| Type |
Article |
| Date |
1992 |
| Language |
English |
| Author(s) |
Orlic M, Gacic M, Laviolette Pe |
| Affiliation(s) |
INST OCEANOG & FISHERIES,YU-58000 CROATIA,YUGOSLAVIA
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV,STENNIS SPACE CTR,RES CTR,MISSISSIPPI STATE,MS 39529 |
| Source |
Oceanologica Acta (0399-1784) (Gauthier-Villars), 1992 , Vol. 15 , N. 2 , P. 109-124 |
| WOS© Times Cited |
297 |
| Abstract |
This paper reviews the present state of knowledge of the Adriatic general circulation and its higher-frequency current variability. All studies show that the surface circulation consists of a large-scale cyclonic meander with several smaller cells embedded in it, and that the circulation system is modulated seasonally. Water mass analyses and direct current measurements indicate that the cyclonic meander also occurs in the intermediate layer, dominated by the current that inflows along the eastern coast. In the bottom layer, an outflowing current pressed against the western coast prevails. The circulation patterns are constantly perturbed by the higher-frequency current variations. Tidal currents modify the mean, residual flow rather weakly. On the other hand, winds have recently emerged as an important driving force, causing transient currents which may surpass in order of magnitude all the other contributions to the Adriatic current field. It has been found that the wind-driven currents are controlled by vorticity of the wind field, and that under the summer, stratified conditions, wind pulses may trigger oscillations of the inertia period. The physical processes occurring along the two opposing coasts of the Adriatic Sea differ markedly in their characteristics. Water exchange between the semienclosed basins of the eastern coast and the open sea is mainly forced by the local wind. Conversely, the shelf area along the western coast is dominated by the Po River outflow, which in winter mostly remains confined to a coastal boundary layer, whereas in summer it spreads to the open sea as well. Critical gaps in the present knowledge are identified, and ways of approaching them are suggested. Future work must specifically address the question of the relative importance of different forcing mechanisms in driving the Adriatic general circulation. Special attention must be paid to the exchange of water through the Otranto Strait and its relation to the rate of dense water formation in the Adriatic. The relative contribution of different water masses to the formation of the outflowing Adriatic water should be assessed. Combined modelling efforts, satellite data analysis and in situ measurements are suggested to study the rather poorly known mesoscale features and processes. |
| Full Text |
| File |
Pages |
Size |
Access |
| 18764.pdf |
16 |
1 MB |
Open access |
|
