically ranges from 0.8 to 1.2, with 1.0 representing perfectly sinusoidal flow and values deviating from 1.0 indicating non-sinusoidal characteristics.
Q2: How is maximum instantaneous ebb tide discharge measured?
A: This is typically measured using current meters or acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) during ebb tide conditions.
Q3: Why account for non-sinusoidal character in tidal flows?
A: Real-world tidal flows often deviate from perfect sinusoidal patterns due to various factors including basin geometry, friction, and nonlinear interactions.
Q4: What are practical applications of tidal prism calculations?
A: Applications include dredging requirements, navigation channel design, flood risk assessment, and environmental impact studies in coastal areas.
Q5: How accurate is this calculation method?
A: The Keulegan method provides good estimates for many practical applications, though field measurements may be needed for highly complex tidal systems.