Dynamics of the Circulation in the Sea of Marmara: Numerical Modeling Experiments and Observations from the Turkish Straits System Experiment

Abstract

During September 2008 and February 2009, the NR/V Alliance extensively sampled the waters of the Sea of Marmara within the framework of the Turkish Straits System (TSS) experiment coordinated by the NATO Undersea Research Centre. The observational effort provided an opportunity to set up realistic numerical experiments for modeling the observed variability of the Marmara Sea upper layer circulation at mesoscale resolution over the entire basin during the trial period, complementing relevant features and forcing factors revealed by numerical model results with information acquired from in situ and remote sensing datasets. Numerical model solutions from realistic runs using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) produce a general circulation in the Sea of Marmara that is consistent with previous knowledge of the circulation drawn from past hydrographic measurements, with a westward meandering current associated with a recurrent large anticyclone. Additional idealized numerical experiments illuminate the role various dynamics play in determining the Sea of Marmara circulation and pycnocline structure. Both the wind curl and the strait flows are found to strongly influence the strength and location of the main mesoscale features. Large displacements of the pycnocline depth were observed during the sea trials. These displacements can be interpreted as storm-driven upwelling/downwelling dynamics associated with northeasterly winds; however, lateral advection associated with flow from the Straits also played a role in some displacements.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2011
Accession Number
ADA552212

Entities

People

  • Ewa Jarosz
  • Jacopo Chiggiato
  • James D. Dykes
  • Jeffrey W. Book
  • Jochen Horstmann
  • Lucio Torrisi
  • Pierre-Marie Poulain
  • Riccardo Gerin
  • Sukru Besiktepe

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Advection
  • Anticyclones
  • Black Sea
  • Cloud Cover
  • Displacement
  • Dynamics
  • Grids
  • Measurement
  • Nato
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Remote Sensing
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Sea Water
  • Surface Temperature
  • Synthetic Aperture Radar
  • Underwater Acoustics

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Oceanography.