7) indicates a well defined E-W tidal current system with 

 westerly flood tidal currents having a yreater peak speed 

 than the easterly ebb currents. 



Temperature and salinity at Station MP are relatively 

 constant due to the station's location in Lony Island Sound. 

 Short duration thermal peaks appear to be associated witli 

 periods of slack currents. These peaks probably represent 

 the influence of the thermal plume from liillstone Point as it 

 reaches further offshore during times of tidal current 

 reversal. StationMP does map inside the 1.5 isotherm 

 during high slack tide (Figure 12) and inside the 4 isotherm 

 during low slack tide (Figure 10). 



Data from the Twotree Island Channel station (TTIC) (Figure 

 5) show the tidal currents are WNW-ESE in direction. Peak 

 ebb current speeds to the ESE Are greater than the flood 

 current, possibly due to the flow being restricted between 

 the mainland to the nortii and Bartlett's reef to the south. 



The temperature of the ebb currents Are approximately 2-,4°F 

 greater than the flood currents. This difference is too 

 great to be due only to thermal plume water being carried 

 down the channel. Thermal mapping discussed later in this 

 report indicates that only 1.5-2°F can be attributed to the 

 thermal plume. The additional temperature difference is 

 probably attributable to cooler waters from Block Island 

 Sound brought in on the flood tide. Mixing with warmer Long 

 Island Sound water would serve to raise water temperatures 

 for the subsequent ebo tide. 



The recorded times of low slack tide and maximum flood 

 currents for Twotree Island Channel are within a half-hour of 

 predicted times but actual times of high slack tide and 

 maximum ebb currents are up to 1.75 hours later than 



12 - 



