Diagnostic and prognostic model studies of the Adriatic Sea general circulation: Seasonal variability

[1] The climatological seasonal variability of the Adriatic Sea general circulation is studied by carrying out diagnostic and prognostic numerical experiments. Two different sets of European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts-derived forcing functions were used to drive the model, because of the uncertainties in the heat and momentum flux determination, and the results are compared. The diagnostic simulations allowed a comparison of the model solutions with the observed baroclinic general circulation, and the results, in agreement with recent observations, suggest that during winter the Western Adriatic Coastal Current has a significant barotropic component, while during summer all the general circulation features are largely baroclinic. The prognostic simulations indicated that the circulation has a large seasonal variability, whose amplitude may be affected by the strength of the wind-forcing field.