Normal Modes of the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine

Abstract

Platzman's (1972) numerical scheme has been used to study the inviscid normal modes of the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine for a variety of boundary conditions. The results support the contention that the resonant period associated with the lowest mode is greater than the M2 tidal period. Calculation of a damping rate from the inviscid solution gives a dissipative Q of 3.3 for the system, though this is probably an underestimate. Changes of period and normal mode shape due to changes in geometry at the head of the Bay of Fundy are investigated and some rather uncertain implications for tidal power development are discussed.