Observations of turbulence in a tidal current

Abstract

This is a study of the longitudinal and vertical turbulent velocities which were measured both near the surface and near the bottom of an estuarine tidal current. The turbulence spectra, representing mainly the energy-containing eddies of the flow, were derived, and it was also possible to determine values for the Reynolds stresses at different depths and to make an estimate of the scales of the turbulence. The results are compared with similar observations in the open sea and certain features are discussed which resemble those of measurements of turbulent flow in laboratory experiments and in the atmosphere.