Performance of the Adriatic Sea and Coast (AdriSC) climate component – a COAWST V3.3-based coupled atmosphere–ocean modelling suite: atmospheric dataset

In this evaluation study, the coupled atmosphere–ocean Adriatic Sea and Coast (AdriSC) climate model, which was implemented to carry out 31-year evaluation and climate projection simulations in the Adriatic and northern Ionian seas, is briefly presented. The kilometre-scale AdriSC atmospheric results, derived with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) 3 km model for the 1987–2017 period, are then thoroughly compared to a comprehensive publicly and freely available observational dataset. The evaluation shows that overall, except for the summer surface temperatures, which are systematically underestimated, the AdriSC WRF 3 km model has a far better capacity to reproduce surface climate variables (and particularly the rain) than the WRF regional climate models at 0.11o resolution. In addition, several spurious data have been found in both gridded products and in situ measurements, which thus should be used with care in the Adriatic region for climate studies at local and regional scales. Long-term simulations with the AdriSC climate model, which couples the WRF 3 km model with a 1 km ocean model, might thus be a new avenue to substantially improve the reproduction, at the climate scale, of the Adriatic Sea dynamics driving the Eastern Mediterranean thermohaline circulation. As such it may also provide new standards for climate studies of orographically developed coastal regions in general

Towards the new Thematic Core Service Tsunami within the EPOS Research Infrastructure

Tsunamis constitute a significant hazard for European coastal populations, and the impact of tsunami events worldwide can extend well beyond the coastal regions directly affected. Understanding the complex mechanisms of tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation, as well as managing the tsunami risk, requires multidisciplinary research and infrastructures that cross national boundaries. Recent decades have seen both great advances in tsunami science and consolidation of the European tsunami research community. A recurring theme has been the need for a sustainable platform for coordinated tsunami community activities and a hub for tsunami services. Following about three years of preparation, in July 2021, the European tsunami community attained the status of Candidate Thematic Core Service (cTCS) within the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) Research Infrastructure. Within a transition period of three years, the Tsunami candidate TCS is anticipated to develop into a fully operational EPOS TCS. We here outline the path taken to reach this point, and the envisaged form of the future EPOS TCS Tsunami. Our cTCS is planned to be organised within four thematic pillars: (1) Support to Tsunami Service Providers, (2) Tsunami Data, (3) Numerical Models, and (4) Hazard and Risk Products. We outline how identified needs in tsunami science and tsunami risk mitigation will be addressed within this structure and how participation within EPOS will become an integration point for community development.publishedVersio

Towards the new Thematic Core Service Tsunami within the EPOS Research Infrastructure

publishedVersio

Caract\ue9risation des conditions hydrom\ue9t\ue9orologiques en zone littorale et analyse des risques littoaux, du comportament des ouvrages de protection et de la dynamique des prairies de Posidonia oceanica

Mis en place des syst\ue8mes pour la connaisance du climat de houles proche du rivage \ue0 utiliser par la mod\ue9lisation des ph\ue9nom\ue8nes \ue9risif et determiner et \ue9valuer les capacit\ue9s de migration des prairies de Posidonia Oceanica par rapport aux climats de haule au rivage

Impact of the October 2018 storm Vaia on coastal boulders in the northern Adriatic Sea

Boulder detachment from the seafloor and subsequent transport and accumulation along rocky coasts is a complex geomorphological process that requires a deep understanding of submarine and onshore environments. This process is especially interesting in semi-enclosed shallow basins characterized by extreme storms, but without a significant tsunami record. Moreover, the response of boulder deposits located close to the coast to severe storms remains, in terms of accurate displacement measurement, limited due to the need to acquire long-term data such as ongoing monitoring datasets and repeated field surveys. We present a multidisciplinary study that includes inland and submarine surveys carried out to monitor and accurately quantify the recent displacement of coastal boulders accumulated on the southernmost coast of the Premantura (Kamenjak) Promontory (Croatia, northern Adriatic Sea). We identified recent boulder movements using unmanned aerial vehicle digital photogrammetry (UAV-DP). Fourteen boulders were moved by the waves generated by a severe storm, named Vaia, which occurred on 29 October 2018. This storm struck Northeast Italy and the Istrian coasts with its full force. We have reproduced the storm-generated waves using unstructured wave model SimulatingWAves Nearshore (SWAN), with a significant wave height of 6.2 m in front of the boulder deposit area. These simulated waves are considered to have a return period of 20 to 30 years. In addition to the aerial survey, an underwater photogrammetric survey was carried out in order to create a three-dimensional (3D) model of the seabed and identify the submarine landforms associated with boulder detachment. The survey highlighted that most of the holes can be considered potholes, while only one detachment shape was identified. The latter is not related to storm Vaia, but to a previous storm. Two boulders are lying on the seabed and the underwater surveys highlighted that these boulders may be beached during future storms. Thus, this is an interesting example of active erosion of the rocky coast in a geologically, geomorphologically, and oceanologically predisposed locality

Plasticity of trophic interactions in fish assemblages results in temporal stability of benthic-pelagic couplings

This study addresses the temporal variability of couplings between pelagic and benthic habitats for fish assemblages at five periods in a shallow epicontinental sea, the Eastern English Channel (EEC). Organic matter fluxes fueling fish assemblages and the relative contribution of their different sources were assessed using stable isotope analysis and associated isotopic functional metrics. Couplings between benthic and pelagic realms appeared to be a permanent feature in the EEC, potentially favored by shallow depth and driven by the combination of two trophic processes. First, trophic interactions exhibited plasticity and revealed resource partitioning. Second, changes in the composition of fish assemblages did not impact benthic-pelagic couplings, as most dominant species were generalists during at least one time period, allowing complete use of available resources. Examining both unweighted and biomass-weighted indices was complementary and permitted a better understanding of trophic interactions and energy fluxes

Wintertime dynamics in the coastal northeastern Adriatic Sea: the NAdEx 2015 experiment

The paper investigates the wintertime dynamics of the coastal northeastern Adriatic Sea and is based on numerical modelling and in situ data collected through field campaigns executed during the winter and spring of 2015. The data were collected with a variety of instruments and platforms (acoustic Doppler current profilers, conductivity–temperature–depth probes, glider, profiling float) and are accompanied by the atmosphere–ocean ALADIN/ROMS modelling system. The research focused on the dense-water formation (DWF), thermal changes, circulation, and water exchange between the coastal and open Adriatic. According to both observations and modelling results, dense waters are formed in the northeastern coastal Adriatic during cold bora outbreaks. However, the dense water formed in this coastal region has lower densities than the dense water formed in the open Adriatic due to lower salinities. Since the coastal area is deeper than the open Adriatic, the observations indicate (i) balanced inward–outward exchange at the deep connecting channels of denser waters coming from the open Adriatic DWF site and less-dense waters coming from the coastal region and (ii) outward flow of less-dense waters dominating in the intermediate and surface layers. The latter phenomenon was confirmed by the model, even if it significantly underestimates the currents and transports in the connecting channels. The median residence time of the coastal area is estimated to be approximately 20 days, indicating that the coastal area may be renewed relatively quickly by the open Adriatic waters. The data that were obtained represent a comprehensive marine dataset that can be used to calibrate atmospheric and oceanic numerical models and point to several interesting phenomena to be investigated in the future