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Turbulent behaviour within a coastal boundary layer, observations and modelling at the Isola del Giglio

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Abstract

The hydrodynamics of coastal areas is characterized by the interaction among phenomena occurring at different spatial and temporal scales, such as the interaction of a large-scale ocean current with the local bathymetry and coastline, and local forcing conditions. In order to take into account all relevant phenomena, the study of the hydrodynamics of coastal zones requires a high-spatial and temporal resolution for both observations and simulation of local currents. This resolution can be obtained by using X-band radar, which allows simultaneous measurement of waves and currents in a range of 1–3 miles from the coastline, as well as high-resolution numerical models implemented in the area and configured through multiple nesting techniques in order to reach resolutions comparable to such coastal observations. Such an integrated monitoring system was implemented at the Isola del Giglio in 2012, after the accident of the Costa Concordia ship. Results can be used as a cross-validation of data produced independently by radar observations and numerical models. In addition, results give some important insights on the dynamics of the coastal boundary layer, both for what concerns the attenuation in the profile of the depth-averaged velocities which typically occur in turbulent boundary layers, as well as for the production, detachment and evolution of vorticity produced by the interaction of large-scale ocean currents with the coastline and the subsequent time evolution of such boundary layer. This transition between large-scale regional currents and the coastal boundary layer is often neglected in regional forecasting systems, but it has an important role in the ocean turbulence processes.

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Acknowledgements

This study was partly supported by the EU projects MOMAR and SICOMAR (Transnational Maritime Program Italy-France, 2007–2013). The authors thank their friend Matthew Vannini for his help in proofreading of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consorzio LaMMA, Florence, Italy

    Carlo Brandini, Stefano Taddei, Bartolomeo Doronzo, Maria Fattorini, Letizia Costanza & Massimo Perna

  2. Istituto di Biometeorologia IBIMET-CNR, Florence, Italy

    Carlo Brandini, Bartolomeo Doronzo, Maria Fattorini, Letizia Costanza, Massimo Perna & Francesco Serafino

  3. Istituto per il rilevamento elettromagnetico dell’ambiente IREA-CNR, Naples, Italy

    Giovanni Ludeno

Authors
  1. Carlo Brandini
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  2. Stefano Taddei
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  3. Bartolomeo Doronzo
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  4. Maria Fattorini
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  5. Letizia Costanza
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  6. Massimo Perna
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  7. Francesco Serafino
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  8. Giovanni Ludeno
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlo Brandini.

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Responsible Editor: Ulf Gräwe

This article is part of the Topical Collection on the 18th Joint Numerical Sea Modelling Group Conference, Oslo, Norway, 10–12 May 2016

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Brandini, C., Taddei, S., Doronzo, B. et al. Turbulent behaviour within a coastal boundary layer, observations and modelling at the Isola del Giglio. Ocean Dynamics 67, 1163–1178 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-017-1080-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-017-1080-1

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