Dynamics of a Very Special Mediterranean Coastal Area: The Gulf of Naples

Here, the results of an investigation that was performed on the surface dynamics of a coastal area using data provided by a land-based remote sensing system, a HF coastal radar, are presented. The surface circulation in the Gulf of Naples (southern Tyrrhenian Sea, western Mediterranean), as determined using measurements collected by a HF radar, displayed recurrent dynamics directly linked to prevailing forcing conditions. In this contribution we examine the circulation-dependent surface transport of passive particles released in a coastal sub-basin (Bay of Naples), as characterized by severe anthropic pressure. HF radar data of surface circulation were integrated using a transport model, and simulations of coastal-offshore transport were performed in order to estimate the residence times of the particles and to identify possible areas of retention and aggregation. Four test cases, representative of the most frequent seasonal observed circulation structures, were investigated. Depending on the forcing factor driving surface circulation, the results emphasized the existence of unique mechanisms.