Analytical Model of Thermohaline Circulation in Land-Locked Basins: Analyzing the Impact of Friction on Circulation Reversal

Abstract

Abstract The paper investigates switches of circulation orientation in inland basins, either at the surface or near the bottom. The study is based on an analytical 2D model used to simulate thermohaline circulation in lakes and inland seas. The model allows different density profiles varying in both horizontal and vertical directions. By assuming some simplifications (such as steady state, vanishing of an alongshore variability, and flat bottom), we are able to obtain an explicit expression of the circulation in the central transverse section of an elongated basin. Starting from three typical density profiles (bottom dense water, surface light water, and a combination of the two), the model reveals different circulation types (cyclonic and anticyclonic surface circulation, either prevailing along the whole vertical column or accompanied by an opposite circulation in the bottom layer). In addition, we analyze the impact of friction coefficients and basin dimensions on the switch from one circulation type to another. The simplified assumptions turn out not to be limiting, as other studies have shown that they do not change the main flow characteristics. More importantly, the results obtained are in keeping with empirical findings, numerical simulations, and physical experiments studied elsewhere.