Technical Narrative: This project represents a collaborative research effort involving the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey. Project funding will enable Dr. Temel Oguz of METU to spend one year working at both MIT and WHOI; he will work directly with Dr. David Aubrey (WHOI) and Dr. Paola Rizzoli (MIT) on numerical simulation of general circulation within the Black Sea as well as the processes responsible for eddy formation around the periphery of the main basin. For many years, the Black Sea riparian countries have investigated the general circulation of the Black Sea. Bulgaria and the former Soviet Union have been two of the lead countries performing such modelling; more recently, highly qualified Turkish scientists have joined this modelling effort. Previous models were limited by lack of computer power, affecting spatial and temporal resolution, and completeness of the models. This U.S.-Turkey cooperative research project will implement state-of-the-art numerical models to investigate the relative contributions of wind- forcing and buoyancy fluxes in driving the general Black Sea circulation.
