Sensibility Analysis of the Circulation in the Orbetello Lagoon

In this report the circulation in the Orbetello lagoon has been investigated. The study has been carried out with a shallow water nite element model developed at the ISDGM-CNR in Venice. The simulations take into account dierent forcings as tide, water pumps and wind. The eect of these forcings on the circulation has been studied. The circulation appears hydrodynamically simple and quite poorly structured due to the shallow morphology of the assumed constant bathymetry and the weak tidal excursion. The results reported here are encouraging in suggesting the usefulness of mathematical modelling for the management of this ecosystem. To give more information, the hydrodynamical model needs to be calibrated and validated with experimental data, waiting for the realization of a standing monitoring system and the availability of a bathymetry.