Effect of Internal Waves on the Hydrodynamics of a Mediterranean Sea Strait

Abstract

In the present work, the effects of wind- and tide-induced internal waves in the Rio-Antirio Strait in western Greece were studied by using three-dimensional numerical simulations. For the wind-induced flow in the strait, it emerged that the internal waves’ initiation is associated with the direction of the wind. Tidal action, with or without the combined action of wind, also generates internal waves in the strait, with amplitudes higher than 20 m. The action of the internal waves causes a subsurface inflow of colder waters from the Gulf of Corinth to the Gulf of Patras, as has been also simulated for the case of the wind-induced flow, generating strong hypolimnetic currents. The exchange flowrate between the Gulf of Patras and the Gulf of Corinth appeared to undergo significant modification for the wind-induced flow and had little effect for the pure tidal flow (in windless conditions) due to the development and action of the internal waves at the strait. The combined action of the tide and the wind was found to marginally affect the exchange flowrate between the two gulfs compared to the pure tidal flow. The interaction between the Coriolis effect and internal waves, at least away from the strait, forms a characteristic horizontal structure of flow. The structure of turbulence in the near strait area under the action of internal waves generated by the wind and/or tide was also discussed and compared with the corresponding barotropic flow.