Long-term sea surface temperature variability in the Aegean Sea

Skliris, Nikolaos; Sofianos, Sarantis; Γκανάσος, Αθανάσιος; Axaopoulos, Panagiotis; Mantziafou, Anneta; Vervatis, Vassilios

doi:10.4081/aiol.2011.5321

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Other recent trends' estimates provide values of 0.036 ± 0.003 • C/year from 1993 to 2017 [21], 0.036 ± 0.003 • C/year from 1982 to 2016 [22] and 0.035 ± 0.007 • C/year from 1982 to 2012 [20], over the Mediterranean Sea. Trends' estimates we found in the Mediterranean sub-basins and the adjacent Northeastern Atlantic box agree with previous findings, e.g., the value of 0.031 ± 0.007 • C/year from 1985 to 2007 in the western Mediterranean Sea [18], about 0.045 • C/year in the Aegean Sea [23] and about 0.025 • C/year in the Atlantic area near Gibraltar from 1985 to 2008 [54], about 0.033 • C/year in the Ionian Sea and about 0.042 • C/year in the Levantine basin from 1982 to 2012 [20]. These trends are quite similar to our estimates within the indicated confidence interval.…”

Section: X11-trendssupporting

confidence: 92%

New Evidence of Mediterranean Climate Change and Variability from Sea Surface Temperature Observations

et al. 2020

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Estimating long-term modifications of the sea surface temperature (SST) is crucial for evaluating the current state of the oceans and to correctly assess the impact of climate change at regional scales. In this work, we analyze SST variations within the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent Northeastern Atlantic box (west of the Strait of Gibraltar) over the last 37 years, by using a satellite-based dataset from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS). We found a mean warming trend of 0.041 ± 0.006 ∘ C/year over the whole Mediterranean Sea from 1982 to 2018. The trend has an uneven spatial pattern, with values increasing from 0.036 ± 0.006 ∘ C/year in the western basin to 0.048 ± 0.006 ∘ C/year in the Levantine–Aegean basin. The Northeastern Atlantic box and the Mediterranean show a similar trend until the late 1990s. Afterwards, the Mediterranean SST continues to increase, whereas the Northeastern Atlantic box shows no significant trend, until ~2015. The observed change in the Mediterranean Sea affects not only the mean trend but also the amplitude of the Mediterranean seasonal signal, with consistent relative increase and decrease of summer and winter mean values, respectively, over the period considered. The analysis of SST changes occurred during the “satellite era” is further complemented by reconstructions also based on direct in situ SST measurements, i.e., the Extended Reconstructed SST (ERSST) and the Hadley Centre Sea Ice and Sea Surface Temperature dataset (HadISST), which go back to the 19th century. The analysis of these longer time series, covering the last 165 years, indicates that the increasing Mediterranean trend, observed during the CMEMS operational period, is consistent with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), as it closely follows the last increasing period of AMO. This coincidence occurs at least until 2007, when the apparent onset of the decreasing phase of AMO is not seen in the Mediterranean SST evolution.

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Section: X11-trendssupporting

confidence: 92%

New Evidence of Mediterranean Climate Change and Variability from Sea Surface Temperature Observations

et al. 2020

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“…Maximum SST warming trends are observed in the Cretan Sea (D3); based on satellite-derived SST analysis higher warming rates obtained during summer (0.068 • C/year) and autumn (0.050 • C/year) than those obtained during spring (0.037 • C/year) and winter (0.026 • C/year) for the Aegean Sea. The highest positive seasonal SST anomaly is obtained in summer 2002 with the obtained mean summer SST being about 1 • C higher than the long-term summer mean (Skliris et al, 2011). It is noteworthy that we came across significant number of waterspouts (more than 40 WS) during 2002 over the Aegean Sea.…”

Section: Synoptic-scale Meteorological and Sst Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…The overall seasonal spatial distribution pattern of Aegean's Sea SST values shows that the surface temperature changes is dependent upon: (a) the distribution of the colder Black Sea Waters; (b) the advection of the warmer Levantine Waters, influencing only the eastern part of the south and central Aegean; (c) coastal upwelling induced by the Etesians; and (d) to a lesser extent but locally important (especially at the north) freshwater riverine outflows (Poulos et al, 1997). Moreover, Skliris et al (2011) stated that the largest part of the Aegean Sea surface is cooling between 1985 and 1992; whilst a general warming is obtained throughout the basin of Aegean Sea after 1992. Maximum SST warming trends are observed in the Cretan Sea (D3); based on satellite-derived SST analysis higher warming rates obtained during summer (0.068 • C/year) and autumn (0.050 • C/year) than those obtained during spring (0.037 • C/year) and winter (0.026 • C/year) for the Aegean Sea.…”

Section: Synoptic-scale Meteorological and Sst Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A climatology of tornadic activity over Greece based on historical records

et al. 2013

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In this study, the climatology of tornadoes, waterspouts and funnel clouds over Greece is presented for the period 1709-2012. The climatology consists of two datasets. An historical dataset is based on newspaper archives, historical archives, published tornado literature, administrative records and reports of Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS). A recent dataset (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012) is based on newspaper articles, eyewitness reports to the media, HNMS's reports and an open-ended online tornado report database which has been developed and maintained by the Laboratory of Climatology & Atmospheric Environment of the University of Athens. Altogether, 612 Greek tornadic events compose the climatology: 171 tornadoes, 374 waterspouts and 67 funnel clouds. Tornadic events during the past 13 years (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012) have occurred all over the Greek territory and there is frequent tornadic occurrence over north Crete and Corfu Island. Tornadoes are more frequent to occur over NW Peloponnesus followed by south parts of Corfu Island. However, waterspouts are more frequent over north Crete followed by Corfu Island. Tornadic monthly variability depicts a maximum during October, followed by September and November. October is the month with the highest tornado frequency, followed by November and July. The highest waterspout frequency month is September followed by October and December. Tornadoes most commonly develop during the warm time of the day, as more than 75% of all cases occur during 08:00-15:00 hours UTC with a maximum at 12:00 hours UTC. Waterspout frequency of occurrence has two maxima during the day, the first early in the morning (07:00-09:00 hours UTC) and the second after the noon time period (14:00-15:00 hours UTC). The dominant (27.7% of total cases) intensity of tornadoes in Greece is T4 based on the T-scale during the 300-year period (1709-2012); there have been at least 114 injured and 29 deaths.

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“…Both signals are, concomitantly, favouring conditions for intense DWF in the north Aegean Sea. This cooling trend also coincides with a prolonged period of increasing positive NAO index, favouring cooler conditions over the eastern Medi- terranean basin (Skliris et al, 2011(Skliris et al, , 2012. It is interesting to note that just after the EMT a long-term strong warming trend is initiated in the Aegean Sea associated with a long-term broad-scale warming signal and a decadal scale variability signal linked to NAO (Skliris et al, 2012).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

INTER-annual/decadal variability of the north Aegean Sea hydrodynamics over 1960-2000

2014

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Results from a high-resolution hindcast model experiment, supported by available observations, reveal an increasing salinity trend in the north Aegean during the Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT) period, largely controlled by increases in the flow rate and salinity of water masses of Levantine origin entering the domain through the Myconos-Ikaria strait as a response to an acceleration of the Aegean thermohaline cell. Changes in the Dardanelles inflow (increasing salinity) and in the surface freshwater flux (increasing Evaporation-Precipitation), although both contributing to a higher salt content of the basin during the EMT, play a minor role in the inter-annual/decadal variability of the freshwater budget. A long-term decreasing temperature trend is observed from the 1960s to the early 1990s. It is superimposed on the salinity-preconditioning phase over the 1980s and early 1990s. Both signals are, concomitantly, favouring conditions for intense Dense Water Formation (DWF) in the north Aegean Sea. In addition, the northward displacement of the Black Sea Water front over the EMT, leads to the expansion of convective cells towards the north and to higher formation rates associated with both colder and saltier surface waters.

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Long-term sea surface temperature variability in the Aegean Sea

Cited by 20 publications

References 36 publications

New Evidence of Mediterranean Climate Change and Variability from Sea Surface Temperature Observations

New Evidence of Mediterranean Climate Change and Variability from Sea Surface Temperature Observations

A climatology of tornadic activity over Greece based on historical records

INTER-annual/decadal variability of the north Aegean Sea hydrodynamics over 1960-2000

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