How to Measure Whitley Bay's Coastal Currents

1. Where is Whitley Bay?

Whitley Bay is a seashore resort town located in the North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It lies along the coastline of the North Sea, boasting a beautiful stretch of sandy beaches. Its ideal location has turned it into a seashore town with a predominant marine influence on its development and lifestyle.

The town's history goes a long way. It was a small fishing community. Over the years, more people developed the love for seaside holidays, so it turned out to be an established resort. Whitley Bay's style of architecture includes several different kinds. There are some older-looking buildings in the center of the town that appeal traditionally. These tend to have red-brick facades, sash windows, and tiled roofs. Near the seafront, there are newer buildings. These are big hotels, cafes, and amusement arcades that bring in tourists. The combination of old-world charm and new amenities makes the town distinctive and lively.

The residents of Whitley Bay have a strong affinity for the sea. Fishing has been a tradition for a long time, although the fishing industry has shrunk. Local fishermen still venture out to sea from the small harbor, bringing back fish like cod, plaice, and mackerel. The harbor is not only for fishing but also for boat trips undertaken by locals and tourists. They can absorb the fresh sea air and the view of the North Sea, with seabirds wheeling overhead.

The shoreline and sea in the area around Whitley Bay contribute significantly to the local ecosystem. The North Sea water here is home to a host of sea life. Seals can sometimes be spotted on sandbanks near the shore. Seabed features comprise a number of fish species, of which crustaceans like lobsters and crabs are notable. The topography of the seabed comprises sandy bottoms, fragmented rock outcrops, and shallow seabed channels. The features not only create the rich diversity but also exert a significant impact on the movement of water.

2. What's the Situation of the Coastal Currents Near Whitley Bay?

The nearshore currents over Whitley Bay are controlled by several factors. The tidal forces are a significant factor. The North Sea experiences semi - diurnal tides, where two high tides and two low tides are experienced daily. Tidal range is not uniform everywhere, and the resulting tidal currents in such areas are around 1 - 2 knots or so, especially in front of little river mouths or where the coast is typically shaped. Upon the occurrence of high tide, water rushes on the beach along with the arrival of open sea nutrients and sediment. It feeds the aquatic ecosystem here with food and havens for other sea creatures. Low tide exposes the water that has receded, exposing the intertidal habitats more. Here, a variety of ecosystems live and persist, ranging from small crabs, sea anemones, to diverse seaweeds.

There are also significant forces of winds. Predominant south - westerly winds exert a pushing force along shores and lead to greater shore currents as well. Breezes produce surface waves to meet with current intensities. The waves create a more complex flow pattern with swirling and eddying movement. The water is driven off the beach by northerly winds. The curved coastline, with small bays, forces the currents to converge and diverge in several places. Submerged rocky outcrops and sandbars add complexity to the current patterns. These can be barriers or channels, deflecting the flow of water and creating areas of still or more turbulent water. Additionally, the supply of freshwater from small local streams can affect the local current regimes. The freshwater, being less dense than seawater, forms a surface layer and flows seaward, mixing with the tidal and wind-driven currents.

3. How to Track the Coastal Water Current of Whitley Bay?

Surface Drifting Buoy Method

Surface drifting buoys are a simple but effective way of tracking the surface - level currents near Whitley Bay. Surface drifting buoys are equipped with GPS or satellite - based tracking devices. When they are deployed into the sea, the surface currents carry them. Scientists can track their path over time. By following the motion of the buoy, they are able to estimate the surface waters' speed and direction. This method is limited to the upper few meters of the water column. It could be not typical of what is happening in the deeper part of the water, where temperature gradients and differences in salinity can influence the currents.

Moored Ship Method

Under the ship mooring method, a boat is berthed at one specific point near the shore of Whitley Bay. Subsequent to it, current instruments like electromagnetic current meters are brought down. These measure the velocity of water motion at different points below the sea. They provide a very accurate vertical profile of current direction and speed. It is, however, restricted to just one place. Also, the existence of the ship has the potential to disturb the natural flow of water. The hull of the ship and the manner in which it is moored will generate turbulence in the water, and this will influence the accuracy of the readings.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Method

ADCPs have transformed coastal current measurement in Whitley Bay. They are capable of measuring the velocity profile of the whole water column from the seabed to the surface. ADCPs exploit the sound waves in order to calculate the flow of water without intruding into it. They release acoustic pulses and determine the Doppler shift of backscattered signals off particles suspended within the water, e.g., sediment, plankton, or bubbles. From here, they can estimate the speed of the current at different depths. This offers a general overview of the prevailing frame and thus is very apt to analyze the highly variable changing coast current flows in Whitley Bay.

4. How Do ADCPs Operating on the Doppler Principle Work?

ADCPs operate on the Doppler principle. They send high-frequency acoustic pulses into the water. As the pulses encounter small particles in the water, for instance, sediment, plankton, or bubbles, the particles reflect the acoustic signals back to the ADCP. When the particles are moving with the direction of the current of the water, there will be a Doppler shift in the backscattered signal from the transmitted signal. This Doppler shift is directly proportional to the relative speed of the particles with respect to the ADCP. When the Doppler shift is measured at different depths of the water column, the ADCP profiler can calculate the velocity of the water at those depths. A number of transducers on the ADCP are used to obtain velocity components along different directions. This allows it to calculate the three - dimensional velocity vector of the water current, which provides a complete idea of how the water is flowing.

5. What's Needed for High-Quality Measurement of Whitley Bay Coastal Currents?

Equipment Material Reliability

For accurate measurement of the coastal currents off Whitley Bay, the reliability of the materials used in equipment is critical. The ADCP meter casing should be made from a material that is resistant to the harsh marine conditions of the North Sea. Titanium alloy is suitable. Its ability to resist the abrasive effects of powerful water currents, susceptibility to ramming by floating material, and aggressiveness of sea water is high. Its elastic modulus, being low, exerts a flexibility effect such that the likelihood of mechanical stress-induced damage is minimal. Its superior corrosion resistance will also enable the ADCP current profiler to stay in the water for long-term monitoring without being impaired.

Small Size, Light Weight, Low Power Consumption, and Low Cost

The small and light ADCP flow meter is easier to install and maneuver. You can tie it to a small research vessel, deploy it on a buoy, or mount it on the seafloor. It also has less impact on the natural currents of water, leading to more accurate measurements. Low power operation is essential for long-term autonomous surveillance, especially when utilizing battery - powered systems. A low-cost ADCP is necessary for mass deployment. This is needed in order to fully comprehend the complex coastal current regimes around Whitley Bay. With more ADCPs positioned elsewhere, we can learn further about the way that the currents vary across the region.

6. How to Choose the Right Equipment for Current Measurement?

Based on Application

• Shipborne ADCP: Optimum for obtaining real-time current data along the voyage of a ship in the vicinity of Whitley Bay. It can be used for performing oceanographic surveys, probing local general circulation in the area, and streamlining shipping routes, if any in the area.
• Bottom-mounted ADCP: Ideal for fixed - point, long - term monitoring of seabed currents. Useful for examining long - term trends in the coastal currents, for example, the effects of climate change on the marine environment.
• Buoy-mounted ADCP: Ideal for surface-level currents in a broad range since the buoy is drifted along with the water. It gives information about spatial variability of surface currents and coastal waters' interaction with the open North Sea.

Depending upon Water Depth

• 600kHz ADCP: Ideal for approximately 70m water depths, providing detailed readings in relatively shallow North Sea water off Whitley Bay.
• 300kHz ADCP: Well suited to about 110m water depths, which can prove useful for deeper waters in the North Sea off the town.
• 75kHz ADCP: For deep-water applications. While the waters along Whitley Bay are not typically very deep, it can be used for research involving the deeper-layer flows or for areas where there are deeper channels, capable of measuring currents at up to 1000m depths.

There are only a few renowned ADCP companies in the world market, of which Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek are notable examples. For users who are cost-conscious, the all-titanium alloy China Sonar PandaADCP is a fine balance between cost and quality. You can find more about it here https://china-sonar.com/.

Here is a table with some well known ADCP instrument brands and models.