Ligurian Sea, North Tyrrhenian Sea (off Sestri Levante, off Viareggio and east and west of the island of Capraia)

Horizontal velocity of the water column (currents); Temperature of the water column

Current meters

In 1978, the Stazione Oceanografica began a program aimed at defining the dynamics of the East Ligurian Shelf. The confluence of the Tyrrhenian Sea water with that of the Ligurian Sea, the presence of the isolated bank of Santa Lucia which arises suddenly from the bottom and the different development of the continental shelf along its boundaries, seemed to be the causes of the instabilities, current meandering, upwelling phenomena and long-waves which can be found in this area. During the GARP MEDALPEX program in the period 1981-1982 and in particular, during the Special Observation Period (March-April 1982), the Stazione Oceanografica moored four current meter chains in the area off Sestri Levante and Viareggio, and east and west of the island of Capraia. Three types of current meters were used: a) Aanderaa RCM4, b) NBA DNC-2B and c) General Oceanics model 6011T. The sampling rate was 10 or 15 minutes. Spurious and/or degraded data were eliminated and the gaps caused by their removal were filled in by interpolation. The data set consists of E-W and N-S velocity components and water temperature time series at depths between 15 and 300 meters.

CNR, Institute of Marine Sciences S.S. of Lerici (SP)
Forte Santa Teresa Pozzuolo di Lerici
Lerici (SP)

19032
Italy