Eastcoast 2001, A Tidal Constituent Database for Western North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea

Abstract

This report describes the development of the Eastcoast 2001 database of computed tidal elevation and velocity constituents within the Western North Atlantic Tidal (WNAT) domain. The WNAT domain encompasses the Western North Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. The computations are based on a strategically designed finite element grid and the coastal hydrodynamic circulation model, ADCIRC. The resulting Eastcoast 2001 database defines the computed elevation and velocity amplitude and phase for the O1, K1, Q1, M2, S2, N2, and K2 tidal constituents. The Eastcoast 2001 database is significantly more accurate than the previous Eastcoast 1995 and Eastcoast 1991 databases based on the following feature improvements: (a) a new grid generation technique with better node placement and distribution, (b) a significantly greater number of total nodes, (c) a more accurate coastal boundary, and (d) inclusion of more reliable bathymetric databases. The new grid generation technique is the combination of two a priori mesh criteria: (a) The wavelength to grid size ratio and (b) the topographic length scale criteria. This combination optimally and more accurately places grid nodes in areas where high resolution is needed. Error analysis of computed versus measured elevation amplitude and phase at 101 stations in addition to an assessment of measured data errors globally and locally quantifies The level of reliability of the computed constituents.