Ocean bottom friction study from numerical modelling of sea surface height and SEASAT-ALT data

Tidal dissipation at the ocean floor has long been regarded as an adquated explanation to the behaviour of lunar orbit and Earth's rotation, although the actual mechanism involved is yet a fascinating research subject to date. The most common way to evaluate the dissipation is to find the rate of work done per unit surface by the current on the sea floor (Munk and Mac Donald 1960, Lambeck 1975). The success of this approach rely on the knowledge of the frictional coefficient which links the frictional force at the ocean floor, either quadratically or linearly, with the current velocity. Not only is the frictional coefficient important in this context, a variety of storm surge and tidal modelling problems also require a similar dissipation meachanism (Heaps 1969, Grace 1930, Stock 1976 etc.). The University of Manitoba, Center for Precambrian Studies Publication No. 089