Seasonal circulation over the Catalan inner-shelf (northwest Mediterranean Sea)

Grifoll, Manel; Aretxabaleta, Alfredo L.; Pelegrí, Josep Lluís; Espino, Manuel; Warner, John C.; Sánchez‐Arcilla, Agustín

doi:10.1002/jgrc.20403

Cited by 26 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(106 reference statements)

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“…For the long-term circulation and in the shallow region, the frictional response prevails, with the along-shelf flow variability being larger than the cross-shelf flow, similar to other investigations in the inner and mid-shelf (see review in Lentz and Fewings, 2012;Grifoll et al, 2013). However, a different picture occurs during the wind jet event.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Ocean–atmosphere–wave characterisation of a wind jet (Ebro shelf, NW Mediterranean Sea)

Grifoll

Navarro

Pallarés

et al. 2016

Nonlin. Processes Geophys.

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Abstract. In this contribution the wind jet dynamics in the northern margin of the Ebro River shelf (NW Mediterranean Sea) are investigated using coupled numerical models. The study area is characterised by persistent and energetic offshore winds during autumn and winter. During these seasons, a seaward wind jet usually develops in a ∼ 50 km wide band offshore. The COAWST (Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport) modelling system was implemented in the region with a set of downscaling meshes to obtain high-resolution meteooceanographic outputs. Wind, waves and water currents were compared with in situ observations and remote-sensingderived products with an acceptable level of agreement. Focused on an intense offshore wind event, the modelled wind jet appears in a limited area offshore with strong spatial variability. The wave pattern during the wind jet is characterised by the development of bimodal directional spectra, and the ocean circulation tends to present well-defined twolayer flow in the shallower region (i.e. inner shelf). The outer shelf tends to be dominated by mesoscale dynamics such as the slope current. Due to the limited fetch length, ocean surface roughness considering sea state (wave-atmosphere coupling) modifies to a small extent the wind and significant wave height under severe cross-shelf wind events. However, the coupling effect in the wind resource assessment may be relevant due to the cubic relation between the wind intensity and power.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Ocean–atmosphere–wave characterisation of a wind jet (Ebro shelf, NW Mediterranean Sea)

Grifoll

Navarro

Pallarés

et al. 2016

Nonlin. Processes Geophys.

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“…Not far from our study site, Grifoll et al [2013] found large seasonal variability in the buoyancy frequency in front of Barcelona and a 422 relationship between the annual cycle of hydrographic conditions and the atmospheric variability (wind and net heat flux). The average seasonal 424 temperature, salinity and density profiles from the ¼ degree WOA in the NES (Figure 10) exhibited strong summer temperature stratification and well-mixed 426 winter conditions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 70%

“…Ebro shelf (in front of the city of Barcelona), the ratio between along-shelf and cross-shelf standard deviations for similar depths was 3-4 [Grifoll et al, 2013] in 534 an area where the cross-shelf winds are substantially less intense.…”

Section: Influence Of Cross-shelf Wind At Different Temporal Scalesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Shelf response to intense offshore wind

2015

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Cross and along‐shelf winds drive cross‐shelf transport that promotes the exchange of tracers and nutrients to the open sea. The shelf response to cross‐shelf winds is studied in the north shelf of the Ebro Delta (Mediterranean Sea), where those winds are prevalent and intense. Offshore winds in the region exhibit strong intensities (wind stress larger than 0.8 Pa) during winter and fall. The monthly average flow observed in a 1 year current meter record at 43.5 m was polarized following the isobaths with the along‐shelf variability being larger than the cross‐shelf. Prevalent southwestward along‐shelf flow was induced by the three‐dimensional regional response to cross‐shelf winds and the coastal constraint. Seaward near‐surface velocities occurred predominantly during offshore wind events. During intense wind periods, the surface cross‐shelf water transport exceeded the net along‐shelf transport. During typically stratified seasons, the intense cross‐shelf winds resulted in a well‐defined two‐layer flow and were more effective at driving offshore transport than during unstratified conditions. While transfer coefficients between wind and currents were generally around 1%, higher cross‐shelf transfer coefficients were observed in the near‐inertial band. The regional extent of the resulting surface cold water during energetic cross‐shelf winds events was concentrated around the region of the wind jet. Cross‐shelf transport due to along‐shelf winds was only effective during northeast wind events. During along‐shelf wind conditions, the transport was estimated to be between 10 and 50% of the theoretical Ekman transport.

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“…Open boundary conditions for currents were obtained from a nested system fed by the MyOcean system (see details in Grifoll et al 2013b). Wave information at numerical boundaries was obtained from buoy measurements in the study area (see Figure 1.b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wave information at numerical boundaries was obtained from buoy measurements in the study area (see Figure 1.b). Hydrodynamics (currents, waves and sea-level) and sediment (suspended sediment concentrations) variables were recorded during two specific field campaigns and used to assess the skill of the code (see details in Grifoll et al 2013b, Grifoll et al 2014 in comparison to observations (Grifoll et al 2013b, Grifoll et al 2014. Results obtained from numerical experiments reveal that the water circulation in the inner-shelf is controlled by a prevalent along-shelf direction current forced by local wind on short time scales and by remote pressure gradients on synoptic time scales (Grifoll et al 2013b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment Transport and Dispersal in the Nearshore of “Flash-Flood” Rivers.

Grifoll¹,

Gràcia²,

Guillén³

et al. 2014

Int. Conf. Coastal. Eng.

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River sediment dispersal on the near-shore of "flash-flood" rivers is investigated using a coupled wave-currentsediment transport model. Besòs and Llobregat rivers (short and mountainous rivers in NW Mediterranean Sea, near to Barcelona City) are used as examples to study the sediment transport under "flash-flood" regime. The modeling system COWAST which includes the coupling between the water circulation model ROMS and the wave model SWAN, is applied to assess the sediment dispersal mechanisms and deposition in the coastal area off the two river mouths. Preferential depositional areas such as mud-belts were identified from the simulations. The sediment dispersal pattern obtained by the model agrees with observational measurments. Complementary numerical simulations revealed sorting of sediment grain size in the cross-shelf direction.

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Seasonal circulation over the Catalan inner-shelf (northwest Mediterranean Sea)

Cited by 26 publications

References 44 publications

Ocean–atmosphere–wave characterisation of a wind jet (Ebro shelf, NW Mediterranean Sea)

Ocean–atmosphere–wave characterisation of a wind jet (Ebro shelf, NW Mediterranean Sea)

Shelf response to intense offshore wind

Sediment Transport and Dispersal in the Nearshore of “Flash-Flood” Rivers.

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