Three major factors control the hydrodynamics
of the Baltic Sea: i) Water exchange with the North Atlantic, ii) Freshwater
inflow that takes place over the entire coast; iii) Bottom topography. The
drainage basins of the Baltic Sea discharge annually 440 km3 of freshwater and
host a population of 85 million in nine countries. The anthropogenic pressures
on the Baltic Sea are thereby significant and on the rise.
Nutrient levels in
the water and sediments are high, for instance, such that poor oxygen
conditions and “dead bottoms” are found in large archipelago areas of both
Sweden and Finland. Implementation of common management strategies by
surrounding countries aimed at minimising or reversing negative water quality
trends in the Baltic Sea, still poses a number of challenges; understanding
internal material transport and exchange between potential sources and
receptors in the basins, coastline areas and rivers is one such challenge (Baltic
Marine Environment Protection Commission In view of the large spatial and
temporal variability that is known to characterise the Baltic Sea, models have
been indispensable for a deeper understanding of its flow and transport
properties. Read More>>>>>>>
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