Tide-Induced Mass Transport in Lagoons

Abstract

This paper examines the tide-induced mass transport in coastal lagoons which are connected to the ocean by more than one opening. An approximate analytic expression for the tide-induced mass transport in a lagoon of uniform width and depth at each end freely connected to a tidal basin is derived, assuming one-dimensional homogeneous flow. Analytic results are compared with numerically computed values of the mass transport. It is shown that the tide-induced mass transport can be an important factor in the renewal of the waters of shallow lagoons.