Observation of Formation of Deep Water in the Mediterranean Sea, 1969

Lacombe, H.; Tchernia, P.; Charcot, Jean; Ribet, M.; Bonnot, Jean-François; Frassetto, Roberto; Swallow, J. C.

doi:10.1038/2271037a0

Cited by 382 publications

(45 citation statements)

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“…They also showed how the high-resolution representation of topography can substantially affect the precipitation change signal: for example, during the summer when high elevation heating induces a positive precipitation change over the high elevations of the Alpine chain. In addition, the influence of high-frequency ocean-atmosphere coupling on heavy precipitation case studies was investigated using twin experiments with a RCSM and the associated atmospheric RCM driven by observed SST and by the RCSM SST (Lebeaupin-Brossier et al 2013;Berthou et al 2014Berthou et al , 2015. These studies found that the coupling significantly influences the event intensity and position.…”

Section: Illustr Ative Ex Amples Of Med -Cordex Scientific Achievementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within Med-CORDEX, various elements of the Mediterranean Sea circulation have been evaluated either in the RCSMs or in the stand-alone regional ocean models. For example, Soto-Navarro et al (2014) The Mediterranean Sea thermohaline circulation is a complex and challenging phenomenon (Lacombe et al 1970;Mertens and Schott 1998). It has been evaluated in many configurations of the Med-CORDEX models for the eastern Mediterranean basin in relation to the so-called eastern Mediterranean transient (Vervatis et al 2013;Georgiou et al 2014;Sevault et al 2014) and for the western Mediterranean basin targeting the understanding of deep-water formation (Beuvier et al 2012;L'Heveder et al 2013;Sevault et al 2014).…”

Section: Illustr Ative Ex Amples Of Med -Cordex Scientific Achievementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Deep Mediterranean Water is produced at different locations by intense air-sea interactions: in the Gulf of Lion (western Mediterranean), the southern Adriatic, the northeast Levantine basin, and the Aegean Sea in the eastern Mediterranean (Lacombe et al 1970;Roether et al 1996). The basin's circulation is characterized by the presence of subbasin gyres, intense mesoscale variability, and a strong seasonal signal.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Med-CORDEX Initiative for Mediterranean Climate Studies

Ruti

Somot

Giorgi

et al. 2016

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

275

218

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The Mediterranean is expected to be one of the most prominent and vulnerable climate change “hotspots” of the twenty-first century, and the physical mechanisms underlying this finding are still not clear. Furthermore, complex interactions and feedbacks involving ocean–atmosphere–land–biogeochemical processes play a prominent role in modulating the climate and environment of the Mediterranean region on a range of spatial and temporal scales. Therefore, it is critical to provide robust climate change information for use in vulnerability–impact–adaptation assessment studies considering the Mediterranean as a fully coupled environmental system. The Mediterranean Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (Med-CORDEX) initiative aims at coordinating the Mediterranean climate modeling community toward the development of fully coupled regional climate simulations, improving all relevant components of the system from atmosphere and ocean dynamics to land surface, hydrology, and biogeochemical processes. The primary goals of Med-CORDEX are to improve understanding of past climate variability and trends and to provide more accurate and reliable future projections, assessing in a quantitative and robust way the added value of using high-resolution and coupled regional climate models. The coordination activities and the scientific outcomes of Med-CORDEX can produce an important framework to foster the development of regional Earth system models in several key regions worldwide.

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Section: Illustr Ative Ex Amples Of Med -Cordex Scientific Achievementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Illustr Ative Ex Amples Of Med -Cordex Scientific Achievementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Med-CORDEX Initiative for Mediterranean Climate Studies

Ruti

Somot

Giorgi

et al. 2016

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

275

218

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“…Air temperatures were approximately 2 • C lower than the average climatic values registered in the climatic atlas of Catalonia (Martín-Vide and Raso Nadal, 2008) The second winter studied was on average 1 • C warmer than the previous one. N-NW velocities reached speeds of up to 45 m s −1 during late December 2010, and up to 42 m s −1 in early February 2011 (Fig.…”

Section: External Forcingsmentioning

confidence: 96%

External forcings, oceanographic processes and particle flux dynamics in Cap de Creus submarine canyon, NW Mediterranean Sea

et al. 2013

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Abstract. Particle fluxes (including major components and grain size), and oceanographic parameters (near-bottom water temperature, current speed and suspended sediment concentration) were measured along the Cap de Creus submarine canyon in the Gulf of Lions (GoL; NW Mediterranean Sea) during two consecutive winter-spring periods (2009–2010 and 2010–2011). The comparison of data obtained with the measurements of meteorological and hydrological parameters (wind speed, turbulent heat flux, river discharge) have shown the important role of atmospheric forcings in transporting particulate matter through the submarine canyon and towards the deep sea. Indeed, atmospheric forcing during 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 winter months showed differences in both intensity and persistence that led to distinct oceanographic responses. Persistent dry northern winds caused strong heat losses (14.2 × 103 W m−2) in winter 2009–2010 that triggered a pronounced sea surface cooling compared to winter 2010–2011 (1.6 × 103 W m−2 lower). As a consequence, a large volume of dense shelf water formed in winter 2009–2010, which cascaded at high speed (up to ∼1 m s−1) down Cap de Creus Canyon as measured by a current-meter in the head of the canyon. The lower heat losses recorded in winter 2010–2011, together with an increased river discharge, resulted in lowered density waters over the shelf, thus preventing the formation and downslope transport of dense shelf water. High total mass fluxes (up to 84.9 g m−2 d−1) recorded in winter-spring 2009–2010 indicate that dense shelf water cascading resuspended and transported sediments at least down to the middle canyon. Sediment fluxes were lower (28.9 g m−2 d−1) under the quieter conditions of winter 2010–2011. The dominance of the lithogenic fraction in mass fluxes during the two winter-spring periods points to a resuspension origin for most of the particles transported down canyon. The variability in organic matter and opal contents relates to seasonally controlled inputs associated with the plankton spring bloom during March and April of both years.

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“…Oceanographic research over the last decades has revealed that extreme weather events, such as typhoons and storms, can significantly enhance OC export to the deep sea floor in oligotrophic environments [Siegel et al, 1999;Siswanto et al, 2008;Hung et al, 2009;Lomas et al, 2010;Chen et al, 2013]. One good example of Group, 1970], which increase phytoplankton productivity and OC export to the deep sea floor [Stabholz et al, 2013;Auger et al, 2014]. One of the strongest events recorded up to date was that occurring in winter 2011-2012, when atmospheric conditions involving particularly strong cold and dry northerly winds triggered intense convection not only in the NW Mediterranean Sea but also in the southern Adriatic Sea [Bensi et al, 2013;Durrieu de Madron et al, 2013;Janeković et al, 2014].…”

Section: Atmospheric Forcingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced carbon export to the abyssal depths driven by atmosphere dynamics

Pedrosa-Pàmies

Sánchez-Vidal

Canals

et al. 2016

Geophysical Research Letters

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Long‐term biogeochemical observations are critical to understand the natural ability of the oceans to fix CO2 into organic carbon and export it to the deep as sinking particles. Here we present results from a 3 year (2010–2013) sediment trap deployment that allowed detecting interannual variations of carbon fluxes beyond 4000 m depth in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Anomalous atmospheric conditions triggering strong heat losses in winter–spring 2012 resulted in convective mixing, nutrient uplifting, and a diatom‐dominated bloom southeast of Crete. Phytoplankton growth, reinforced by the arrival of nutrients from airborne Etna volcano ash, was the highest in the last decade (satellite‐derived Chl a concentrations up to 1.9 mg m−3). This situation caused carbon export to increase by 2 orders of magnitude (12.2 mg m−2 d−1) with respect to typical values, which demonstrates how pulses of sinking fresh phytodetritus linked to rare atmospheric processes can episodically impact one of the most oligotrophic environments in the world ocean.

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Observation of Formation of Deep Water in the Mediterranean Sea, 1969

Cited by 382 publications

References 0 publications

Med-CORDEX Initiative for Mediterranean Climate Studies

Med-CORDEX Initiative for Mediterranean Climate Studies

External forcings, oceanographic processes and particle flux dynamics in Cap de Creus submarine canyon, NW Mediterranean Sea

Enhanced carbon export to the abyssal depths driven by atmosphere dynamics

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