Block Approach to the Simulation of Circulation and Tides in the Black Sea

• Published in: Physical oceanography 2016-01 (1), p.3-19
• Main Authors: Dotsenko, S.F., Zalesny, V.B., Sannikova, N.K.V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Marine
• ISSN: 1573-160X; 1573-160X
• DOI: 10.22449/1573-160X-2016-1-3-19

The analysis of tidal parameters in the Black Sea with the field data for a variety of marine coastal areas is given. The characteristics of the basic parameters of tidal oscillations in the region and the examples of cotidal maps and maps of the lines of equal amplitudes for the semi-diurnal tide are presented. Besides, the Black Sea water circulation is simulated using the block approach. The sigma -model of the ocean circulation developed in the Institute of Numerical Mathematics of RAS is applied. The model spatial resolution over the longitude and latitude is about 4 km. 40 irregularly distributed sigma -levels are preset over the vertical; the step in time is 300 s. The vortex structure is distinctly manifested in the Black Sea circulation. The Rim Current which characterizes general cyclonic circulation along the Black Sea perimeter forming two evident vortices is reproduced. In general, results of numerical modeling in seemed like a good match observational data, as well as the results of other models of the Black Sea. To describe generation of tides, the module corresponding to the Sun and Moon tide-generating potentials is introduced into the sigma -model. The analysis showed that the tides in the Black Sea are weakly expressed because of the relative smallness of the pool area. As the Black Sea straits are shallow and relatively narrow, so that does not contribute to the development of tides.