Sensibility Analysis of the Circulation in the Orbetello Lagoon --- Part 2

In a previous work the circulation in the Orbetello lagoon had been investigated. The study had been carried out with a shallow water nite element model developed at the ISDGM-CNR in Venice. The eect of dierent forcings such as the tide, water pumps and wind had been studied. The results showed that the action of the wind forcing is the most important for the hydrodynamic activity. In this report a new application of the hydrodynamic model has been explored. The in uence of openings on the dam that divides the lagoon in two parts has been investigated. Tide, wind and water pumps have been taken into account as forcings. The simulations have been carried out with four dierent grids, corresponding to dierent dam scenarios with increasing openings of the dam. The circulation appears more lively, expecially in the case of the wind forcing. The results presented here are important for the investigation of the Orbetello lagoon and could suggest indications for the management of this ecosystem. The availability of experimental data and a bathymetry could allow to calibrate and validate the model in order to obtain more information.