Circulation and biomass distribution during warm season in the Gulf of La Spezia (north-western Mediterranean)

Transport properties in small-scale coastal flows: relative dispersion from VHF radar measurements in the Gulf of La Spezia

“…The water in the harbor is replenished by the freshwater sources as well as by the inflow near the bottom through the dam lateral openings. Overall, this implies upwelling rates on the order of 6.5 × 10 −6 m s −1 and a residence time of about 5 days inside the harbor (Gasparini et al 2009). The estuarine-like exchange flow between the harbor and the rest of the Gulf leads to a strongly stratified flow, which responds accordingly to local wind forcing, namely a cyclonic circulation of the surface layer corresponds to an anticyclonic circulation of the deep layer.…”

“…1). The coastal observations studied here have been collected within the framework of the Ligurian Sea Marine Rapid Environment Assessment experiment, MREA07, and in particular during the POET-LASIE component (Gasparini et al 2009) in the Gulf of La Spezia during the period June 15-30 2007. The Gulf is a highly anthropized area characterized by a complex use of the land, where monitoring and prediction of Fig.…”

“…The dynamics of the Gulf are quite complex due to a number of reasons. First, the circulation in the Gulf is influenced by the larger-scale Ligurian current (Gasparini et al 2009;Molcard et al 2009), which is characterized by a cyclonic boundary current flowing along the Italian coast, modulated by seasonality and wind forcing (Astraldi et al 1990). The winds during summer are predominantly from the south (Bordone and Lisca 2009).…”

“…Inside the Gulf, a detailed analysis of the recent hydrographic observations indicates that a cyclonic current tends to generally exist ( Fig. 12 of Gasparini et al 2009). When the Ligurian current is stronger and closer to the coast, as during Scirocco, also the cyclonic circulation inside the Gulf is reinforced.…”

“…1). Freshwater flows from several sources inside the harbor and the shallow depth of approximately 10-m act to produce a warmer and fresher water inside the harbor, which drives an estuarine circulation; the water from the harbor tends to exit into the Gulf near the surface via the two lateral openings of the dam (Gasparini et al 2009). The water in the harbor is replenished by the freshwater sources as well as by the inflow near the bottom through the dam lateral openings.…”