Recurrent intrusions of transitional waters of Eastern Mediterranean origin in the Cretan Sea as a tracer of Aegean Sea dense water formation events

Velaoras, Dimitris; Krokos, George; Theocharis, Alexander

doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2015.04.010

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Long-term analyses of fixed moorings, ARGO floats and ship-based CTD data 21 , 22 , 35 , 36 suggested that there are important intermediate T and S peaks in both areas (Levantine, Cretan). In particular 36 , analyzed the long-term variability of the water column properties in the Cretan Sea (1986–2014) based on historical CTDs and found that after S peaks in 1993 and 1999, between 2008 and 2011 the S of CIW has increased by 0.2–0.25. According to refs 21 and 35 this is a manifestation of the salinity preconditioning of the Cretan Sea (due to mechanisms such as NIG reversals or the thermohaline pump mentioned before), i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid response to climate change in a marginal sea

Schröeder

Chiggiato

Josey

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

114

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Mediterranean Sea is a mid-latitude marginal sea, particularly responsive to climate change as reported by recent studies. The Sicily Channel is a choke point separating the sea in two main basins, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Western Mediterranean Sea. Here, we report and analyse a long-term record (1993–2016) of the thermohaline properties of the Intermediate Water that crosses the Sicily Channel, showing increasing temperature and salinity trends much stronger than those observed at intermediate depths in the global ocean. We investigate the causes of the observed trends and in particular determine the role of a changing climate over the Eastern Mediterranean, where the Intermediate Water is formed. The long-term Sicily record reveals how fast the response to climate change can be in a marginal sea like the Mediterranean Sea compared to the global ocean, and demonstrates the essential role of long time series in the ocean.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid response to climate change in a marginal sea

Schröeder

Chiggiato

Josey

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

114

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is typical Cretan Intermediate Water (CIW) produced locally (Georgopoulos et al, ) with properties depending each year on the strength of the formation event. The local salinity, temperature, and oxygen minimum of W14 found at 670 dbar with σ θ 29.18 kg/m 3 is Transitional Mediterranean Water (TMW) that enters the Cretan Sea from the EMed at density horizons of 29.17 < σ θ < 29.19 kg/m 3 (Velaoras et al, ). The local minima observed at stations W15, AD3, and AD1 should not be misinterpreted as TMW as these minima are found much deeper (below 900 dbar) and at denser horizons ( σ θ ≥ 29.19 kg/m 3 ) as can be seen in the θ ‐ S diagram.…”

Section: Hydrological Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Response of the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean) to the Extreme 2016–2017 Winter

Velaoras

Papadopoulos

Kontoyiannis

et al. 2017

Geophysical Research Letters

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The exceptionally cold December 2016 over the Aegean Sea—one of the most important dense water formation areas of the eastern Mediterranean Sea—resulted in winter heat loss comparable to the peak Eastern Mediterranean Transient winters (1992–1993). Hydrological data sampled in March/April 2017 showed that newly produced dense waters ventilated the North Aegean deep basins up to density horizons of σθ ~ 29.35 kg/m3. The water column ventilation was unable to reach the bottom as the present upper thermohaline circulation of the eastern Mediterranean does not favor the salinity preconditioning of the Aegean Sea. In the southwest Aegean, the Myrtoan basin was ventilated by dense waters traceable farther south to the West Cretan Straits. Export of these masses from the Aegean Sea can potentially have a broader impact on the thermohaline circulation of the eastern Mediterranean.

show abstract

“…living macrozooplankton there is even less information. The euphausiid species found in the whole Mediterranean Sea are the same, although the predominant species are different in the eastern basin and Thyrrenian Sea to those found in the western basin, west of the Thyrrenian Sea (Wiebe and D'Abramo, 1972).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Acoustic Doppler current profiler observations of migration patternsof zooplankton in the Cretan Sea

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The lack of knowledge of the mesopelagic layer inhabitants, especially those performing strong vertical migration, is an acknowledged challenge. This incomplete representation leads to the exclusion of an active carbon and nutrient pathway from the surface to the deeper layers and vice versa. The vertical migration of mesopelagic inhabitants (macroplanktonic and micronektonic) was observed by acoustical means for almost 2.5 years in the epipelagic and mesopelagic layers of the open oligotrophic Cretan Sea (south Aegean Sea, eastern Mediterranean) at the site of an operational fixed-point observatory located at 1500 m depth. The observed organisms were categorized into four groups according to their migration patterns. The variability of the migration patterns was inspected in relation to the physical and biological environmental conditions of the study area. The stratification of the water column does not act as a barrier for the vertical motion of the strongest migrants that move up to 400 m every day. Instead, changes in light intensity (lunar cycle, daylight duration, cloudiness) and the presence of prey and predators seem to explain the observed daily, monthly and seasonal variability. The continuous presence of these organisms, which are capable of vertical motion despite the profound circulation variability at the site of the observatory, implies their presence in the broader study area. The fundamental implications of the above regarding biogeochemical processing in oligotrophic seas due to the intimate link between the carbon (C) and nutrient cycles, are discussed.

show abstract

Recurrent intrusions of transitional waters of Eastern Mediterranean origin in the Cretan Sea as a tracer of Aegean Sea dense water formation events

Cited by 20 publications

References 29 publications

Rapid response to climate change in a marginal sea

Rapid response to climate change in a marginal sea

The Response of the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean) to the Extreme 2016–2017 Winter

Acoustic Doppler current profiler observations of migration patternsof zooplankton in the Cretan Sea

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About