Physical features of the Izmir Bay

The purpose of this study is to examine the physical features of the Izmir Bay based on data sets obtained from long-term monitoring. Due to the waste water discharge of more than 3 millon inhabitants of İzmir city and industrial inputs, Izmir Bay is one of the most polluted coastal areas in the Turkey. The residence time of bio-chemical parameters in the Bay and the exchange between Izmir Bay and the Aegean Sea are strongly affected by horizontal and vertical mixing and advection. The distributions of bio-chemical parameters depend not only on the wind-driven circulation in the Bay, but also on the thermohaline-driven or baroclinic circulation. Emphasis is given to the analysis of the seasonal thermohaline structures as well as the circulation system of the Bay. A numerical model (Killworthʹs Ocean Model) is used to calculate the general circulation patterns of the Izmir Bay.