Temporal scales for transport patterns in the Gulf of Finland

Abstract

The basic time scales for current-induced net transport of surface water and associated time scales of reaching the nearshore in the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea, are analysed based on Lagrangian trajectories of water particles reconstructed from three-dimensional velocity fields by the Rossby Centre circulation model for 1987–1991. The number of particles reaching the nearshore exhibits substantial temporal variability whereas the rate of leaving the gulf is almost steady. It is recommended to use an about 3 grid cells wide nearshore area as a substitute to the coastal zone and about 10–15 day long trajectories for calculations of the probability of reaching the nearshore. An appropriate time window for estimates of the properties of net transport patterns is 4–10 days.