Hidrodinâmica da Baía do Lobito. Parte II – Escoamento Baroclínico

Resumen

This work is the second part of the study of the hydrodynamics of Lobito Bay (Angola). In the first part of the work, hydrodynamics due to the tide was studied using a two-dimensional model and the residence times that should be expected in the Bay were calculated if the flow was due only to the tide. In this second part of the work the hydrodynamics of the bay forced by wind – westerly dominant over the Bay – and by thermal stratification is studied, using a three-dimensional baroclinic model. Results are presented for different wind regimes and the dominant circulation in two layers is highlighted, with seawater entering across the bottom and exiting from the surface, which induces residence times inside the bay that can vary between days and weeks.