SEASONAL VERIATION OF RESIDUAL CURRENTS IN THE MEGHNA ESTUARY OF BANGLADESH

Seasonal variation of residual currents in the Meghna Estuary, located at the northern part of the Bay of Bengal, has been investigated through the use of a 3D numerical model. Residual current in the Meghna Estuary appears to be strongly influenced by tidal currents and Coriolis Effect under average meteorological and hydrological conditions of four different seasons considered,. Average seasonal variation of wind speed and direction as well as fresh water inflow does not seem to have significant influence on residual current. Only under the influence of average of maximum wind speeds of different seasons, residual currents in the Meghna Estuary show their dependency on wind stress. In general, at the surface layer northward and northwestward flow is created during the pre-monsoon and monsoon periods and southwest and southeastward flow is created during the post-monsoon and winter periods.