Case Studies - Coastal Lagoons: Ecosystem Processes and Modeling for Sustainable Use and Development - page 392

50 ′ 0 ° 45 ′

N

E

W

S

N

12

10

8

NNE NE

NNW 6

ENE

45 ′

NW

4

WNW

2

E

W 0

WSW

ESE

SW

SE

SSW

S SSE

37 ° 40 ′

0123 m

FIGURE 9.3.4 Prevailing winds in the Mar Menor area during the 1980s. (Data from the
San Javier meteorological station.)

at the Mar Menor: (1) the northern basin with the lower mean salinity values; (2)
the southern basin with the most saline waters; and (3) the central basin with
intermediate values and corresponding to the mixing area of Mediterranean and
lagoon waters.
As in many other coastal lagoons, the water temperature is closely related to the
atmospheric temperature. 10-12 The temperature distribution is relatively uniform over