404 



Tides in the Mediterranean and Adjacent Seas 



communication with the Ionian Sea through the strait between the Pelopon- 

 nesus and Crete; and (2) the actual Aegean basin, which east thereof commu- 

 nicates directly with the eastern Mediterranean basin. It seems that these two 

 basins have different tidal forms. 



The Aegean basin seems to co-oscillate with the eastern Mediterranean. 

 The natural period, according to Sterneck (1915, p. 936), with a length of 

 403 miles (651 km) and a mean depth of 1188 ft (362 m) and with a cor- 

 rection for the shape and the opening (considered as a bay) is 1 1 -42 h. We 

 have for M 2 v — 0-44. This value is very close to the condition for resonance 

 and, therefore, according to Fig. 141, one can expect a nodal line near the 

 opening. This results also from the computation of the co-oscillating tides, 

 if the Aegean is considered in its entirety. With amplitudes of about 1 1 cm 

 at the opening between Rhodes and Crete, we obtain at Salonika 15 cm. 

 But at Rhodes the establishment is 10 6 h (eastern European time, 30° E.), 

 against 40 h for Salonika, so that a nodal line somewhere north of Rhodes 

 may be assumed. Table 51 gives for various localities the harmonic constants 

 for M 2 and S 2 . Complete analyses by Tenani (1930) are now available for 



Table 51. Harmonic constants for the Aegean Sea 

 (H in cm; g 3Q °E. in degrees.) 



the islands of the Dodecanes. As we can see from the table, the nodal line 

 of the co-oscillating tide may lie somewhere north of the island Leros. The 

 amplitude there is below 3 cm and the ratio determining the character of 

 the tide is nearly 1 against 0-45 farther south which shows that here the 

 semi-diurnal components must decrease. Near Rhodes the phase is 107 h, 

 in the north at the Macedonian-Bulgarian coast around 4-4 h (Salonika 

 4-4 h, Dede Agach 4-3 h) according to Sterneck (1914) so that the required 

 difference in phase of 6-2 h is almost fulfilled. However, this oscillation 

 seems to be confined to the Aegean basin. The Sea of Candia (Crete) has 

 other values for the establishment, which do not fit in here. Gulf of Corinth 

 5-5 h Khania 2-6 h (with an amplitude of only 2 cm), which is better suited 

 to a co-oscillation with the Ionian Sea (establishment 4-3 h). 



9. The Tides of the Black Sea 



As far as tides are concerned, the Black Sea should be considered as a com- 

 pletely enclosed water-mass and, consequently, its tides can only by considered 



