Skip to main content
  • Processes Modifying Distribution And Properties Of Pollutant Substances
  • Published:

The hydrography of the North Sea. A review of our knowledge in relation to pollution problems

Die Hydrographie der Nordsee. Ein Überblick über unsere Kenntnisse in Beziehung zu Problemen der Gewässerverunreinigung

Kurzfassung

Diese Einführung vermittelt einen Überblick über die Entwicklung der verschiedenen Theorien über Diffusionsvorgänge im offenen Meer mit besonderer Beachtung der Nordsee. Die einzelnen Phasen in der Erarbeitung unserer Kenntnisse über das System der Restströme werden diskutiert. Ausführlich werden die Methoden, die für Strommessungen in verschiedenen Horizonten der Wasserkörper benutzt werden sowie ihre Anwendungsmöglichkeiten erörtert. Die Hauptrichtungen zukünftiger hydrographischer Arbeiten in der Nordsee werden skizziert.

Summary

1. The development of the various theories of diffusion processes in the open sea are reviewed with particular reference to work in the North Sea.

2. The stages by which our present knowledge of the residual current system of the region has been built up are discussed.

3. A detailed discussion follows of the methods by which current measurements of one kind or another have been made at various points in the water column and the use to which these measurements have been put.

4. An outline is given of the way in which we feel future work in this field must develop.

Literature cited

  • Aanderaa, I., 1964. A recording and telemetering instrument.NATO Subcomm. oceanogr. Res. 16,Tech. Rep.

  • Böhnecke, G., 1922. Salzgehalt und Strömungen der Nordsee.Veröff. Inst. Meeresk. Univ. Berl., N. F., A. Geogr.-naturwiss. R. H.10, 1–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowden, K. F., 1965. Horizontal mixing in the sea due to a shearing current.J. Fluid Mech. 21, 83–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carruthers, J. N., 1925. The water movements in the southern North Sea. Part 1. The surface drift.Fishery Invest., Lond. (Ser. 2) 8 (2), 1–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— 1926. The water movements in the southern North Sea. Pt 2. The bottom currents.Fishery Invest., Lond. 9 (3), 1–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— 1930. Aims and methods in the study of currents.Rapp. P.-v. Réun. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 64, 24–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— 1934. Certain fishery applications of the results of researches on marine currents carried out from the Lowestoft Fisheries Laboratory.Rep. Br. Ass. Advmt Sci. 104, 325–327.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— 1935. The flow of water through the Straits of Dover as gauged by continuous current-meter observations at the Varne Lightvessel (50°56′N–1°17′E). Part II. Second report on results obtained.Fishery Invest., Lond. 14 (4), 1–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— &Veley, V. F. C., 1949. Studies of water movements and winds at various lightvessels in 1938, 39 and 40. The Varne Lightship and her successors.Annls Biol. 6, 115–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartwright, D. E., 1961. A study of currents in the Strait of Dover.J. Inst. Navig. 14, 130–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut, 1958. Strombeobachtungen in der südwestlichen Nordsee in den Jahren 1951–55.Meeresk. Beob. Ergebn. dt. hydrogr. Inst. 9.

  • Dickson, R. R., 1967. Long-term changes in the hydrography of the European shelf seas since 1905, and the effects of these upon the distribution and abundance of various marine organisms. (Ph. D. thesis submitted to University of East Anglia, September 1967.)

  • Durst, C. S., 1924. The relationship between current and wind.Q. Jl R. met. Soc. 50, 113–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, V. W., 1905. On the influence of the earth's rotation on ocean currents.Ark. Mat. Astr. Fys. 2, 1–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • -- 1906. Beiträge zur Theorie der Meeresströmungen.Annln Hydrogr. Berl. 34, 423 ff.

  • —— 1928. Eddy viscosity and skin friction in the dynamics of wind and ocean-currents.Mem. R. met. Soc. 2 (20), 161–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaul, R. D. &Stewart, H. B., 1960. Nearshore ocean currents off San Diego, California.J. geophys. Res. 65, 1543–1556.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geckler, J. R. &Wandstrat, T. A., 1964. Uptake and retention of Rhodamine B by quahog clams,Mercenaria mercenaria.Chesapeake Sci. 5, 134–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hela, I., 1952. Drift currents and permanent flow.Commentat. physico-math. 16 (14), 1–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, G. F., 1967. The engineering for production of a recording current meter.Int. hydrogr. Rev. 44 (2), 151–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, P., 1956. A determination of the relation between wind and sea-surface drift.Q. Jl R. met. Soc. 82, 494–502.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, J. &Sendner, H., 1958. Über die horizontale Diffusion im Meere.Dt. hydrogr. Z. 11, 49–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— —— &Weidemann, H., 1964. Untersuchungen über die horizontale Diffusion in der Nordsee.Dt. hydrogr. Z. 17, 57–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karwowski, J., 1963. Measurement of the sea currents by means of drift bottles.Int. hydrogr. Rev. 40 (2), 119–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koppen, A., 1898.Aus Arch. dt. Seew. 21 (5).

  • Lawford, A. L. &Veley, V. F. C., 1956. Change in the relationship between wind and surface water movement at higher wind speeds.Trans. Am. geophys. Un. 37, 691–693.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lisitzin, E., 1938. Über den Zusammenhang zwischen Wind und Strom bei dem Feuerschiff Storbrotten im nördlichen Ålandsmeer.J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 13, 293–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Longuet-Higgins, M. S., 1953. Mass transport in water waves.Phil. Trans. R. Soc. (Ser. A.) 246, 535–581.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucas, C. E. &Rae, K. M., 1946. The plankton of the North Sea in relation to its environment. Pt 1. The hydrological background in the southern North Sea, 1930–37.Hull Bull. mar. Ecol. 3, 1–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandelbaum, H., 1956. Evidence for a critical wind velocity for air-sea boundary processes.Trans. Am. geophys. Un. 37, 685–690.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— &Veley, V. F. C., 1958. Discussion of “Evidence for a critical wind velocity for air-sea boundary processes” and “Change in the relationship between wind and surface water movement at higher speeds”.Trans. Am. geophys. Un. 39, 335–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumann, H. &Meier, C., 1964. Die Oberflächenströme in der Deutschen Bucht.Dt. hydrogr. Z. 17, 1–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okubo, A., 1962. A review of theoretical models of turbulent diffusion in the sea.Tech. Rep. Chesapeake Bay Inst. 30 (Ref. 69–29).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozmidov, R. V., 1958. On the circulation of horizontal diffusion of the pollutant patches in the sea.Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR. 120, 761–763.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard, D. W. &Carpenter, J. H., 1960. Measurement of turbulent diffusion in estuarine and inshore waters.Bull. int. Ass. scient. Hydrol. 20, 37–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramster, J. W., 1965. Studies with the Woodhead Sea-bed Drifter in the southern North Sea.Lab. Leafl. Fish. Lab. Lowestoft (N. S.) 6, 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steele, J. H., 1957. The role of lateral eddy diffusion in the northern North Sea.J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 22, 152–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson, R. E., 1958. An investigation of nearshore ocean currents at Newport Beach, California. (Mimeogr. Rep.)

  • Tait, J. B., 1930. The surface water drift in the northern and middle areas of the North Sea and in the Faroe-Shetland Channel. Pt 1. A preliminary report upon the results of Scottish experiments with surface-floating bottles, 1910–1914.Scient. Invest. Fishery Bd Scotl. 2, 1–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— 1930. The surface water drift in the northern and middle areas of the North Sea and in the Faroe-Shetland Channel. Pt 2 (Sect. 1). A cartographical analysis of the results of Scottish surface drift-bottle experiments commenced in the year 1910.Scient. Invest. Fishery Bd Scotl. 4, 1–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— 1931. The surface water drift in the northern and middle areas of the North Sea and in the Faroe-Shetland Channel. Pt 2 (Sect. 2). A cartographical analysis of the results of Scottish surface drift-bottle experiments commenced in the year 1911.Scient. Invest. Fishery Bd Scotl. 3, 1–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • —— 1937. The surface water drift in the northern and middle areas of the North Sea and in the Faroe-Shetland Channel.Scient. Invest. Fishery Bd Scotl. 1, 1–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Talbot, J. W. &Henry, J. L., 1968. The adsorption of rhodamine-B on to materials carried in suspension by inshore waters.J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 31 (3) (in press).

  • Thorade, H., 1914. Die Geschwindigkeit von Triftströmungen und die Ekmansche Theorie.Annln Hydrogr. Berl. 42, 379–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tibby, R. B., 1957. A study of currents in Santa Monica Bay by the use of drift cards. (Unpublished manuscript quoted byStevenson 1958).

  • Tomczak, G., 1964. Investigations with drift cards to determine the influence of the wind on surface currents.In: Studies on oceanography. Ed. by K. Yoshida. University of Tokyo Press, 129–139.

  • Veen, J. van, 1938. Water movements in the Straits of Dover.J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 13, 7–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veley, V. F. C., 1960. The relationship between local wind and water movement in coastal waters of the British Isles.In: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on waste disposal in the marine environment. Ed. byE. A. Pearson. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 285–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallauschek, E. &Lutzen, J., 1963. Study of problems relating to radioactive waste disposal into the North Sea. 1. Oceanographical and biological conditions in the North Sea. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, European Nuclear Energy Agency, 51 pp.

  • Waugh, G. D. &Key, D., 1967. Experiments with Rhodamine B and European flat oysters (Ostrea edulis L.).J. Cons. perm. int. Explor. Mer 31, 272–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witting, R., 1909. Zur Kenntnis des vom Winde erzeugten Oberflächenstromes.Annln Hydrogr. Berl. 37, 193–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyrtki, K., 1952. Der Einfluß des Windes auf die Wasserbewegungen durch die Straße von Dover.Dt. hydrogr. Z. 5, 21–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yeo, S.-A., 1957. The problem of wind drift near a free water surface.Bull. Challenger Soc. 3 (9), 35.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, A., Ramster, J. The hydrography of the North Sea. A review of our knowledge in relation to pollution problems. Helgolander Wiss. Meeresunters 17, 44–63 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01611211

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01611211

Keywords