Coriolis

The Coriolis basin at SINTEF has a diameter of 5 m and a depth of 57 cm. It has been used to simulate the transport and spreading properties of ocean currents in fjords, on the entire Norwegian continental shelf and at other locations. Three independent sources of water with different salinities allow the simulation of stratified, rotational geophysical flows. Rotation periods can be chosen from 10 s to 27 h, which is the local rotation of Earth at Trondheim.

The laboratory studies (projects) performed in the basin (see drawing) include:

• Study of whirls in the Norwegian coastal current
• Forecasting ocean currents in the northern North Sea (download video)
• Model forecast for the Eddy Tracking Experiment (1986)
• Ocean circulation in the Skagerrak (download video) 
• Ocean circulation on the central Norwegian continental shelf (download video)
• Effect of river regulation on the circulation in Boknafjorden (download video)
• Model of the ocean currents in the Barents Sea (download video)
• Simulation of the ocean circulation around Lofoten (download video)
• Model of the ocean circulation in the Kara Sea (download video)

In addition to standard in situ sensors for T, S and velocity, a method of 3-D particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) has been developed using photogrammetry. The system was upgraded during the European Fifth Framework Programme project HYDRIV (Contract HPRI-1999-50042) to process more reliable data from several hundred particles, and simplify its use. The method was designed to study internal waves in rotating fluids and is also well-suited for studying two-dimensional horizontal flows

The laboratory simulations have led to significant improvements in strategies for developing relevant hydrodynamic numerical models. During the EU programs HYDRALAB I, II and III, visiting research groups applied the facility to study, among other things, inertial oscillations of ocean rings, currents past islands, Kelvin waves at the transition from a shallow bay to the ocean, geophysical turbulence, western boundary currents and modons, up to pentapoles. Most of these studies were benchmarks for theoretical and/or numerical models. Models providing benchmarks for the Kara Sea and the Skagerrak are shown above.

For further information contact: Thomas McClimans  or  Ingrid Helene Ellingsen