Uso de Um Modelo Barotropico de Elementos Finitos Para O Estudo DA Circulacao NA Plataforma DA Costa Sudeste Do Brasil (Use of a Barotropic Finite Element Model for the Study of Circulation on the Continental Shelf of the Southeas

摘要

Numerical modeling is an important tool which is increasingly being used in the study of coastal dynamics. At present, with the availability of high-speed computers with great memory capacity, many models have been developed which make use of different techniques and numerical schemes. In this work, a barotropic finite elment model is implemented for the simulation of the wind-forced circulation on the continental shelf of the southeast coast of Brazil. Numerical experiments are made to evaluate the region's response to different forcings. The results of these experiments, such as current field, sea surface anomalies and momentum balances, are analyzed and discussed.