Measurement and analysis of currents along the Danish west coast

Current meter records from summer and late fall at three positions have been analyzed and related to sea level and wind data. Spectral analysis shows that the most energetic fluctuations are due to tides with an amplitude corresponding to 0.2 m/s. The variability is mainly in the alongshore direction for tidal and subtidal frequencies. The adjusted sea level, which is decreasing northwards, has the strongest response for winds from land in the wintertime. In the summer a balance between bottom friction and alongshore wind stress is found with a resistance coefficient of 0.1 cm/s, while a more complicated balance exists in the winter. The mean flow during summer is about 2 cm/s. For an estimated length scale of 170 km this corresponds to an alongshore transport of 0.15·10⁶m³/s (=0.15 Sv).