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'