Bodenströmungen und Sedimenttransport im Golf von Manfredonia (Italien, Südadria)

During 64 days (in June, July, and August 1967-1969), bottom currents have been measured by self-recording Richardson current meters in the central Gulf of Manfredonia (Southern Adriatic Sea, Italy). The currents show mean velocities of 2-4 cm/sec and maximum velocities ranging from 10-14 cm/sec at 35-50 cm above the sea floor, and maximum velocities of 22 cm/sec at 250 cm above the sediment surface (see Table 1, Fig. 4). During the four measuring periods, NW- to NE-directed current vectors prevailed (Fig. 3): they can be explained by the assumption of a clockwise (anticyclonic) captive eddy or vortex in the Gulf, moving opposite to the constant, "summer-outgoing" Adriatic Gradient Current (Zore-Armanda 1968), which flows to the SE along the Italian coast (Fig. 1). The current directions are opposite to the prevailing wind directions, blowing during the summer mostly from the NW, N and NE; this might be explained by the activity of a northward compensation undercurrent, induced by those winds and possibly also by southeast-flowing surface (gradient) currents. The clockwise 360° rotation of current directions (velocity: 2-13 cm/sec) during one day (June 24/25, 1968) is explained by the influence of a spring tide with a tidal range of 35 cm (Fig. 6). These bottom currents, measured in summer, are only capable of redepositing the river-supplied, clay- to silt-size sediment material by suspension transport. During winter storms with wave action reaching down to a depth of 10 m (?) and swell from strong SE-winds with a longer fetch, it is supposed that current velocities are 3-5 times higher than in summer and sufficient to transport also fine sand. The characteristic distribution of total heavy minerals and of euhedral pyroxenes (Fig. 7 a, b) within the Gulf of Manfredonia indicates that the sediment supplied by the Apennine rivers (mainly River Ofanto) is being re-distributed to the NW and N by longshore drift and by nearshore currents belonging to a clockwise eddy system. This explanation could be verified by the direct current measurements.