Physical Oceanography (Apr 2023)
Features of Water Exchange through the Kerch Strait Based on the Results of Numerical Modeling of the Circulation with High Spatial Resolution
Abstract
Purpose. The work is purposed at studying the synoptic variability of hydrophysical parameters in the basins of the Azov and Black seas induced by the water masses inflow through the strait; at that the inflowing water features differ from the analogous ones in the above-noted basins. Methods and Results. The results of numerical modeling of circulation in the cascade of seas (the Azov – Black – Marmara seas) for 2008–2009 were analyzed. Regional configuration of the NEMO numerical modeling platform and the results of the ERA5 atmospheric reanalysis were used. The main results were obtained for the configuration with the ~ 1.1 km spatial resolution of the computational grid. The processes of the Azov Sea waters inflow to the Black Sea and their further evolution, as well as the analogous processes with Black Sea waters in the Azov Sea basin are demonstrated. The estimates of water and salt exchange through the Kerch Strait are represented. Conclusions. Regular change of the water transfer direction through the strait conditioned by the wind significant variability constitutes the basic mechanism for the changes in water exchange between the basins. Having being analyzed, the events with the exceeding average annual values in the unidirectional salt flows through the Kerch Strait permitted to identify significant salt inflows to the Sea of Azov. The portion of such events ranges from 20–25 to almost 70 % of the total number of inflows.
