The dynamics of the Sicily Strait: a comprehensive study from observations and models

Béranger, Karine; Mortier, Laurent; Gasparini, Gian Pietro; Gervasio, L.; Astraldi, M.; Crépon, Michel

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2003.08.004

Cited by 189 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…2 Lermusiaux and Robinson, 2001;Béranger et al, 2004 andHamad et al, 2005) togheter with new features found in the present work. Acronyms are listed in Table 1.…”

Section: The Sub-basin Scalesupporting

confidence: 71%

Numerical simulation and decomposition of kinetic energy in the Central Mediterranean: insight on mesoscale circulation and energy conversion

et al. 2011

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Abstract. The spatial and temporal variability of eddy and mean kinetic energy of the Central Mediterranean region has been investigated, from January 2008 to December 2010, by mean of a numerical simulation mainly to quantify the mesoscale dynamics and their relationships with physical forcing. In order to understand the energy redistribution processes, the baroclinic energy conversion has been analysed, suggesting hypotheses about the drivers of the mesoscale activity in this area. The ocean model used is based on the Princeton Ocean Model implemented at 1/32 • horizontal resolution. Surface momentum and buoyancy fluxes are interactively computed by mean of standard bulk formulae using predicted model Sea Surface Temperature and atmospheric variables provided by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast operational analyses. At its lateral boundaries the model is one-way nested within the Mediterranean Forecasting System operational products.The model domain has been subdivided in four subregions: Sardinia channel and southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Sicily channel, eastern Tunisian shelf and Libyan Sea. Temporal evolution of eddy and mean kinetic energy has been analysed, on each of the four sub-regions, showing different behaviours. On annual scales and within the first 5 m depth, the eddy kinetic energy represents approximately the 60 % of the total kinetic energy over the whole domain, confirming the strong mesoscale nature of the surface current flows in this area. The analyses show that the model well reproduces the path and the temporal behaviour of the main known subbasin circulation features. New mesoscale structures have been also identified, from numerical results and direct observations, for the first time as the Pantelleria Vortex and the Medina Gyre.Correspondence to: R. Sorgente (roberto.sorgente@cnr.it)The classical kinetic energy decomposition (eddy and mean) allowed to depict and to quantify the permanent and fluctuating parts of the circulation in the region, and to differentiate the four sub-regions as function of relative and absolute strength of the mesoscale activity. Furthermore the Baroclinic Energy Conversion term shows that in the Sardinia Channel the mesoscale activity, due to baroclinic instabilities, is significantly larger than in the other sub-regions, while a negative sign of the energy conversion, meaning a transfer of energy from the Eddy Kinetic Energy to the Eddy Available Potential Energy, has been recorded only for the surface layers of the Sicily Channel during summer.

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“…2 Lermusiaux and Robinson, 2001;Béranger et al, 2004 andHamad et al, 2005) togheter with new features found in the present work. Acronyms are listed in Table 1.…”

Section: The Sub-basin Scalesupporting

confidence: 71%

Numerical simulation and decomposition of kinetic energy in the Central Mediterranean: insight on mesoscale circulation and energy conversion

et al. 2011

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“…Similarly high shear and dissipation rates are found at the base of Ierapetra eddy (x = 2478 km, z 170 m). Another noticeable feature is the large enhancement of shear and dissipation rate at x = 1478 km in the strait of Sicily, which is possibly associated with topographic induced effects such as internal tides (Garrett and Kunze, 2007) or increased bottom shear associated with the Sicily strait overflow (Beranger et al, 2004;Stansfield et al, 2001).…”

Section: Dissipation Rate and Turbulent Mixing Inferred From Fine-scamentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of turbulence from a fine-scale parameterization and microstructure measurements in the Mediterranean Sea during the BOUM experiment

Cuypers

Bouruet‐Aubertot

Marec³

et al. 2012

Biogeosciences

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Abstract.One of the main purposes of the BOUM experiment was to find evidence of the possible impact of submesoscale dynamics on biogeochemical cycles. To this aim physical as well as biogeochemical data were collected along a zonal transect through the western and eastern basins of the Mediterranean Sea. Along this transect 3-day fixed point stations were performed within anticyclonic eddies during which microstructure measurements of the temperature gradient were collected over the top 100 m of the water column. We focus here on the characterization of turbulent mixing. The analysis of microstructure measurements revealed a high level of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rate in the seasonal pycnocline and a moderate level below with mean values of the order of 10 −6 W kg −1 and 10 −8 W kg −1 , respectively. The Gregg Henyey (Gregg, 1989) fine-scale parameterization of TKE dissipation rate produced by internal wave breaking, and adapted here following Polzin et al. (1995) to take into account the strain to shear ratio, was first compared to these direct measurements with favorable results. The parameterization was then applied to the whole data set. Within the eddies, a significant increase of dissipation at the top and base of eddies associated with strong near-inertial waves is observed. Vertical turbulent diffusivity is increased both in these regions and in the weakly stratified eddy core. The stations collected along the East-West transect provide an overview of parameterized TKE dissipation rates and vertical turbulent diffusivity over a latitudinal section of the Mediterranean Sea. Strong TKE dissipation rates are found within the first 500 m and up to 1500 m above the bottom. Close to the bottom where the stratification is weak, the inferred vertical turbulent diffusivity can reach K z 10 −3 m 2 s −1 and may therefore have a strong impact on the upward diffusive transport of deep waters masses.

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“…Into the Sicily Channel, MAW is again split into two streams, southeast of Pantelleria [18,19]: the Atlantic Tunisian Current that reaches the African coast and flows eastwards as a coastal current [19,20]; the northern branch, called the Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS), that contributes to the MAW transport into the eastern Mediterranean off the southern coast of Sicily. Three semipermanent mesoscale summer features are associated with AIS meanders, mainly in response to topographical effects, the Adventure Bank Vortex (ABV), the Maltese Channel Crest and the Ionian Shelfbreak Vortex [19,21]. Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) forms in the eastern basin in winter due to surface cooling on salt-enriched water masses ( Fig.…”

Section: Oceanographic Circulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ten Years of Paleoceanographic Studies at ODP Site 963 (Central Mediterranean Sea)

Stefano

Incarbona

Sprovieri³

et al. 2014

TOPALOJ

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Abstract:The geographical location, the shape and the circulation pattern makes the Mediterranean Sea an ideal laboratory to study the interplay between different climatic systems, abrupt climate changes and the response of marine ecosystems. The Ocean Drilling Program Site 963 was drilled in the Northwestern part of the Sicily Channel, the sill that divides the western from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Numerous papers have been published on Site 963 sediments in the last decade, investigating Mediterranean paleoceanographic themes. Here we offer a synthetic framework of these investigations carried out by sub-centennial resolution. We present the whole sequence of suborbital climatic oscillations over the last 130 kyr, that is since the last interglacial period, and we claim that teleconnection with Greenland and North Atlantic regions is the most likely phenomenon to explain our results. Furthermore we show the high sensitivity of marine planktonic (planktonic foraminifera and coccolithophores) ecosystems to Stadial/Interstadial fluctuations. We conclude that a three-steps scenario may describe productivity variations during each high-frequency oscillation, from Interstadial 24 to the last deglaciation (from 110 to 15 kiloyears ago): surface oligotrophy and a deep nutricline in the lower part of Interstadials; increased productivity, through a deep chlorophyll maximum and winter/spring coccolithophore blooms, during the upper part of Interstadials; a shallow nutricline during Stadials and possibly reduced productivity levels with respect to the upper Interstadial phase. Results from Site 963 investigations provide key information for very highresolution paleoceanographic research in the Mediterranean Sea.

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The dynamics of the Sicily Strait: a comprehensive study from observations and models

Cited by 189 publications

References 52 publications

Numerical simulation and decomposition of kinetic energy in the Central Mediterranean: insight on mesoscale circulation and energy conversion

Numerical simulation and decomposition of kinetic energy in the Central Mediterranean: insight on mesoscale circulation and energy conversion

Characterization of turbulence from a fine-scale parameterization and microstructure measurements in the Mediterranean Sea during the BOUM experiment

Ten Years of Paleoceanographic Studies at ODP Site 963 (Central Mediterranean Sea)

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