Hydrodynamic modelling of coastal seas: the role of tidal dynamics in the Messina Strait, Western Mediterranean Sea
This work explores the importance of considering tidal dynamics when modelling the general circulation in the Messina Strait, a narrow passage connecting the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian subbasins in the Western Mediterranean Sea. The tides and the induced water circulation in this Strait are among the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-07-01
|
| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/16/1553/2016/nhess-16-1553-2016.pdf |
| Summary: | This work explores the importance of considering tidal dynamics when
modelling the general circulation in the Messina Strait, a narrow passage
connecting the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian subbasins in the Western
Mediterranean Sea. The tides and the induced water circulation in this Strait
are among the most intense oceanographic processes in the Mediterranean Sea.
The quantification of these effects can be particularly relevant for
operational oceanographic systems aimed to provide short-term predictions of
the main hydrodynamics in the Western Mediterranean subbasins. A numerical
approach based on the use of a high-resolution hydrodynamic model was
followed to reproduce the tides propagation and the wind-induced and
thermohaline water circulation within the Strait and in surrounding areas. A
set of numerical simulations was carried out to quantify the role of the
Strait dynamics on the larger-scale water circulation. The obtained results
confirmed the importance of a correct representation of the hydrodynamics in
the Messina Strait even when focusing on predicting the water circulation in
the external sea traits. In fact, model results show that tidal dynamics
deeply impact the reproduction of the instantaneous and residual circulation
pattern, waters thermohaline properties and transport dynamics both inside
the Messina Strait and in the surrounding coastal and open waters. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |