Original Article | 2005, Vol.27, No.2, pp. 425-431
Tidal circulation in Andaman Sea
Somboon Pornpinatepong
pp. 425 - 431
Abstract
The comprehensive understanding of tidal circulation in the Andaman Sea plays an essential role in search and rescue programs. The accurate prediction of water particle trajectories under influence of the tidal force will speed up searching for a floating object. A 2-D vertically-averaged hydrodynamic model has been applied to the southern west coast of Thailand covering the area from 0ºN, 95ºE to 17ºN, 104ºE. The modelís forces are the seven predominant tidal constituents (M2, S2, N2, K2, K1, O1 and P1), derived from Oregon State University. Comparison between the computed and observed water surface elevation reported by Royal Thai Navy showed good agreement. The model then has been employed to simulate the tidal current along the western coast of Thailand. The prediction of elliptic water-particle orbits was confirmed by two patterns found. In the open ″bay″ between Satun and Krabi, the orbits would have various orientations, with displacement of 3 km, whereas in the open sea between Phanga and Ranong, the particles moved mainly in the east-west direction with a maximum displacement of 5-6 km.
