Numerical Experiments on Modeling of the Black Sea Deep Currents

S.G. Demyshev1, O.A. Dymova, N.V. Markova1, ✉, V.B. Piotukh2

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

2 P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

✉ e-mail: n.v.markova@mail.ru

Abstract

Modeling results of the Black Sea deep-water current reconstruction are considered. Computations are provided by applying the nonlinear z-coordinate model developed in Marine Hydrophysical Institute (MHI). Climatic atmospheric forcing and the atmospheric reanalysis data (ALADIN, Era-Interim) obtained for 2006, 2010 and 2013 are taken into account in different numerical experiments. The Black Sea climatology experiment is performed with a spatial grid step equal to 5 km, and in other experiments the 1.6 km grid step is used. Three-dimensional structure of the Black Sea currents on 45 levels within the surface horizon (2.5 m) and the bottom one (2100 m) is reconstructed. The anticyclonic current (countercurrent) extending along the Black Sea continental slope in direction opposite to the Rim Current is detected at about 1000 m and deeper. In the climatic fields the countercurrent exists in spring and summer in the northern part of the basin. In the experiments that included the reanalysis forcing, the countercurrent is revealed as separate streams in various continental slope areas and in different seasons. Its mean velocity is about 5 cm/s, the highest one is equal to 10 cm/s. In the overlying layer in the northeastern part of the Black Sea, the countercurrent is also detected by modeling as well as it is revealed by CTD and ADCP measurements.

Keywords

countercurrent, numerical modeling, the Black Sea, deep currents

For citation

Demyshev, S.G., Dymova, O.A., Markova, N.V. and Piotukh, V.B., 2016. Numerical Experiments on Modeling of the Black Sea Deep Currents. Physical Oceanography, (2), pp. 34-45. doi:10.22449/1573-160X-2016-2-34-45

DOI

10.22449/1573-160X-2016-2-34-45

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