Variable bottom water in the Western Mediterranean basin

Lacombe, H.; Tchernia, P.; Gamberoni, Lucien

doi:10.1016/0079-6611(85)90015-1

Cited by 83 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…4). Presumably, the same phenomenon, with a greater or lesser contribution of cascading waters and LIW/TDW in the WMDW formation mechanism, could have occurred in the past (generating the Variable Bottom Water cited by Lacombe et al, 1985) and could be the explanation for the positive θ/S (and turbidity) anomalies formed during the winters of 1971, 1980, 1988 and 1999, which were attributed by Bethoux et al (2002) solely to the effect of intense dense shelf water cascading events.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence of hydrographic changes in NW Mediterranean deep water due to the exceptional winter of 2005

Font¹,

Puig²,

Salat³

et al. 2007

Sci. Mar.

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SUMMARY: Time series measurements at a mooring site on the deep slope of the NW Mediterranean from October 2003 to July 2005 revealed the sequence of effects of the anomalously dry, markedly cold, and very windy winter of 2005 in deep water thermohaline properties. At the end of January, a dense water mass that was warmer and saltier than usual reached the deep slope mooring site. Almost simultaneously, the start of deep dense shelf water cascading episodes was observed in the Gulf of Lions' submarine canyons. 30 days later, colder, fresher and even denser waters reached the mooring, with a 5-day delay from an intensification of the Gulf of Lions' cascading. The signature of these waters was detected for 35 days, and by late spring 2005 a new stable water mass situation was reached, with higher thermohaline values than those that characterised the deep layer from October 2003 to January 2005.Keywords: dense water formation, cascading, submarine canyon, deep mooring, northwestern Mediterranean. INVIERNO DE 2005. -Una serie temporal de datos registrados en un anclaje en la parte profunda del talud continental del Mediterráneo noroccidental desde octubre de 2003 a julio de 2005 muestra la secuencia de los efectos del invierno de 2005, anómalamente seco, destacadamente frío y muy ventoso. A finales de enero una masa de agua densa, más caliente y salada de lo habitual, llegó al anclaje del talud profundo. Casi simultáneamente se observó en los cañones del Golfo de León el inicio de episodios de hundimiento profundo de agua densa de plataforma en forma de cascada. Al cabo de 30 días, 5 días después de intensificarse el hundimiento en cascada en el Golfo de León , aguas más frías, menos saladas, y todavía más densas, alcanzaron el anclaje y permanecieron allí durante 35 días. A finales de la primavera de 2005 se alcanzó un nuevo estado estacionario con valores de temperatura y salinidad más elevados que los característicos de la capa profunda desde octubre de 2003 hasta enero de 2005. RESUMEN: SECUENCIA DE CAMBIOS HIDROGRÁFICOS EN EL AGUA PROFUNDA DEL MEDITERRÁNEO NOROCCIDENTAL DURANTE EL EXCEPCIONALPalabras clave: formación de agua densa, hundimiento en cascada, cañón submarino, anclaje profundo, Mediterráneo noroccidental. Schott and Leaman, 1991). Around the MEDOC area, where surface water is typically less salty, and preferably on its N and W sides, a Western Mediterranean Intermediate Water (WIW) is formed under the effect of the same winds (Salat and Font, 1987). The WIW resulting from this second open sea mechanism is fresher and colder than WMDW, because its formation involves more recent Atlantic Water (AW) brought by the Northern Current instead of LIW or TDW, as they are located below the convection limit or offshore. The relatively cold WIW, with a strong interannual variability in its formation, remains below the fresher surface AW and above the LIW layer, and is brought to the southwest along the continental slope by the general circulation.In addition to open sea deep and intermediate offshore convection...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence of hydrographic changes in NW Mediterranean deep water due to the exceptional winter of 2005

Font¹,

Puig²,

Salat³

et al. 2007

Sci. Mar.

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“…The DWF processes are particularly active in the Gulf of Lions [MEDOC Group, 1970], even though less intense events are also reported in the Balearic Sea [Salat and Font, 1987] and in the Ligurian Sea [Sparnocchia et al, 1995]. It is well known [Lacombe et al, 1985;Wu and Haines, 1996] that an important factor controlling the DWF is the salt content in the water column and, in particular, in the LIW (Levantine Intermediate Water) layer. The cyclonic circulation in the DWF region, with the associated uplift of the intermediate saltier waters close to the surface, makes the water column more homogeneous and then less stable.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep and intermediate water in the western Mediterranean under the influence of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient

Schröder¹,

Gasparini

Tangherlini³

et al. 2006

Geophysical Research Letters

129

110

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The well known changes in the deep thermohaline circulation of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the so‐called Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT), which modified the outflow characteristics through the Sicily Strait, led to significant changes in the western Mediterranean Sea since the early 90's. In spring 2005 an oceanographic survey, carried out in the central part of the western basin, showed the presence of a recently formed layer of western Mediterranean deep water, spreading at the bottom of the whole Algero‐Provençal Basin. It was characterized by unusual θ‐S shapes, as its temperature, salinity and density were higher with respect both to the resident deep waters and to the climatological values. The possible influence of the EMT on the deep water formation processes occurred in the Gulf of Lions in the previous winter is here evidenced, even taking into account other data sets previously collected in the western Mediterranean.

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“…Comparing the different results in table I, the warming trends ranged from the 0.001 ºC/yr estimated by Lacombe et al (1985) to the 0.004 320 ºC/yr obtained by Bethoux et al (1990). Many different values between these two estimations can be found in the literature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…The salinity trends estimated for the deep waters range from the 0.0005 psu/yr estimated by Lacombe et al (1985) to the 0.0019 psu/yr obtained by Leaman and Schott (1991), with most of the values found in the literature close or lower than 0.001 psu/yr. The mean salinity for the Mediterranean basin increased at a rate of 0.00075 psu/yr (Rixen et al, 2005).…”

mentioning

confidence: 74%

“…Because of its reduced dimensions and its semi-enclosed character, it has been considered that the Mediterranean Sea could be especially sensitive to climate change and other anthropogenic effects (Bethoux et al, 1999).One of the first works 40 dealing with such changes was the one by Lacombe et al (1985). These authors compared previous data from several oceanographic cruises carried out from 1950 to the end of the 1970s concluding that the temperature and salinity of the Western Mediterranean Deep Waters (WMDW) had increased.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

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About the origin of the Mediterranean Waters warming during the twentieth century

García-Martínez

Vargas‐Yáñez

Moyá

et al. 2017

Preprint

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Variable bottom water in the Western Mediterranean basin

Cited by 83 publications

References 3 publications

Sequence of hydrographic changes in NW Mediterranean deep water due to the exceptional winter of 2005

Sequence of hydrographic changes in NW Mediterranean deep water due to the exceptional winter of 2005

Deep and intermediate water in the western Mediterranean under the influence of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient

About the origin of the Mediterranean Waters warming during the twentieth century

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