Study on Tide and Tidal Current in the Gulf of Thailand Based on a Two-Rectangular-Gulf Model

To investigate the tidal dynamics in the Gulf of Thailand,a theoretical tide model for the Gulf of Thailand is given by establishing a two-rectangular-gulf model based on a generalized Taylor problem solution,to which a bottom friction and an open boundary are incorporated.This model reproduces well the characteristics of the tidal components K1 and M2 in the Gulf of Thailand.It can provide with the distributions of tidal current ellipses and tidal energy flux density vectors of M2 and K1 and reveal the contributions of Kelvin-and Poincare-waves to the formation of the tidal waves in the Gulf of Thailand.Two sensitive experiments are designed for the component M2 and the experimental results indicate that 1)the Gulf of Bangkok plays a key role in determining the existence and position of the amphidromic point at the top of the Gulf of Thailand;and 2)the westward delay of the phase lag along the open boundary is the prerequisite for forming a clockwise rotation tide system at the mouth area of the Gulf of Thailand.