Simulation of 3D Current Pattern, Sea Surface Temperature and Salinity Distribution in the South of Caspian Sea

In this study, patterns of water current, sea surface temperature and salinity distributions over the South Caspian Sea (SCS) have been investigated using ROMS model. Appling the most accurate bathymetry data and forces with temporal resolution of 3-6 hours, and spatial resolution of 0.125 deg is a characteristic of the simulations used in this study. Results show that there is a barotropic anticyclonic eddy over the deep water of SCS, which extended from surface to subsurface. A dipole anticyclonic/cyclonic feature is another structure of SCS that located in northwest (in Apsheron sill)/ southwest respectively,a nd persist throughout the year. Based on results, net buoyancy flux of SCS is more affected by thermal buoyancy rather than haline buoyancy. In addition, there is a saline front in the east coast of SCS that is separated from other regions by combining with warm (cold) water during (warm) seasons.