Clyde Sea hydrography

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Abstract
A front on the Great Plateau separates tidally mixed water of the North Channel from quieter less saline surface layers of the Outer Firth. These water bodies exchange about 1·6 × 104m3 s−1, leading to a residence time of two months in the Outer Firth surface layers. The position of the front is determined by the balance of mixing and buoyancy supply. The wind modulates weak tidal currents in the Outer Firth by driving surface currents and setting up deeper compensation flows. Deep water in the Arran Deep and Kilbrannan Sound is irregularly renewed by inflow of dense water over the Eastern Plateau from autumn to spring of about 1 × 104m3 s−1 but stagnates in summer below a thermocline. A minor part of this renewal comes over the Davaar sill into Kilbrannan Sound.Bottom water of the fjordic sea-lochs is isolated in summer and renewed during the winter. The renewals occur by density currents flowing in from the sills and these produce a characterising grading of the bottom sediments from coarse to fine away from the sills.

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