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| Titel |
Important aspects of Eastern Mediterranean large-scale variability revealed from data of three fixed observatories |
| VerfasserIn |
Manuel Bensi, Dimitris Velaoras, Vanessa Cardin, Leonidas Perivoliotis, George Pethiakis |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2015
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 17 (2015) |
| Datensatznummer |
250106873
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2015-6552.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Long-term variations of temperature and salinity observed in the Adriatic and Aegean Seas
seem to be regulated by larger-scale circulation modes of the Eastern Mediterranean (EMed)
Sea, such as the recently discovered feedback mechanisms, namely the BiOS (Bimodal
Oscillating System) and the internal thermohaline pump theories. These theories are the
results of interpretation of many years’ observations, highlighting possible interactions
between two key regions of the EMed.
Although repeated oceanographic cruises carried out in the past or planned for the future are
a very useful tool for understanding the interaction between the two basins (e.g. alternating
dense water formation, salt ingressions), recent long time-series of high frequency (up to 1h)
sampling have added valuable information to the interpretation of internal mechanisms for
both areas (i.e.Âmesoscale eddies, evolution of fast internal processes, etc.). During the last
10 years, three deep observatories were deployed and maintained in the Adriatic, Ionian, and
Aegean Seas: they are respectively, the E2-M3A, the Pylos, and the E1-M3A. All are part of
the largest European network of Fixed Point Open Ocean Observatories (FixO3,
http://www.fixo3.eu/).
Herein, from the analysis of temperature and salinity, and potential density time series
collected at the three sites from the surface down to the intermediate and deep layers, we will
discuss the almost perfect anti-correlated behavior between the Adriatic and the Aegean
Seas.
Our data, collected almost continuously since 2006, reveal that these observatories well
represent the thermohaline variability of their own areas. Interestingly, temperature and
salinity in the intermediate layer suddenly increased in the South Adriatic from the end of
2011, exactly when they started decreasing in the Aegean Sea. Moreover, Pylos data
used together with additional ones (e.g. Absolute dynamic topography, temperature
and salinity data from other platforms) collected along the typical pathway of the
Levantine/Cretan intermediate waters towards the Adriatic Sea, reveal variability of the
subsurface/intermediate layers (100-400m depth), which could possibly be attributed
to seasonal variability or influences from dynamical features such as the Pelops
Gyre.
References
Bensi, M., V. Cardin, A. Rubino, G. Notarstefano, and P. M. Poulain (2013), Effects of winter
convection on the deep layer of the Southern Adriatic Sea in 2012, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans,
118, doi:10.1002/2013JC009432.
Velaoras, D., G. Krokos, K. Nittis, and A. Theocharis (2014), Dense intermediate water outflow
from the Cretan Sea: A salinity driven, recurrent phenomenon, connected to thermohaline
circulation changes, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 119, doi:10.1002/2014JC009937. |
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