Vertical Structure of Currents in Northern Black Sea, October 2016

Abstract

The paper presents the results of an analysis of hydrological data obtained on cruise 89 of the R/V Professor Vodyanitskii from September 30 through October 19, 2016, in the central area of the northern Black Sea. Currents were measured using a lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP) to a depth of 350 m. Examples of the current velocity profiles and conditional density at individual stations are presented. The averaged characteristics of the vertical current structure in the seasonal and permanent pycnoclines are discussed. The isopycnally averaged kinetic energy (KE) demonstrates an almost linear dependence on the conditional density (σθ). In the seasonal pycnocline, EK = 0.2–0.013σθ; in the permanent pycnocline, EK = 0.12–0.007σθ. An interpretation is given for the variability of the kinetic energy with depth. It is shown that the maxima of the averaged vertical shear profile correspond to the occurrence depth of the seasonal and permanent pycnoclines. The mean Richardson number has a value of ~10 in the upper sea layer and decreases with depth, assuming a value of ~3 at the 300 m horizon. The estimate for the vertical turbulent diffusion coefficient from the simplified model shows its increase with depth.