A Brief Review of Hydrodynamic Circulation in the Mediterranean Gulfs

Abstract

In this paper, a brief review regarding the hydrodynamic circulation of the Mediterranean gulfs is presented. Studies concerning the hydrodynamics of the Mediterranean gulfs with significant environmental and commercial importance were gathered as an initial insight of studies in the Mediterranean microtidal environment. Numerical models, field measurements, and satellite images are the methods used by the investigators for the description and prediction of the circulation in the gulfs. The basic hydrodynamic characteristics of the gulfs are mainly defined by the wind action and less by tide and baroclinicity. Most of the gulfs are characterized by a cyclonic wind-driven circulation, since the tidal effect remains weak in the Mediterranean basin. However, tidal resonance and strong currents are evident in the shallow coastal areas as well as in the wider area of straits. Basic gulfs’ characteristics are summarized in a table that gives an overview of the main Mediterranean gulfs, which can be especially useful for young researchers or new hydroenvironmental studies in the Mediterranean marine and coastal environment.