Numerical Model of the Circulation in an Open Bay

An external alongshore current setting to the east and across the mouth is proposed as the driving mechanism for the measured clockwise circulation in St. Georges Bay, Nova Scotia. A barotropic numerical model of an open bay forced by an alongshore current was able to produce a clockwise gyre in the bay. The model current velocities were in good agreement with the data. The generation, size, and intensity of the gyre required low values of vertical viscosity relative to horizontal viscosity. Key words: numerical model, bay, gyre, circulation, barotropic, current, coastal