Diagnostic and prognostic model studies of the Adriatic Sea general circulation: Seasonal variability

Abstract

The climatological seasonal variability of the Adriatic Sea general circulation is studied by carrying out diagnostic and prognostic numerical experiments. Two different sets of European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts‐derived forcing functions were used to drive the model, because of the uncertainties in the heat and momentum flux determination, and the results are compared. The diagnostic simulations allowed a comparison of the model solutions with the observed baroclinic general circulation, and the results, in agreement with recent observations, suggest that during winter the Western Adriatic Coastal Current has a significant barotropic component, while during summer all the general circulation features are largely baroclinic. The prognostic simulations indicated that the circulation has a large seasonal variability, whose amplitude may be affected by the strength of the wind‐forcing field.