On the vortical motions in the Black Sea obtained by the 3-D hydrothermodynamical numerical model

Abstract

Abstract. Some results of simulation of the Black Sea circulation with consideration of forcing of different averaged wind types by using 3-D prognostic baroclinic model are presented. The results allow us to consider all depth of the sea basin consisting of some relatively homogeneous sub-layers. Within each of them general circulation processes practically do not change by depth, but essentially change from layer to layer. Such character of changeability interpreted by us as a steepness of the Black Sea general circulation takes place in majority cases of climatic atmospheric wind forcing. In the present paper results are analyzed on an example of forcing of January atmospheric cyclonic vortex with ~250 km diameter. Under such forcing the Ekman surface layer of ~12 m thickness is created. The cyclonic vortex formed in the east part of the Black Sea, which is Taylor-Proudman potential vortex with vertical cylindrical configuration, is described in detail. The vertical distribution of vortex characteristics are given in figures: Brunt-Väisälä frequency and Richardson number taken near the vortex wall with maximal velocity. The viable vortexes are characterized by introduced the universal Reynolds number Re•.