Circulation pattern and current variations with respect to tidal frequency in the sea near the head of Suruga Bay

Current measurements were conducted 10 m below the sea surface near the head of Suruga Bay intermittently from 1970 to 1978. The circulation pattern is usually counterclockwise; northward along the east coast (off Heda and at the mouth of Uchiura Inlet), westward along the north coast (off Fuji), and southwestward along the west coast (off Shimizu). The amplitudes of the four major tidal constituents of current variation, M₂, S₂, K₁ and O₁, are much larger than those expected from sea level variations along the coast. The amplitudes of the diurnal constituents of current variation are much larger than those of the semidiurnal constituents, while the amplitudes of the semidiurnal constituents of sea level variation are much larger than those of the diurnal constituents. The observed amplitude of the predominant diurnal constituents exhibit large seasonal changes and tend to increase with the development of the stratification of the upper part of the water in Suruga Bay. These facts strongly suggest that the observed current variations are mainly associated with internal tides in Suruga Bay.