Abstract
The hydrodynamic and transport characteristics of the Baltic Sea in the period 2000–2009 were studied using a fully calibrated and validated 3D hydrodynamic model with a horizontal resolution of 4.8 km. This study provided new insight into the type and dynamics of vertical structure in the Baltic Sea, not considered in previous studies. Thermal and salinity stratification are both addressed, with a focus on the structural properties of the layers. The detection of cooler regions (dicothermal) within the layer structure is an important finding. The detailed investigation of thermal stratification for a 10-year period (i.e., 2000–2009) revealed some new features. A multilayered structure that contains several thermocline and dicothermal layers was identified from this study. Statistical analysis of the simulation results made it possible to derive the mean thermal stratification properties, expressed as mean temperatures and the normalized layer thicknesses. The three-layered model proposed by previous investigators appears to be valid only during the winter periods; for other periods, a multi-layered structure with more than five layers has been identified during this investigation. This study provides detailed insight into thermal and salinity stratification in the Baltic Sea during a recent decade that can be used as a basis for diverse environmental assessments. It extends previous studies on stratification in the Baltic Sea regarding both the extent and the nature of stratification.
Highlights
The Baltic Sea is a brackish sea located in northern Europe from 53◦ N to 66◦ N latitude and from 20◦ E to 26◦ E longitude
The coefficient values used for the calibration matched reasonably well with similar modeling exercises completed for the Baltic Sea
The range of the error is 4%–10%, which is acceptable considering the large volume of the Baltic Sea and its complex hydrodynamics
Summary
The Baltic Sea is a brackish sea located in northern Europe from 53◦ N to 66◦ N latitude and from 20◦ E to 26◦ E longitude. The Baltic Ice Lake was born 13,000 years ago and its present brackish state emerged 7000 years ago. The Baltic Sea borders nine coastal countries with a total population of 85 million people (see Figure 1, [1]). The maximum length and width are 1600 km and 193 km, respectively. The surface area is 377,000 km, with an average depth of 55 m and a water volume of 20,000 km. Its maximum depth is 459 m, which is located between Stockholm and the Island of Gotland. The Baltic Sea is a shallow sea that consists of a series of basins interconnected through narrow sills (Figure 2)
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