Freshwater discharge by estuarine transition flow near Cesenatico (Italy)

The freshwater dispersion plume in the sea is described in the paper with the aim of a 3D numerical model and with the validation of field campaigns carried out in different conditions. The investigated area regards the coastal zone near Cesenatico (Adriatic Sea, Italy). The fresh water is dispersed by the Canal Harbor mouth in open sea. Surface lagrangian paths, acquired by innovative properly designed drifters, have allowed the validation of the hydrodynamic model. During the first campaign the hydrodynamic is driven only by the tidal oscillation and during the second also by surface wind, the tested conditions were, so, different and interesting for the understanding of the complex dynamic. The presented study can represent a tool useful for the water quality coastal management.