30

Only  mean  annual  freshwater  input  data  are  currently  available  for  most  rivers
discharging  into  the  North  Sea  and  Baltic.  However,  for  the  major  German  rivers  (Ems,
Weser,  Elbe,  Rhine  and  Odra)  measured  discharge  data  are  available  as  model  input.
Figure  14  shows  a  comparison  of  measured  and  modelled  surface  salinities  at  the  station
'Elbe'  for  two  periods  in  1999.  Measured  and  modelled  time  series  agree  quite  well,  and
both  show  a  clear  tidal  signal.
A  comparison  of  surface  salinities  at  the  Baltic  station  'Oder  Bank'  (Fig.  15)  shows  strong
fluctuations  in  the  measurements  but  weaker  ones  in  the  model  data.  This  is  related  to
an  underestimation  of  the  model's  salinity  stratification  in  the  Baltic  Sea,

MARNET  Station  'Oder  Bank'

01.01.2000  10.02.2000  21.03.2000  30.04.2000  09.06.2000  19.07.2000

Fig.  15:  Measured  and  predicted  surface  salinities  at  station  'Oder  Bank'