Residual circulation and thermohaline distribution of the Ría de Vigo: A 3-D hydrodynamical model

Lopez, Sophia; Varela, Ramiro; Delhez, Eric

doi:10.3989/scimar.2001.65s1277

Cited by 34 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Moreover, since there were no significant differences in the estimation of currents among only wind forced HAMSOM results (section 3.1) and baroclinic HAMSOM results (section 3.2), one may conclude that wind forcing must be always included in simulations with the purpose of obtaining reliable and realistic results with a numerical model. This has been considered by some authors [ Souto , 2000; Souto et al , 2001; Torres López et al , 2001] but not by others [ Taboada et al , 1998; Gómez‐Gesteira et al , 1999]. Obviously, this does not mean that the nonlinear tidal processes, river flood events, stratification processes, etc.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Modeling the residual circulation of a coastal embayment affected by wind‐driven upwelling: Circulation of the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain)

et al. 2003

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[1] The barotropic and baroclinic nontidal circulations of the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain) are studied using the three-dimensional finite difference model HAMSOM (Hamburg Shelf Ocean Model). The external forcing acting on the system includes winds, freshwater inflow in the inner part of the ria and all over its surface, and heat exchange with the atmosphere. Modeled velocity is compared with data from an AANDERAA DCM12 acoustic Doppler current meter at one site of the ria, and predicted salinity and temperature fields contrasted with SEABIRD conductivity-temperature-depth data along the main channel of the ria. All predicted current, salinity, and temperature fields are in good agreement with experimental data. A new residual circulation pattern of the Ría de Vigo and its dependence on coastal winds is described. According to this pattern the typical estuarine two-layer circulation overlays in the outer part of the ria with a lateral circulation, resulting in a three-dimensional dynamics. The lateral circulation is induced by interaction between the southward (northward) alongshore coastal jet associated with upwelling (downwelling) winds and the topographic configuration of the ria.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Modeling the residual circulation of a coastal embayment affected by wind‐driven upwelling: Circulation of the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain)

et al. 2003

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“…For instance, Torres López et al . [] modeled weak downwelling resulting from 5 days of constant local wind blowing within the ria. In the absence of ria winds, i.e., complete shelter inside the islands, the upper layer convergence would be located primarily at the mouth and the interior circulation would be weaker, although surface setup would induce shallow flow into the ria.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface water subduction during a downwelling event in a semienclosed bay

et al. 2016

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The Ría de Vigo is a bay strongly influenced by upwelling‐downwelling cycles along the adjacent coast of NW Iberia. Moored and ship‐board observations during September 2006 showed that subduction, initially associated with an estuarine circulation, strengthened when a strong downwelling circulation, resulting from northward wind over the coastal ocean, was generated in the outer Ría causing ambient waters to be advected outward in the lower layer. Incoming surface waters confined the estuarine circulation to the shallow interior and displaced isopleths downward through the water column at ∼10 m d−1. As the estuarine circulation retreated inward, strong flow convergence developed between middle and inner ria in the layer above 15 m, while divergence developed beneath. The convergence increased through the period of downwelling‐favorable wind at a rate consistent with the observed isopleth displacement velocities. The coefficient of turbulent diffusion Kt, from a microstructure profiler, indicated that mixing was strong in the estuarine circulation and subsequently in the downwelling zone, where localized instabilities and temperature‐salinity inversions were observed. During the downwelling, concentrations of phytoplankton, including potentially harmful species, increased, especially in the middle and inner ria, as a result of inward advection, subduction, and the ability of the dinoflagellates to maintain their position in the water column by swimming. In the course of the 5 day event, the water mass of all but the innermost Ría was flushed completely and replaced by waters originating in the coastally trapped poleward flow along the Atlantic coastline.

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“…From this, the non-stationary models were imposed and different forcings such as remote winds (Garvine, 1985) and runoff influence (Garvine et al, 1992) were included. In the last decades, efforts to study the circulation in the Rías Baixas were centered on the application of box models (Rosón et al, 1997;Álvarez-Salgado et al,2000;Piedracoba et al, 2005;Gilcoto et al, 2007), numerical models (Taboada et al, 1998;Montero et al, 1999;Torres-López et al,2001;Souto et al, 2003) and acquisition of in-situ data (Míguez et al, 2001;Piedracoba et al, 2005 ;Souto et al, 2003 andGilcoto et al, 2001). Unfortunately, bottom currents have not been characterized yet due to lack of near sea bottom data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrodynamic characterization of the bottom boundary layer in a coastal upwelling system (Ría de Vigo, NW Spain)

Villacieros-Robineau

Áyala-Herrera

Castro

et al. 2013

Continental Shelf Research

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The hydrodynamics of the bottom boundary layer (BBL) in the Ría de Vigo (NW Iberian Peninsula) are studied for the first time, identifying their possible forcing factors and filling a previous lack of knowledge about the coastal upwelling system of NW Iberian Peninsula. For tackling this subject, high resolution time series of bottom currents by means of a downwards looking Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (3 meters above the bottom) were recorded in the inner part of the Ría de Vigo covering the four seasons of the climate year 2004-2005. Our results point to a coupling among bottom residual currents, shelf winds and runoff supporting previous works not directly focused on BBL. Most of the time, 64.5%, 75.4% and 61.6% for residual, tidal and total currents respectively, the bottom currents respond to a logarithmic profile being possible to apply the law of the wall and estimate shear stress. Shear stress variability is controlled by the frequency of wind reversals and modulated by runoff and thermal stratification. Rapid shifts of wind direction favors the generation of shear stress. Intense summer stratification or strong winter mixing of the water column reduces shear stress levels. Runoff by increasing the variability of the velocity pulse direction can favor the development of shear stress. Bottom shear stress reaches levels that are strong enough (~5% of the time in autumn) to re-suspend fine cohesive sediments. This fact comes out to support previous biogeochemistry studies suggesting the occurrence of intense resuspension processes during the autumn season.

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Residual circulation and thermohaline distribution of the Ría de Vigo: A 3-D hydrodynamical model

Cited by 34 publications

References 20 publications

Modeling the residual circulation of a coastal embayment affected by wind‐driven upwelling: Circulation of the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain)

Modeling the residual circulation of a coastal embayment affected by wind‐driven upwelling: Circulation of the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain)

Surface water subduction during a downwelling event in a semienclosed bay

Hydrodynamic characterization of the bottom boundary layer in a coastal upwelling system (Ría de Vigo, NW Spain)

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