Impact du vent sur la circulation hydrodynamique dans le Golfe du Lion : modélisation haute résolution

Many physical processes are involved in the Gulf of Lions hydrody­namics, Mediterranean Sea, exhibiting high spatial and temporal variability. Their generation is often linked to atmospheric conditions and in particular to wind forcing. This works aims at understanding this influence on small scale processes and investigates the relevance of high resolution atmospheric forcing for hydrodynamic modeling. Firstly, the impact of the local wind forcing on the generation of a mesoscale eddy, previously observed by HF radars, is evidenced. Several idealized configurations also allow to analyze the role of river discharge, background shelf circulation and bathymetric effects, through idealized numerical modeling. Then, different atmospheric models are assessed to drive hydrodynamic modeling in the Gulf of Lions, with distinctive resolutions. Iner­tial motions, internal oscillations and mesoscale variability are shown to be accentuated when using high-resolution forcing. The importance of wind spatial variability is also evidenced, in terms of upwelling system and shelf intrusions.