Hydrology and Dynamics in the Gulf of Naples during Spring of 2016: In Situ and Model Data

The hydrology and circulation in the northwestern part of the Gulf of Naples are analyzed during the transition period from spring to summer (April–June) 2016 through numerical simulations and in situ observations. The simulations were performed with the high-resolution sigma-coordinate Campania Regional Ocean Model (CROM) encompassing the wider Campania coastal system. Temperature, salinity and density were measured at the Long Term Ecological Research Program Mare-Chiara sampling site located two miles from the coast, while current intensity and direction were measured in situ by an acoustic Doppler current profiler connected to an elastic beacon anchored at a short distance from the city of Naples. The modeled circulation scenarios and the marine hydrology provided by the model on a regular grid allow interpreting the observational data during the selected period. In turn, the model-data comparison clarifies the model performance in reproducing the nearshore marine dynamics, which goes beyond the actual model resolution.