Analysis of Variability of the Black Sea Hydrophysical Fields in 1993 – 2012 Based on the Reanalysis Results

V.L. Dorofeev, L.I. Sukhikh✉

Marine Hydrophysical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sevastopol, Russian Federation

✉ e-mail: l.sukhikh@gmail.com

Abstract

The work is devoted to the study of the long-term (1993–2012) variability of the Black Sea dynamics. The basis of the presented analysis is hydrophysical fields. They were resulted from physical reanalysis carried out based on remote sensing data assimilation in the numerical model of the Black Sea circulation. As boundary conditions on the free surface the model uses ERA-Interim atmospheric forcing. Availability of three-dimensional hydrophysical arrays on a regular grid permits to quantify the impact of various physical processes on formation of thermohaline structure and circulation of the Black Sea waters. It is shown that during the considered period the sub-surface layer temperature and salinity grow. It is manifested in increase of the sea surface temperature and degradation of the cold intermediate layer. Impact of winter thermal convection and water advection from the north-western shelf upon renewal of the cold intermediate layer waters is quantitatively assessed. Evolution of the upper mixed layer thickness which is of a well pronounced seasonal character is represented. It is shown that formation of a horizontal circulation is conditioned mainly by the wind field vorticity over the Black Sea. It is revealed that a crucial contribution to formation of a vertical circulation cell in the Black Sea is done by the wind field.

Keywords

reanalysis, the Black Sea dynamics, data assimilation, cold intermediate layer

For citation

Dorofeev, V.L. and Sukhikh, L.I., 2016. Analysis of Variability of the Black Sea Hydrophysical Fields in 1993 – 2012 Based on the Reanalysis Results. Physical Oceanography, (1), pp. 33-47. doi:10.22449/1573-160X-2016-1-33-47

DOI

10.22449/1573-160X-2016-1-33-47

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