On the Mediterranean Water Composition
The Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) spills from the Mediterranean Sea (east North Atlantic basin) west off the Strait of Gibraltar. As MOW outflows, it entrains eastern North Atlantic Central Waters (ENACW) and Intermediate Waters to form the neutrally buoyant Mediterranean Water (MW) that can be...
Published in: | Journal of Physical Oceanography |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Amer Meteorological Soc
2016
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/73547.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-15-0095.1 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/ |
id |
ftarchimer:oai:archimer.ifremer.fr:74110 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftarchimer:oai:archimer.ifremer.fr:74110 2023-05-15T13:47:36+02:00 On the Mediterranean Water Composition Carracedo, Lidia Pardo, P. C. Flecha, S. Perez, Ff 2016-04 application/pdf https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/73547.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-15-0095.1 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/ eng eng Amer Meteorological Soc info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/264879/EU//CARBOCHANGE https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/73547.pdf doi:10.1175/JPO-D-15-0095.1 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use Journal Of Physical Oceanography (0022-3670) (Amer Meteorological Soc), 2016-04 , Vol. 46 , N. 4 , P. 1339-1358 Water masses Geographic location/entity Physical Meteorology and Climatology North Atlantic Ocean Entrainment Circulation/ Dynamics Mixing Atm/Ocean Structure/ Phenomena Climatology text Publication info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2016 ftarchimer https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-15-0095.1 2021-09-23T20:35:08Z The Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) spills from the Mediterranean Sea (east North Atlantic basin) west off the Strait of Gibraltar. As MOW outflows, it entrains eastern North Atlantic Central Waters (ENACW) and Intermediate Waters to form the neutrally buoyant Mediterranean Water (MW) that can be traced over the entire North Atlantic basin. Its high salinity content influences the thermohaline properties of the intermediate-deep water column in the North Atlantic and its dynamics. Here, the composition of MW in its source region (the Gulf of Cadiz, west off Strait of Gibraltar) is investigated on the basis of an optimum multiparameter analysis. The results obtained indicate that mixing of MOW (34.1% +/- 0.3%) occurs mainly with overlying ENACW (57.1% +/- 0.8%) in a process broadly known as central water entrainment. A diluted form (80% of dilution) of the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) reaches the region and also takes part in MW formation (8.3% +/- 0.5%). Finally, the underlying Labrador Sea Water (LSW) also contributes (0.4% +/- 0.1%) to the characteristics of MW. From these results and considering 0.74 Sverdrups (Sv; 1 Sv equivalent to 10(6) m(3) s(-1)) as the mean outflow of MOW, the MW exportation rate was inferred (2.2 Sv), which, decomposing MW, means that the MOW outflow is accompanied by 1.24 Sv of entrained ENACW, 0.18 Sv of AAIW, and <0.01 Sv of LSW. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Labrador Sea North Atlantic Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) Antarctic The Antarctic Journal of Physical Oceanography 46 4 1339 1358 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Archimer (Archive Institutionnelle de l'Ifremer - Institut français de recherche pour l'exploitation de la mer) |
op_collection_id |
ftarchimer |
language |
English |
topic |
Water masses Geographic location/entity Physical Meteorology and Climatology North Atlantic Ocean Entrainment Circulation/ Dynamics Mixing Atm/Ocean Structure/ Phenomena Climatology |
spellingShingle |
Water masses Geographic location/entity Physical Meteorology and Climatology North Atlantic Ocean Entrainment Circulation/ Dynamics Mixing Atm/Ocean Structure/ Phenomena Climatology Carracedo, Lidia Pardo, P. C. Flecha, S. Perez, Ff On the Mediterranean Water Composition |
topic_facet |
Water masses Geographic location/entity Physical Meteorology and Climatology North Atlantic Ocean Entrainment Circulation/ Dynamics Mixing Atm/Ocean Structure/ Phenomena Climatology |
description |
The Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) spills from the Mediterranean Sea (east North Atlantic basin) west off the Strait of Gibraltar. As MOW outflows, it entrains eastern North Atlantic Central Waters (ENACW) and Intermediate Waters to form the neutrally buoyant Mediterranean Water (MW) that can be traced over the entire North Atlantic basin. Its high salinity content influences the thermohaline properties of the intermediate-deep water column in the North Atlantic and its dynamics. Here, the composition of MW in its source region (the Gulf of Cadiz, west off Strait of Gibraltar) is investigated on the basis of an optimum multiparameter analysis. The results obtained indicate that mixing of MOW (34.1% +/- 0.3%) occurs mainly with overlying ENACW (57.1% +/- 0.8%) in a process broadly known as central water entrainment. A diluted form (80% of dilution) of the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) reaches the region and also takes part in MW formation (8.3% +/- 0.5%). Finally, the underlying Labrador Sea Water (LSW) also contributes (0.4% +/- 0.1%) to the characteristics of MW. From these results and considering 0.74 Sverdrups (Sv; 1 Sv equivalent to 10(6) m(3) s(-1)) as the mean outflow of MOW, the MW exportation rate was inferred (2.2 Sv), which, decomposing MW, means that the MOW outflow is accompanied by 1.24 Sv of entrained ENACW, 0.18 Sv of AAIW, and <0.01 Sv of LSW. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Carracedo, Lidia Pardo, P. C. Flecha, S. Perez, Ff |
author_facet |
Carracedo, Lidia Pardo, P. C. Flecha, S. Perez, Ff |
author_sort |
Carracedo, Lidia |
title |
On the Mediterranean Water Composition |
title_short |
On the Mediterranean Water Composition |
title_full |
On the Mediterranean Water Composition |
title_fullStr |
On the Mediterranean Water Composition |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the Mediterranean Water Composition |
title_sort |
on the mediterranean water composition |
publisher |
Amer Meteorological Soc |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/73547.pdf https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-15-0095.1 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/ |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Labrador Sea North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Labrador Sea North Atlantic |
op_source |
Journal Of Physical Oceanography (0022-3670) (Amer Meteorological Soc), 2016-04 , Vol. 46 , N. 4 , P. 1339-1358 |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/264879/EU//CARBOCHANGE https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/73547.pdf doi:10.1175/JPO-D-15-0095.1 https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00629/74110/ |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess restricted use |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-15-0095.1 |
container_title |
Journal of Physical Oceanography |
container_volume |
46 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
1339 |
op_container_end_page |
1358 |
_version_ |
1766247517672964096 |