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| Titel |
The Gulf of Cadiz upper slope currents variability |
| VerfasserIn |
Alvaro Peliz, Ana Barbosa Aguiar |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2013
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 15 (2013) |
| Datensatznummer |
250080300
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The Gulf of Cadiz slope, between the Southwestern tip of Iberian Peninsula and the Strait of Gibraltar, is characterized by persistent flows associated with the exchange with the Mediterranean. Due to its basin scale interest, the Mediterranean Outflow (MO) has attracted the attention of oceanographers for several decades. The MO is broadly characterized from the thermohaline perspective, especially in what concerns its lower core. However, the dynamics of the upper branches have been under investigation only in the last decade. Recent studies focused on two main features: an upper slope equatorward flow in association with the inflow into the Mediterranean (the Gulf of Cadiz Slope Current), and a poleward current that separates from the main core of the MO right off the Strait of Gibraltar and circulates through the upper slope with core depths at around 300-500 m. These two currents interact in a complex way at synoptic and seasonal scales, with the latter many times surfacing during autumn and winter periods. An important question then rises: how shallow can Mediterranean waters circulate? We use a 2 decade long numerical simulation to study the structure and variability of the upper slope flows with a special focus on the origin and paths of the upper MO branch. |
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