The Advection of Submesoscale Thermal Features in the Alboran Sea Gyre

Violette, Paul E. La

doi:10.1175/1520-0485(1984)014<0550:taostf>2.0.co;2

Cited by 82 publications

(39 citation statements)

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“…On a regional scale, within the Alboran Sea, the model is able to simulate the main feature, the WAG, but not the more elusive EAG (e.g., Lacombe 1971;Lanoix 1974;La Violette 1984). In our model, the AJ did not detach from the Spanish coast westward of Malaga bay as usually described (e.g., Arnone et al 1990) but continues alongshore without forming the EAG.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The entrance of the Atlantic Jet (AJ) through the strait drives the main circulation of the Alboran Sea, with two anticyclonic gyres: the more permanent Western Anticyclonic Gyre (WAG) and the more elusive Eastern Anticyclonic Gyre (EAG) in the open-sea regions (e.g., Lacombe 1971;Lanoix 1974;Arnone et al 1990;La Violette 1984) and smaller cyclones along the northern and southern shores (e.g., Peliz et al 2013). The presence of the AJ close to the northern shore of the Alboran Sea favors the onset of upwelling conditions ) that increase primary production in the region (García-Gorriz and Carr 1999;Macías et al 2007b) and favors the spawning and recruitment of small pelagic fish (Catalán et al 2013) that sustains an economically important fishing activity in the region (Macías et al 2014a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The seasonal cycle of the Atlantic Jet dynamics in the Alboran Sea: direct atmospheric forcing versus Mediterranean thermohaline circulation

2016

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The Atlantic Jet (AJ) is the inflow of Atlantic surface waters into the Mediterranean Sea. This geostrophically adjusted jet fluctuates in a wide range of temporal scales from tidal to subinertial, seasonal, and interannual modifying its velocity and direction within the Alboran Sea. At seasonal scale, a clearly defined cycle has been previously described, with the jet being stronger and flowing towards the northeast during the first half of the year and weakening and flowing more southwardly towards the end of the year. Different hypothesis have been proposed to explain this fluctuation pattern but, up to now, no quantitative assessment of the importance of the different forcings for this seasonality has been provided. Here, we use a 3D hydrodynamic model of the entire Mediterranean Sea forced at the surface with realistic atmospheric conditions to study and quantify the importance of the different meteorological forcings on the velocity and direction of the AJ at seasonal time scale. We find that the direct effects of local zonal wind variations are much more important to explain extreme collapse events when the jet dramatically veers southward than to the seasonal cycle itself while sea level pressure variations over the Mediterranean seem to have very little direct effect on the AJ behavior at monthly and longer time scales. Further model results indicate that the annual cycle of the thermohaline circulation is the main driver of the seasonality of the AJ dynamics in the model simulations.The annual cycles in local wind forcing and SLP variations over the Mediterranean have no causal relationship with the AJ seasonality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The seasonal cycle of the Atlantic Jet dynamics in the Alboran Sea: direct atmospheric forcing versus Mediterranean thermohaline circulation

2016

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“…The Atlantic water flows into the Alborán Basin at the surface through the Strait of Gibraltar and generally forces two anticyclonic gyres: the WAG and the EAG (La Violette 1984.…”

Section: The Alborán Basinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent improvements in mesoscale characterization of the western Mediterranean Sea: synergy between satellite altimetry and other observational approaches

Pascual¹,

Bouffard²,

Ruiz³

et al. 2013

Sci. Mar.

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SUMMARY: Satellite altimetry is a key component of the global observing system and plays a major role in the study of the mesoscale processes that drive most of the ocean circulation variability at middle and high latitudes. However, satellite altimetry alone provides only surface information at a limited spatio-temporal resolution. To address these limitations and to better describe the mesoscale three-dimensional variability, it is necessary to complement altimetry data with additional remote and in situ measurements. This study provides an update of the recent advances in the study of the mesoscale variability using a combination of altimetry and other independent observations, with an emphasis on the results obtained for the western Mediterranean Sea. The circulation in this area is complex because of the presence of multiple interacting scales, including basin-scale, sub-basin-scale and mesoscale structures. Thus, characterizing these processes requires highresolution observations and multi-sensor approaches. Accordingly, multi-platform experiments and analyses have been designed and undertaken in the different sub-basins of the western Mediterranean Sea. These studies have demonstrated the advantages of synergetic approaches that use a combination of observation techniques and are able to resolve different spatiotemporal scales with the aim of better understanding mesoscale dynamics.Keywords: satellite altimetry, mesoscale variability, instruments and techniques, Mediterranean Sea. RESUMEN: AvAnces recientes en lA cArActerizAción de lA mesoescAlA en lA cuencA mediterráneA occidentAl: sinergiAs entre AltimetríA y otros sistemAs de observAción. -La altimetría satelitaria es una componente clave del sistema de observación global y juega un papel importante en el estudio de los procesos de mesoescala que impulsan la mayor parte de la variabilidad de la circulación oceánica en las latitudes medias y altas. Sin embargo, la altimetría por satélite sólo proporciona información superficial y con una resolución espacio-temporal limitada. Para hacer frente a estas limitaciones, es necesario complementar los datos de altimetría con otras medidas. Este estudio proporciona una actualización de los avances recientes en el estudio de la variabilidad de mesoescala utilizando una combinación de observaciones altimétricas con otros datos independientes en el Mediterráneo Occidental. La circulación en esta zona es compleja debido a la presencia de múltiples escalas interactuando entre ellas: cuenca, sub-cuenca y estructuras de mesoescala. Por tanto, la caracterización de estos procesos requiere de alta resolución en las observaciones y de enfoques multi-sensoriales. En este trabajo, presentamos una revisión de diversos experimentos multi-plataforma que se han diseñado y llevado a cabo en los diferentes sub-cuencas del Mediterráneo occidental durante los últimos años. Estos estudios han demostrado las ventajas de los enfoques sinérgicos y métodos innovadores que utilizan una combinación de técnicas de observación, y que son ca...

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“…Investigations of the water masses in the western Alboran Sea have revealed the existence of an anticyclonic gyre that is formed by a jet of Atlantic surface water entering through the Straits of Gibraltar (La Violette 1984, Gascard & Richez 1985. This Atlantic water is enriched with nutrients by an injection of North Atlantic Central Water in the Gulf of Cadiz and by tidal mixing with deeper outflowing Mediterranean water in the straits (Minas et al 1984, Packard et al 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution, sedimentation and fate of pigment biomarkers following thermal stratification in the western Alboran Sea

Barlow¹,

Mantoura²,

Peinert³

et al. 1995

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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A spring investigation of the phytoplankton in the western Alboran Sea (Mediterranean) was undertaken using chlorophyll and carotenoid biomarkers to characterize the community in the water column and in dnfting sediment traps set at 100 and 200 m. During 2 drifter experiments, calm and sunny conditions induced a progressive thermal stratification that reduced pigment sedimentation into deeper water and confined the phytoplankton to the surface layer, resulting in an increase in chlorophyll biomass. 19'-Hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin (prymnesiophytes) and chlorophyll b (chlorophytes, prasinophytes, prochlorophytes) were the major accessory pigments, while fucoxanthin, alloxanthin and peridinin indicated the presence of diatoms, cryptophytes and dinoflagellates, respectively. The proportional contribution of each algal group to the chlorophyll a (chl a ) biomass, as derived from multiple regression analysis, revealed that pryrnnesiophytes, cryptophytes and the green algal group collectively accounted for at least 75 % in the upper 100 m, emphasizing the importance of the nanophytoplankton. Phaeopigments, dominated by phaeophorbide a*, were the main pigments observed in sediment traps, although chl a, fucoxanthin and 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin were detected in smaller concentrations as well as traces of chlorophyll b (chl b). In deep water, fucoxanthin and 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin were the only accessory pigments present while total phaeopigment/chl a molar ratios > l reflected the active transformation of fine phytogenic material at depth. High particulate organic carbon (POC)/chl a ratios (>l00 in surface water; > 1000 in deep water) suggested that phytoplankton was a relatively small component of the total carbon biomass down the water column. Using simple budget calculations, we determined that 58 to 65% of the chl a produced in the upper 100 m accumulated in the water column over both experiments. During Expt 1, 29% of the chl a sedimented out, mostly as phaeopigment, at 100 m (24 %), and 6 % was degraded to colourless residues in the water column. In contrast, only 12 % of the chl a sedimented in Expt 2, while 20% was degraded to colourless residues.

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The Advection of Submesoscale Thermal Features in the Alboran Sea Gyre

Cited by 82 publications

References 0 publications

The seasonal cycle of the Atlantic Jet dynamics in the Alboran Sea: direct atmospheric forcing versus Mediterranean thermohaline circulation

The seasonal cycle of the Atlantic Jet dynamics in the Alboran Sea: direct atmospheric forcing versus Mediterranean thermohaline circulation

Recent improvements in mesoscale characterization of the western Mediterranean Sea: synergy between satellite altimetry and other observational approaches

Distribution, sedimentation and fate of pigment biomarkers following thermal stratification in the western Alboran Sea

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