Abstract

HERNANDEZ MORALES, Dannys Paola et al. Surface circulation patterns above the coastal shelf between El Uno bay and Las Vacas spit, Gulf of Urabá, Colombian Caribbean. Bol. Invest. Mar. Cost. [online]. 2021, vol.50, n.2, pp.9-30.  Epub Dec 03, 2021. ISSN 0122-9761.  https://doi.org/10.25268/bimc.invemar.2021.50.2.993.

Good knowledge of the coastal circulation patterns is essential for a proper management of the coastline, especially in areas with a high anthropic pressure. In order to determine the main characteristics of the coastal currents in the Gulf of Urabá, the seasonal patterns of surface circulation were measured and analyzed during times of high and low rainfall along 6 km of coastline, between the Punta de Las Vacas and Punta Yarumal coastal spit systems, in the municipality of Turbo, Antioquia. These measurements were made with surface drifters, which were launched at different tide stages and tracked for time periods based on the semi-diurnal cycle. The in-situ measurements were analyzed alongside tide and wind data from a climatic station located near the gulf. The circulation patterns behaved differently depending on the season of the year. In the rainy season, with southerly winds, the drifters moved mainly towards the north while during the dry season, with northerly winds, all the drifters moved to the south. Although the circulation patterns showed a strong relationship with the tidal cycle and wind conditions, the Turbo and El Uno Bays modified some of the drifter’s paths.

Keywords : surface circulation; wind; tide; drifters; coastal currents..

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