Numerical modeling of the response of Ceará continental shelf waters to wind stress forcing

. Abstroct: Ceará shclf waters response to steady and transicnt wind forcing, from Ponta Cajuais (04°42'S, 37"19.5'W) to Ponta de ltapagé (02°50SS, 4QoOQ'W), was studied using a hydrodynamic numerical mode\. The finitc difference model was based upon the equations for a barotropic ocean in general form: advective and quadratic surface and bottom stress terms were included. Seasonal differences in the shelf waters response were characterized by simulation of summer and winter forcing. Such experiments wcre conducted for both f and equatorial bcta plane domains, without significative differences in the results. Transient shelf waters response were invcstigated using surface winds from the Fortaleza airport , during the period extending from 14/03to 25/03/79.Model results wcre compared to current data collected during the same period; modeled currents were able to roughly describe observed current pattern, but not current intensity.