Naslov
Surface current patterns in front of the Venice Lagoon

Autori
Gačić, Miroslav ; Kovačević, Vedrana ; Mazzoldi, A. ; Paduan, J.D. ; Mancero-Mosquera, I. ; Yari, S.

Izvornik
Estuarine, coastal and shelf science (0272-7714) 82 (2009), 3; 485-494

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Adriatic Sea; surface circulation; eddies and mesoscale processes; wind-driven currents; tidal forcing; HF coastal radar

Sažetak
Surface patterns of the low-frequency current in a 20 x 30 km region in front of the Venice Lagoon were analysed from a 13-month-long HF radar data set. Sur-face circulation was related to prevalent wind regimes in the area and to the tidal flow through the lagoon inlet. Three different categories of wind-forcing were defined: bora (NE wind), sirocco (SE wind), and finally the category containing all other wind directions and calms (winds lower than 3 m/sec). Mean flow and vorticity spatial distributions were discussed for different wind conditions. The coastal area about 5 km wide is characterized by a flow field with maximum vorticity. Outside the coastal boundary layer the interior flow is part of the Adriatic basin-wide cyclonic circulation. Two counter-rotating vortices of the dimension of about 4-5 km were evidenced in the average flow field in front of the lagoon inlet (Malamocco inlet) in all situations except for the bora. The vortex-pair is probably associated with the tidal flow through the inlet. The bora wind induces a strong southward coastal jet detached from the coast by about 5 km homogenizing the flow and eliminating the dipole. The average coastal flow pattern in calm wind conditions was also analysed as a function of the strong inflow/outflow (currents in the inlet > 0.7 m s(-1)) from the lagoon inlet. In both cases the vorticity pattern is similar, with the negative vorticity to the left of the inlet and positive to the right looking seaward.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geologija

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