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\section{Hydrology: rivers and freshwater runoff}  Several rivers with different estuarine structures and dimensions reach the Adriatic Sea coastlines.  In particular, the Northwest northwest  coast is characterized by the largest concentration of rivers. Here, in fact, temperature and salinity gradients that are created by the river discharge contribute to the general thermoaline circulation. The combined effect of medium size rivers (average discharge ranging from 40 to 100 m3s-1) and of the Po river induces a cyclonic circulation in the northwestern shelves. The Po river (NE Italy) is the largest fresh water supply and is characterized by an annual mean runoff of about 1 700 m3Js. The maximum peaks of freshwater runoff are associated with snow melt and rain precipitation and occur, respectively, in spring and autumn (Marchetti, 1984).   The annual mean runoff of the north- and west-coast northwest coast  rivers other than the Pois 350 m3Js; the rivers inflowing along the greater part of the eastern coast contribute about 700 m3/s, whereas the annual mean runoff concentrated along the 150 km of the eastern coast converging on the Otranto Strait amounts to about 1150 m3/s (Zore- Armanda, 1969 a). Along the eastern coast there are numerous submarine springs (known as "vrulje") which discharge fresh water originating in the littoral karst area (AlfireviĆ©, 1969) but are probably not of major importance in the overall water budget.