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- Title
The Role of Waves and Heat Exchange in the Hydrodynamics of Multi-Basin Bays: The Example of Cádiz Bay (Southern Spain).
- Authors
Zarzuelo, C.; López-Ruiz, A.; Ortega-Sánchez, M.
- Abstract
Multi-basin bays constitute one of the most complex coastal environments, as tides, waves, freshwater discharges and air-water heat exchange often coexist in basins with very different characteristics, ranging from low-friction open water bodies directly connected to the open sea to narrow, highly frictional shallow creek systems with no connection to the open sea. Although the influence of tides and baroclinic gradients in these areas is relatively well known, the role of waves in the hydrodynamics and distributions of density, salinity and temperature has received less attention. The aim of this research is to evaluate the effects of waves and heat exchange on the hydrodynamics of multiple basins through numerical modeling. The model is calibrated and tested in a mesotidal bay in Southern Spain with five different basins; the results are used to analyze the momentum balance equation and the salinity, temperature and density distributions for simulations with and without consideration of waves. The results show that baroclinic density gradients often dominate the hydrodynamics in highly frictional, shallow basins of the bay where the air-water heat exchange is more efficient. Waves can also modify the hydrodynamics of basins directly connected to open sea by increasing flow velocities and causing deviations of baroclinic density gradients, increasing the importance of tidal stresses in low frictional basins, while increasing baroclinic density gradients in narrow, highly frictional basins. Plain Language Summary Bays with multiple basins are very complex coastal systems in which a multitude of agents coexist and interact differently in each basin. Among these agents, tides, waves, wind, freshwater discharges and air-water heat exchange are the main responsible for the hydrodynamics and biogeochemistry of the bay. Although the influence of wind and tides is well studied, the role played by waves and heat exchange, the latter characterized by variations in salinity, temperature and density, has not been studied in depth. In this work, numerical modeling is used to improve the understanding of these roles in bays with basins ranging from large bodies of water directly connected to the open sea, to narrow channel systems where friction is predominant. The model has been applied to a 5-basin bay located in southern Spain. The results show that the effects derived from changes in water density dominate in basins formed by shallow channels due to the efficiency of heat exchange. Waves dominate in areas close to the open sea by increasing current velocities and modifying water density. However, although waves are able to influence the hydrodynamics of these areas, variations in salinity and temperature do not alter the biogeochemical conditions of the bay.
- Subjects
OCEANOGRAPHY; COASTAL ecology; TIDES &; the environment; OCEAN waves; AIR-water interfaces
- Publication
Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans, 2021, Vol 126, Issue 2, p1
- ISSN
2169-9275
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2020JC016346