An accurate and highly efficient three-dimensional tidal model and its application to Dalian Bay

An accurate and highly efficient semi-implicit three-dimensional tidal model is developed and applied to Dalian Bay. In the model, the pressure gradient in the momentum equations and the velocities in the vertically integrated continuity equation are discretized using the 6 -method, the 6 representing an implicit parameter. At each time step the numerical method requires the solution of one large linear system which can be formally decomposed into a set of small three-diagonal systems coupled with one five-diagonal system. The algorithm has been shown to be fast and accurate. The 3-D model is first tested against an analytical solution for the simple case of rectangular basins. The computed velocity and free surface water elevation results coincide with the analytical results. The model is next applied to Dalian Bay. The predicted results show good agreement with field measurement, verifying the accuracy of the model