Characteristics of ocean currents near Hong Kong by analysis of two ADCP data sets

Hourly velocities measured by Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) at two locations L1 and L2 and tidal levels at L2 near Hong Kong are analyzed as a time series using the extended harmonic analysis method. The results indicate that the four major tidal constituents (M2, S2, K1 and O1) account for 81 and 40 percent of the power of the observed depth-averaged velocities at locations Ll and L2 respectively, and 79 percent of the observed tidal levels at L2. Surface velocities at both locations are not dominated by tidal effects. The results provide a benchmark that can assist in the interpretation of numerical tidal model predictions against field data near Hong Kong.