Physical aspects

Abstract

The physical processes occurring in water bodies are often of major importance for predicting environmental changes. For example, the water quality in a bay is dependent not only on the load, but also on the effectiveness of water exchange with the surrounding sea areas. Typical physical aspects are currents, mixing, water levels, waves, tides, and density (which is determined by temperature, salinity, and pressure), sea ice, sea spray, and marine optics and acoustics. In many geophysical applications, a full dataset of relevant parameters is often missing. Instead, one must combine a number of direct and indirect observations. Knowledge of forcing functions (meteorological and hydrological conditions), topography, and response functions (e.g., currents, water levels, salinity, temperature, and oxygen) provide a good basis for modeling design. In addition, careful problem analysis and a focused approach will make modeling easier.