Tidal Resonance and Tidal Barriers in the Bay of Fundy System

Abstract

A near-resonant mode of oscillation extending to the continental shelf in the Gulf of Maine is shown to be a contributing factor in the extreme high M2 tidal ranges in the Bay of Fundy.The effect on the M2 tidal regime of a double barrier at Cape Chignecto is studied by two methods. A one-dimensional simple harmonic model shows the effect of placing the matching boundary at any intermediate position and defines a probable zone of values for the barrier amplitude. A two-dimensional calculation covering the entire resonant region gives an estimated amplitude reduction of 34% at the Cape Chignecto barrier site.