Three-dimensional model of tides and storm surges in a shallow well-mixed continental sea

A three-dimensional “long waves” model is discussed for the study of tides and storm surges in a shallow well-mixed continental sea. Emphasis is placed on the North Sea where tidal and storm currents constitute the essential part of the circulation and estimates from observations in the North Sea and, more especially, the Southern Bight are used to assess the relative importance of different effects and derive a simple set of equations by which vertical profiles of tidal and storm currents can be predicted, at each points, as functions of time.