Currents in Penobscot Bay, Maine

A three-dimensional numerical model is applied to Penobscot Bay, a complicated estuarine system on Maine´s Atlantic coast. The estuary classification varies from stratified to well-mixed depending upon season and distance from the ocean. Bathymetry and topography are complex. Because an extensive data set exists for Penobscot Bay, testing and verification of the model is attempted here in spite of the bay´s physical complications. NOS/NOAA collected data for two consecutive summers (1969 and 1970) at over 100 stations using moored sets of current meters. Observation periods ranged from 3 days to 3 months. The model has been updated and run including the density gradients in the bay. Calculated currents are the same order as the residual currents measured in the bay or about 2 km/day.