Modeling mesoscale circulation of the Black Sea

An eddy-resolving (1/30)A degrees version of the DieCAST low-dissipative model, adapted to the Black Sea circulation, is presented. Under mean climatological forcing, the model realistically reproduces major dominant large-scale and mesoscale structures of seasonal sea circulation, including the Rim Current, coastal anticyclonic eddies, mushroom currents, etc. Due to its extremely low dissipation and high resolution, the model makes it possible to trace the development of the baroclinic instability along the Turkish and Caucasian coasts, reproduce mesoscale structures generated by this mechanism, and assess the scales of these structures. The model also realistically reproduces short-term effects of bora winds on the evolution of subsurface layer structures.