Water exchange in the Dardanelles: variations on synoptic to interannual time scales

The bidirectional mass exchange between the Marmara Sea and the Aegean Sea provides one part of the critical hydrodynamic links between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. In this study, we examined exchange in the Dardanelles based on a 3-D numerical model simulation covering an 11-year period under realistic atmospheric forcing. The model includes the Black Sea, the Marmara Sea, and a part of the Aegean Sea to include the remote effects of basin dynamics. The main features as one-, two-, and three-layered flow structures are successfully reproduced by the model in comparison to earlier observations. It is found that the strait is subject to submaximal exchange by only one control near the Nara Pass. According to long-term modeling results, most variability occurs on synoptic time scales, and wind stress has a dominant role in those variations. The seasonal and interannual variability of exchange flow is relatively low and displays a close relationship with freshwater input to the Black Sea.