Arm of the Mediterranean Sea between the Italian Riviera (Liguria) and the island of Corsica
The Ligurian SeaThe Ligurian Sea: in red the border according toInternational Hydrographic Organization, in blue the border according toIstituto Idrografico della Marina
The sea bordersItaly as far as its border withFrance, and the French island ofCorsica. In the east, the sea borders theTyrrhenian Sea, while in the west it borders the Mediterranean Sea proper.Genoa is the most prominent city in the area. The northwest coast is noted for its scenery and climate.[citation needed]
TheGulf of Genoa is its northernmost part. The ports of Genoa andLa Spezia are on its rocky coast. It reaches a maximum depth of more than 2,800 m (9,300 ft) northwest of Corsica.
According to a 1983 study, since 1977 a series of experimental analyses on sea-level variations at Genoa and Imperia highlighted "the existence of aseiche wave with ameanperiod of 5.8 hours", whose reasons weren't yet explained at that time. The Ligurian Sea was modeled as a rectangular semi-closed basin with a longitudinal length of 40 km (25 mi) and a transversal one of 10 km (6.2 mi), in an average constant depth of 2,000 m (6,600 ft; 1,100 fathoms).[1]
The Ligurian Sea is traversed by theModified Atlantic Water (MAW) on its surface and by the Levantine Intermediate Water in depth. It is also brushed by the two main currents which surround theCorsica island: the Western Corsica Current and the Tyrrenian current that reaches theCorsica Channel.[3]
