Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2015, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp. 125-135
Investigation of structural features of coastal thermohaline frontal zones in the South-East Baltic from numerical model and satellite data
M.N. Golenko
1 , N.N. Golenko
1 , T.V. Bukanova
1 1 Atlantic Branch of P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Kaliningrad, Russia
Hydrodynamic numerical modeling of the wide area of the Baltic Sea for the period from 1 January to 31 May 2012 under real atmospheric forcing is implemented based on POM (Princeton Ocean Model) (Blumberg, Mellor, 1987). Validation of numerical calculation of near surface temperature in the South-East Baltic is performed using Terra and Aqua satellites data. Structural features of thermohaline and dynamic coastal frontal zones arising during spring heating and periodical upwelling events are investigated on the basis of numerical modeling and remote sensing data comparative analysis. Accompanying meteorological conditions (wind speed and heat flux) and their combinations causing formation of the observed frontal zones are also analyzed and described. It is shown that in the region under investigation, atmospheric forcing with heat flux taken into account does not lead to the formation of sufficient structural distinctions in surface horizontal velocity field as compared to the situation when heat flux is not considered (under equal wind forcing). However, when heat flux is taken into account an increase of near surface velocity by 2–7 cm/sec is observed. The increase can be explained by the fact, that the near surface layer becomes lighter during the period of spring heating, and, owing to stable vertical density gradient, wind impulse concentrates in the near surface layer and, as a result, induces its greater velocity.
Keywords: Baltic Sea, comparative analysis of satellite and modeling data of SST, coastal frontal zones, current velocity
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