As part of a study on the environmental management of mariculture in Hong Kong, the flushing characteristics of Sok Kwu Wan in Lamma Island, Hong Kong is studied using 3D hydrodynamic and mass transport models. It is found that, unlike other coastal bays, the computed flushing times for the representative wet and dry season conditions differ by an order of magnitude. This is related to a vertical three-layer structure in the wet season flow that is characteristic of a diffusion-induced circulation. Detailed numerical experiments show that in bays with this type of circulation, the flushing rate is linearly proportional to the vertical salinity differential at the entrance to the bay.
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