 |
| Titel |
Violent storms within the Sea: dense water formation episodes in the NW Mediterranean |
| VerfasserIn |
J. Salat, P. Puig, M. Latasa |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| ISSN |
1680-7340
|
| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: 11th EGU Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms (2009) ; Nr. 26 (2010-07-07), S.53-59 |
| Datensatznummer |
250015981
|
| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/adgeo-26-53-2010.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
| Heat and water exchanges in the ocean occur almost exclusively at the
surface. As water compressibility is very low, stratification of the fluid
is expected and horizontal motion is predominant in the sea interior. Among
the few processes that may introduce a vertical component in the water
motion are those that increase surface water density by freezing, cooling or
evaporation. Those processes triggering convective motion are enhanced by
cold surface air, dry wind and low solar radiation. Therefore, convective
cells are more likely to occur when the temperature of the air at the sea
surface is lower than sea surface temperature. Conversely, rain, river
runoff, solar heating, calm and condensation at surface enhance
stratification. Convective motion at sea has several scales ranging from few
meters at the upper ocean, causing the surface mixed layer, to the entire
water column, in what is known as deep convection. Only few places in the
world ocean are suitable for deep convection, and only under particular
weather conditions. In this paper, a brief review of the response to these
particular conditions in the NW Mediterranean is presented in what is known
as dense water formation. The violent sinking and spreading of water parcels
that reach the deep sea floor in few hours is described. These are
"hidden" mediterranean storms, occurring under the sea surface, "on the
other side of the mirror". |
| |
|
| Teil von |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|