Hydrodynamic Simulation, of the Brackish Waters Discharge from the Dardanelles Straits into the North Aegean Sea

The current paper deals with the numerical simulation of the brackish, surface buoyant plume that is formed from the Black Sea water discharge into the North Aegean Sea, through the Dardanelles Straits, using the ELCOM hydrodynamic model. Climatological factors, such as air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, atmospheric pressure and rainfall that affect the water circulation in North Aegean as well as the Coriolis force effect, are taken into account. The discharge from the Dardanelles is taken to be seasonally varied, while the salinity and the water temperature values are kept constant. The simulation was conducted for a time period of 4 years. The results indicate that the surface buoyant plume that is formed consists of two main parts. The first part is directed to the south of Limnos Island and the second part is directed to the north, affecting the coastal waters around Imvros and Samothraki islands, and the Thracian coasts. This implies that a substantial percentage of Dardanelles pollutants, accumulates in the North part of the Aegean Sea.