Correntes de marés e circulação geral da baía de Maputo

Abstract

Industrial, urban and tourist development around Maputo Bay has resulted in environmental problems. The study of the general circulation of Maputo bay is important for a better understanding of the bay's oceanographic characteristics as well as its variations. This knowledge can contribute to the adoption of sustainable environmental management measures. In this work, a general characterization of the water bodies in the bay (temperature and salinity) was made, a general description of the circulation, the role of winds and tides in the circulation of the bay is discussed. Currents and tides in the bay were measured using a corretometer as well as temperature and salinity. Water temperature, salinity and water density were determined in stations previously marked by means of a CTD. The physical parameters that most influence the circulation of Maputo Bay were determined with the help of the two-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The model has a dispersion overlay that made it possible to determine the distribution of pollutants in the bay for the different winds. From the results obtained, both from the model and from field observations, it is concluded that the water density is greater on the eastern side than on the western side of the bay, which causes the displacement of water to the western side of the bay, the winds from the south and southwest, the most prevalent in the bay, move the water to the western side of the bay, increasing the water level on this side, the residual circulation of the bay is hourly; the western part of the bay is more vulnerable to the concentration of pollutants than the eastern side. (TRADUÇÃO NOSSA)