scholarly journals The Adriatic Sea modelling system: a nested approach

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 345-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Zavatarelli ◽  
N. Pinardi
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Dense Water Formation ◽  
Main Circulation ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
Modelling System ◽  
Circulation Characteristics

Abstract. A modelling system for the Adriatic Sea has been built within the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project. The modelling system consists of a hierarchy of three numerical models (whole Mediterranean Sea, whole Adriatic Sea, Northern Adriatic Basin) coupled among each other by simple one-way, off-line nesting techniques, to downscale the larger scale flow field to highly resolved coastal scale fields. Numerical simulations have been carried out under climatological surface forcing. Simulations were aimed to assess the effectiveness of the nesting techniques and the skill of the system to reproduce known features of the Adriatic Sea circulation phenomenology (main circulation features, dense water formation,flow at the Otranto Strait and coastal circulation characteristics over the northern Adriatic shelf), in view of the pre-operational use of the modelling system. This paper describes the modelling system setup, and discusses the simulation results for the whole Adriatic Sea and its northern basin, comparing the simulations with the observed climatological circulation characteristics. Results obtained with the northern Adriatic model are also compared with the corresponding simulations obtained with the coarser resolution Adriatic model. Key words. Oceanography: general (continental shelf processes; numerical modelling) – Oceanography: physical (general circulation)

scholarly journals Variability of mesoscale features in the Mediterranean Sea from XBT data analysis

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Fusco ◽  
G. M. R. Manzella ◽  
A. Cruzado ◽  
M. Gačić ◽  
G. P. Gasparini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Thermal Structure ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Levantine Basin ◽  
Thermal Features ◽  
Main Circulation ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. During the period 1998–2000, the Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project, aiming to build a forecasting system for the physical state of the sea, has been carried out. A ship-of-opportunity programme sampled the Mediterranean upper ocean thermal structure by means of eXpendable Bathy-Thermographs (XBTs), along seven tracks, from September 1999 to May 2000. The tracks were designed to detect some of the main circulation features, such as the stream of surface Atlantic water flowing from the Alboran Sea to the Eastern Levantine Basin. The cyclonic gyres in the Liguro-Provenal Basin, the southern Adriatic and Ionian Seas and the anticyclonic gyres in the Levantine Basin were also features to be detected. The monitoring system confirmed a long-term persistence of structures (at least during the entire observing period), which were previously thought to be transient features. In particular, in the Levantine Basin anticyclonic Shikmona and Ierapetra Gyres have been observed during the monitoring period. In order to identify the major changes in the thermal structures and the dynamical implications, the XBT data are compared with historical measurements collected in the 1980s and 1990s. The results indicate that some thermal features are being restored to the situation that existed in the 1980s, after the changes induced by the so-called "Eastern Mediterranean Transient". Key words. Oceanography: physical (eddies and mesoscale processes; general circulation; instruments and techniques)

scholarly journals A study of the hydrographic conditions in the Adriatic Sea from numerical modelling and direct observations (2000–2008)

Ocean Science ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 549-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Oddo ◽  
A. Guarnieri
Keyword(s):  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Po River ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Dense Water ◽  
Annual Variability ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Hydrographic Conditions ◽  
Dense Water Formation ◽  
Forecasting System

Abstract. The inter-annual variability of Adriatic Sea hydrographic characteristics is investigated by means of numerical simulation and direct observation. The period under investigation runs from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2008. The model used to carry out the simulation is derived from the primitive equation component of the Adriatic Forecasting System (AFS). The model is based on the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) adapted in order to reproduce the features of the Adriatic. Both numerical findings and observations agree in depicting a strong inter-annual variability in the entire Adriatic Sea and its sub-basins. Nevertheless, two model deficiencies are identified: an excessive vertical/horizontal mixing and an inaccurate representation of the thermohaline properties of the entering Mediterranean Waters. The dense water formation process has been found to be intermittent. In addition to inter-annual variability, a long-scale signal has been observed in the salinity content of the basin as a consequence of a prolonged period of reduced Po river runoff and high evaporation rates. As a result, the temperature and salinity of the northern Adriatic dense water vary considerably between the beginning and the end of the period investigated.

scholarly journals A Study of the hydrographic conditions in the Adriatic Sea from numerical modelling and direct observations (2000–2008)

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 565-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Oddo ◽  
A. Guarnieri
Keyword(s):  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Po River ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Dense Water ◽  
Annual Variability ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Hydrographic Conditions ◽  
Dense Water Formation ◽  
Forecasting System

Abstract. The inter-annual variability of Adriatic Sea hydrographic characteristics is investigated by means of numerical simulation and direct observation. The period investigated runs from the beginning of 2000 to the end of 2008. The model used to carry out the simulation is derived from the primitive equation component of the Adriatic Forecasting System (AFS). The model is based on the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) adapted in order to reproduce the features of the Adriatic. Both numerical findings and observations agree in depicting a strong inter-annual variability in the entire Adriatic Sea and its sub-basins. The dense water formation process has been found to be intermittent. In addition to inter-annual variability, a long-scale signal has been observed in the salinity content of the basin as a consequence of a prolonged period of reduced Po river runoff and high evaporation rates. As a result, the temperature and salinity of the northern Adriatic dense water vary considerably between the beginning and the end of the period investigated.

scholarly journals The improvements of the ships of opportunity program in MFS-TEP

Ocean Science ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. R. Manzella ◽  
F. Reseghetti ◽  
G. Coppini ◽  
M. Borghini ◽  
A. Cruzado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Dense Water ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Water Formation ◽  
Dense Water Formation ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
Opportunity Program ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. The Ships Of Opportunity Program in the Mediterranean Sea was established at the end of 1999, in the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System – Pilot Project (MFS-PP). Many improvements have been made in data collection, transmission and management. Calibration of selected XBTs and a comparison of XBTs vs. CTDs during some research cruises have assured the quality of the data. Transmission now allows receiving data in full resolution by using GSM or satellite telecommunication services; management is offering access to high quality data and view services. The effects of technological and methodological improvements in the observing system are assessed in terms of capability to represent the most important circulation features. The improved methodologies have been tested during the Mediterranean Forecasting System – Toward Environmental Prediction (MFS-TEP) – Targeted Operational Period (MFS-TOP), lasting from September 2004 to February 2005. In spite of the short period of measurements, several important aspects of the Mediterranean Sea circulation have been verified, such as eddies and gyres in the various sub-basins, and dense water formation processes in some of them (vertical homogeneous profiles of about 13°C down to ~800 m in the Provençal, and of about 14.9°C down to ~300 m in the Levantine have allowed defining an index of dense water formation).

scholarly journals High resolution nested model for the Cyprus, NE Levantine Basin, eastern Mediterranean Sea: implementation and climatological runs

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Zodiatis ◽  
R. Lardner ◽  
A. Lascaratos ◽  
G. Georgiou ◽  
G. Korres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Coastal Shelf ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. A high resolution nested flow model for the coastal, shelf and open sea areas of the Cyprus Basin, NE Levantine, eastern Mediterranean Sea is implemented to fulfil the objectives of the Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project, funded by the EU. The Cyprus coastal ocean model is nested entirely within a coarse regional grid model of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, using the MODB climatology for initialisation and the ECMWF perpetual year surface forcing. The nested simulations of the Cyprus model were able to reproduce, with greater detail, flow features similar to those of the coarse grid regional model. The project results show the feasibility of the approach for the development of an operational forecasting system in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly in the Cyprus coastal/shelf sea area. Key words. Oceanography: general (descriptive and regional oceanography; numerical modelling) Oceanography: physical (general circulation)

Modeling the Environmental Dynamics of the Northern Adriatic Sea with an explicit benthic-pelagic coupling.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Zavatarelli ◽  
Isabella Scroccaro ◽  
Tomas Lovato
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Open Boundary ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Northern Adriatic Sea ◽  
Po River ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Benthic Pelagic Coupling ◽  
The Impact

<p>In the framework of the European Project H2020 "ODYSSEA" (Operating a network of integrated observatory systems in the Mediterranean SEA, http://odysseaplatform.eu/) a forecasting modeling system of the coupled physical and biogeochemical conditions of the Northern Adriatic Sea is under development.</p><p>The modeling system consists of the on-line coupling of the European general circulation model - NEMO (Nucleus for European Modeling of the Ocean, https://www.nemo-ocean.eu/), with the marine biogeochemical model - BFM (Biogeochemical Flux Model, bfm-community.eu/).<br>The biogeochemical component of the model includes the simulation of the biogeochemical processes of both water column and sediments and their coupling. The model is run for the first time in the Northern Adriatic Sea with an explicit benthic-pelagic coupling.</p><p>The horizontal spatial discretization is defined by a rectangular grid of 315 × 278 cells, having a horizontal resolution of about 800 m. The vertical resolution is defined at 2 m, with 48 z-levels regularly spaced. Currently the atmospheric forcing are the ECMWF 6hr analysis atmospheric fields. The river supplies of fresh water and nutrient salts consider the daily runoff of the Po river, while the other rivers within the study area are included as climatological values. The open boundary conditions of the modeling system come from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS, http://marine.copernicus.eu/).</p><p>In this work, the hindcast simulations encompassing the period 2000 – 2009 are validated against available observations from in situ and satellite platforms for sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a and dissolved inorganic nutrients and, in order to evaluate the impact of a resolved benthic biogeochemical dynamics,  compared against simulations results obtained utilising a simple benthic closure parameterisation.</p>

scholarly journals Wintertime dynamics in the coastal northeastern Adriatic Sea: the NAdEx 2015 experiment

Ocean Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivica Vilibić ◽  
Hrvoje Mihanović ◽  
Ivica Janeković ◽  
Cléa Denamiel ◽  
Pierre-Marie Poulain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Area ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Dense Water ◽  
In Situ Data ◽  
Thermal Changes ◽  
Dense Water Formation ◽  
Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers

Abstract. The paper investigates the wintertime dynamics of the coastal northeastern Adriatic Sea and is based on numerical modelling and in situ data collected through field campaigns executed during the winter and spring of 2015. The data were collected with a variety of instruments and platforms (acoustic Doppler current profilers, conductivity–temperature–depth probes, glider, profiling float) and are accompanied by the atmosphere–ocean ALADIN/ROMS modelling system. The research focused on the dense-water formation (DWF), thermal changes, circulation, and water exchange between the coastal and open Adriatic. According to both observations and modelling results, dense waters are formed in the northeastern coastal Adriatic during cold bora outbreaks. However, the dense water formed in this coastal region has lower densities than the dense water formed in the open Adriatic due to lower salinities. Since the coastal area is deeper than the open Adriatic, the observations indicate (i) balanced inward–outward exchange at the deep connecting channels of denser waters coming from the open Adriatic DWF site and less-dense waters coming from the coastal region and (ii) outward flow of less-dense waters dominating in the intermediate and surface layers. The latter phenomenon was confirmed by the model, even if it significantly underestimates the currents and transports in the connecting channels. The median residence time of the coastal area is estimated to be approximately 20 days, indicating that the coastal area may be renewed relatively quickly by the open Adriatic waters. The data that were obtained represent a comprehensive marine dataset that can be used to calibrate atmospheric and oceanic numerical models and point to several interesting phenomena to be investigated in the future.

scholarly journals Multi-Platform, High-Resolution Study of a Complex Coastal System: The TOSCA Experiment in the Gulf of Trieste

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 469
Author(s):  
Stefano Querin ◽  
Simone Cosoli ◽  
Riccardo Gerin ◽  
Célia Laurent ◽  
Vlado Malačič ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
Coastal System ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Gulf Of Trieste ◽  
Lagrangian Drifter

Although small in size, the Gulf of Trieste (GoT), a marginal coastal basin in the northern Adriatic Sea, is characterized by very complex dynamics and strong variability of its oceanographic conditions. In April–May 2012, a persistent, large-scale anticyclonic eddy was observed in the GoT. This event was captured by both High Frequency Radar (HFR) and Lagrangian drifter observations collected within the European MED TOSCA (Tracking Oil Spill and Coastal Awareness) project. The complexity of the system and the variety of forcing factors constitute major challenges from a numerical modeling perspective when it comes to simulating the observed features. In this study, we implemented a high-resolution hydrodynamic model in an attempt to reproduce and analyze the observed basin-wide eddy structure and determine its drivers. We adopted the Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Circulation Model (MITgcm), tailored for the GoT, nested into a large-scale simulation of the Adriatic Sea and driven by a tidal model, measured river freshwater discharge data and surface atmospheric forcing. Numerical results were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated against HFR surface current maps, Lagrangian drifter trajectories and thermohaline data, showing good skills in reproducing the general circulation, but failing in accurately tracking the drifters. Model sensitivity to different forcing factors (wind, river and tides) was also assessed.

scholarly journals Storm surge in the Adriatic Sea: observational and numerical diagnosis of an extreme event

2006 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 371-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Zampato ◽  
G. Umgiesser ◽  
S. Zecchetto
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
Hydrodynamic Model ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Extreme Event ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Limited Area ◽  
Wind Fields ◽  
Northern Adriatic

Abstract. Storm surge events occur in the Adriatic Sea, in particular during autumn and winter, often producing flooding in Venice. Sea levels are forecasted by numerical models, which require wind and pressure fields as input. Their performances depend crucially on the quality of those fields. The storm surge event on 16 November 2002 is analysed and simulated through a finite element hydrodynamic model of the Mediterranean Sea. Several runs were carried out, imposing different atmospheric forcings: wind fields from ECMWF analysis, high resolution winds from the limited area model LAMI and satellite observed winds from QuikSCAT (NASA). The performance of the hydrodynamic model in each case has been quantified. ECMWF fields are effective in reproducing the sea level in the northern Adriatic Sea, if the wind speed is enhanced by a suitable multiplying factor. High resolution winds from LAMI give promising results, permitting an accurate simulation of the sea level maxima. QuikSCAT satellite wind fields produce also encouraging results which claim, however, for further research.

scholarly journals A new high-resolution BOLAM-MOLOCH suite for the SIMM forecasting system: assessment over two HyMeX intense observation periods

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mariani ◽  
M. Casaioli ◽  
E. Coraci ◽  
P. Malguzzi
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Precipitation Forecast ◽  
Limited Area ◽  
Forecast Performance ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. High-resolution numerical models can be effective in monitoring and predicting natural hazards, especially when dealing with Mediterranean atmospheric and marine intense/severe events characterised by a wide range of interacting scales. The understanding of the key factors associated to these Mediterranean phenomena, and the usefulness of adopting high-resolution numerical models in their simulation, are among the aims of the international initiative HyMeX – HYdrological cycle in Mediterranean EXperiment. At the turn of 2013, two monitoring campaigns (SOPs – Special Observation Periods) were devoted to these issues. For this purpose, a new high-resolution BOlogna Limited Area Model-MOdello LOCale (BOLAM-MOLOCH) suite was implemented in the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) hydro–meteo–marine forecasting system (SIMM – Sistema Idro-Meteo-Mare) as a possible alternative to the operational meteorological component based on the BOLAM model self-nested over two lower-resolution domains. The present paper provides an assessment of this new configuration of SIMM with respect to the operational one that was also used during the two SOPs. More in details, it investigates the forecast performance of these SIMM configurations during two of the Intense Observation Periods (IOPs) declared in the first SOP campaign. These IOPs were characterised by high precipitations and very intense and exceptional high waters over the northern Adriatic Sea (acqua alta). Concerning the meteorological component, the high-resolution BOLAM-MOLOCH forecasts are compared against the lower-resolution BOLAM forecasts over three areas – mostly corresponding to the Italian HyMeX hydrometeorological sites – using the rainfall observations collected in the HyMeX database. Three-month categorical scores are also calculated for the MOLOCH model. Despite the presence of a slight positive bias of the MOLOCH model, the results show that the precipitation forecast turns out to improve with increasing resolution. In both SIMM configurations, the sea storm surge component is based on the same version of the Shallow water HYdrodynamic Finite Element Model (SHYFEM). Hence, it is evaluated the impact of the meteorological forcing provided by the two adopted BOLAM configurations on the SHYFEM forecasts for six tide-gauge stations. A benchmark for this part of the study is given by the performance of the SHYFEM model forced by the ECMWF IFS forecast fields. For this component, both BOLAM-SHYFEM configurations clearly outperform the benchmark. The results are, however, strongly affected by the predictability of the weather systems associated to the IOPs, thus suggesting the opportunity to develop and test a time-lagged multi-model ensemble for the prediction of high storm surge events.

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