The anomalous warming of summer 2003 in the surface layer of the Central Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean)

Sparnocchia, Stefania; Schiano, M. E.; Picco, Paola; Bozzano, Roberto; Cappelletti, Andrea

doi:10.5194/angeo-24-443-2006

Cited by 83 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Sutton et al (2004) relate this heatwave, and other extreme atmospheric events over Western Europe and eastern North America, to a multi-decadal climatic oscillation of Atlantic sea surface temperatures, known as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Marullo et al (2003) show, using remotely-sensed data, the strong overheating that affected the Western Mediterranean during the heatwave event, and Sparnocchia et al (2006) of sea surface in the Ligurian Sea was confined to the upper few metres of the sea and was associated with a period of weak winds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the 2003 European heatwave on the Central Mediterranean Sea: surface fluxes and the dynamical response

et al. 2007

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Abstract. The effects of the 2003 European heatwave on the sea surface layer of the Central Mediterranean were studied using a regional 3-D ocean model. The model was used to simulate the period 2000 to 2004 and its performance was validated using remotely-sensed and in situ data. Analysis of the results focused on changes in the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and on changes to the surface and sub-surface current field. This permitted us to identify and quantify the anomalies of atmospheric and sea surface parameters that accompanied the heatwave. The dominant annual cycle in each variable was first removed and a wavelet analysis then used to locate anomalies in the time-frequency domain.We found that the excess heating affecting the sea surface in the summer of 2003 was related to a significant increase in air temperature, a decrease in wind stress and reduction of all components of the upward heat flux. The monthly averages of the model SST were found to be in good agreement with remotely-sensed data during the period studied, although the ocean model tended to underestimate extreme events. The spatial distribution of SST anomalies as well as their timefrequency location was similar for both the remotely-sensed and model temperatures. We also found, on the basis of the period of the observed anomaly, that the event was not limited to the few summer months of 2003 but was part of a longer phenomenon. Both the model results and experimental data suggest the anomalous heating mainly affected the top 15 m of ocean and was associated with strong surface stratification and low mixing.The skill of the model to reproduce the sub-surface hydrographic features during the heatwave was checked by comparison with temperature and salinity measurements. ThisCorrespondence to: A. Olita (a.olita@iamc.cnr.it) showed that the model was generally in good agreement with observations. The model and observations showed that the anomalous warming also modified the currents in the region, most noticeably the Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS) and the Atlantic Tunisian Current (ATC). The AIS was reduced in intensity and showed less meandering, mainly due to the reduced density gradient and low winds, while the ATC was enhanced in strength, the two currents appearing to modulate each other in order to conserve the total transport of Modified Atlantic Water.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the 2003 European heatwave on the Central Mediterranean Sea: surface fluxes and the dynamical response

et al. 2007

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“…euphausiids, small mesopelagic fish) which are quite abundant in late autumn in other areas of the northwestern Mediterranean (McGehee et al, 2004;Olivar et al, 2012). Among them, the euphausiid Meganyctiphanes norvegica is one of the most widespread in the Ligurian Sea (Tarling et al, 2001;Andersen, 2001a). Its vertical migration is usually wide and has a 24 h cycle, however, depending on multiple factors (i.e.…”

Section: Spectral Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal variations of zooplankton biomass in the Ligurian Sea inferred from long time series of ADCP data

Bozzano

Fanelli²,

Pensieri

et al. 2014

Ocean Sci.

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Abstract. Three years of 300 kHz acoustic doppler current profiler data collected in the central Ligurian Sea are analysed to investigate the variability of the zooplankton biomass and the diel vertical migration in the upper thermocline. After a pre-processing phase aimed at avoiding the slant range attenuation, hourly volume backscattering strength time series are obtained. Despite the lack of concurrent net samples collection, different migration patterns are identified and their temporal variability examined by means of time-frequency analysis. The effect of changes in the environmental condition is also investigated. The highest zooplankton biomasses are observed in April-May just after the peak of surface primary production in March-April. The main migration pattern found here points to a "nocturnal" migration, with zooplankton organisms occurring deeper in the water column during the day and shallower at night. Also, twilight migration is highlighted during this study. The largest migrations are recorded in November-December, corresponding to lowest backscattering strength values and they are likely attributable to larger and more active organisms (i.e. euphausiids and mesopelagic fish). The results suggest further applications of the available historical acoustic doppler current profiler time series.

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“…Climatic conditions in the Mediterranean in 1999 and 2003 included temperatures ca. 3 to 4°C above average and prolonged water column stability in late summer (Cerrano et al 2000, Sparnocchia et al 2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature effects on decomposition of a Posidonia oceanica mat

Pedersen¹,

Serrano²,

Mateo³

et al. 2011

Aquat. Microb. Ecol.

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Posidonia oceanica mats act as an important carbon (C) sink in the Mediterranean by accumulating roots, rhizomes and leaf sheaths, and allochthonous organic matter over millennia due to low rates of decomposition of organic matter. Thus far, rates of decomposition have only been modeled, whereas few attempts have been made to measure decomposition rates under in situ conditions in P. oceanica mats. We studied decomposition of P. oceanica mats by simulating in situ conditions at different temperatures. Samples from 5 different depths in a 3 m thick vertical profile of a P. oceanica mat were each incubated under anoxic conditions for 7 mo at 5 different temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C). Our measured low mat mineralization rates confirm slow decomposition and support that P. oceanica mats act as important long-term C sinks in the Mediterranean. However, between 15 and 25°C, both C and nitrogen (N) mineralization increased with increasing temperature, and generally declined above 25°C, probably due to unbalanced bacterial growth in the mat. Relatively, N mineralization was stimulated more than CO 2 release (i.e. up to 14.3 and 4.5 times, respectively), suggesting that regeneration of N in P. oceanica mats is enhanced with increasing temperatures up to 25°C. This may affect the nutrient dynamics in this oligotrophic ecosystem. Our data suggest that CO 2 release due to decomposition of the mat is potentially enhanced under a scenario of climate change, thus reducing the C sequestration capacity of the mats during this century. KEY WORDS: Mineralization · Carbon sink · Nitrogen · Seagrass · Mediterranean SeaResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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The anomalous warming of summer 2003 in the surface layer of the Central Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean)

Cited by 83 publications

References 11 publications

Effects of the 2003 European heatwave on the Central Mediterranean Sea: surface fluxes and the dynamical response

Effects of the 2003 European heatwave on the Central Mediterranean Sea: surface fluxes and the dynamical response

Temporal variations of zooplankton biomass in the Ligurian Sea inferred from long time series of ADCP data

Temperature effects on decomposition of a Posidonia oceanica mat

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