Comparison of simulation results and field data on currents and density in Tokyo Bay

A multilevel model was applied to the calculation of permanent current and density variation in Tokyo Bay, and the change of the state of stratification and the accompanying current field was simulated. In the numerical simulation, the observed field data such as wind conditions and atmospheric temperature were used as input to the calculation, and the results were compared with the observed values of currents, salinity, and sea temperature. Comparison of simulation results and observed data revealed that the numerical simulation could describe well the current and density field governed by wind under stratified conditions. In particular, the long-term variations of the vertical structure of salinity and temperature from summer to autumn could be predicted qualitatively, as could the long-term variations of the vertical structure of salinity and temperature from summer to autumn. Additionally, the effects of boundary conditions on the results of numerical simulations were examined. As a result, it was clarified that the simulation results of salinity stratification were strongly affected by the boundary conditions such as river discharge and the vertical structure of salinity at the open boundary adjacent to the outer ocean.