Mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution October 1993 Hydrographic and expendable current profiler (XCP) data taken during the Gulf of Cadiz Expedition in Septembe...
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
1993
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ftwhoas:oai:darchive.mblwhoilibrary.org:1912/5581 2023-05-15T17:32:36+02:00 Mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow Baringer, Molly O. Gulf of Cadiz 1993-10 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5581 en_US eng Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution WHOI Theses https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5581 doi:10.1575/1912/5581 doi:10.1575/1912/5581 Ocean currents Oceanus (Ship : 1975-) Cruise OC202 Thesis 1993 ftwhoas https://doi.org/10.1575/1912/5581 2022-05-28T22:58:43Z Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution October 1993 Hydrographic and expendable current profiler (XCP) data taken during the Gulf of Cadiz Expedition in September 1988 are analyzed to diagnose the mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow. The overall structure of the outflow is consistent with that described in the historical literature (Heezen and Johnson, 1969). This data shows that the overflow transport doubles from .85 Sv to 1.9 Sv, and that the velocity weighted salinity decreases from 37.8 pss to 36.7 pss in the first 60 km of the path. The core salinity of the neutrally buoyant outflow near Cape St. Vincent is 36.6 pss, which indicates that most of the mixing has taken place close to the Strait in the initial descent of the outflow. Cross stream variations in the overflow T/S properties increase as the flow spreads from 10 km to 90 km wide. The outflow begins with less than a 0.5°C across-stream variation in temperature in the Strait with the saltiest, coldest water to the south and slightly fresher and warmer outflow to the north. As the outflow spreads, the northern near-shelf flow follows a path higher in the water column and mixes with warmer North Atlantic water than does the deeper offshore flow. Within the first 100 km, the cross stream variation in temperature on an isopycnal becomes more than a 2°C. The flow eventually settles along two preferred isopycnals: 27.5 and 27.8 (Zenk 1975b). The spreading of the flow contains both a barotropic and baroclinic character. The average change in angle above and below the maximum velocity of the outflow is 8°while at the edges of the flow the average direction of the outflow diverges by as much as 50°. Gradient Richardson numbers less than 1/4 are found in the interface (up to 50 m thick) between westward flowing Mediterranean water and eastward flowing North Atlantic water, even though there is a strong ... Thesis North Atlantic Woods Hole Scientific Community: WHOAS (Woods Hole Open Access Server) Woods Hole, MA |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Woods Hole Scientific Community: WHOAS (Woods Hole Open Access Server) |
op_collection_id |
ftwhoas |
language |
English |
topic |
Ocean currents Oceanus (Ship : 1975-) Cruise OC202 |
spellingShingle |
Ocean currents Oceanus (Ship : 1975-) Cruise OC202 Baringer, Molly O. Mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow |
topic_facet |
Ocean currents Oceanus (Ship : 1975-) Cruise OC202 |
description |
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution October 1993 Hydrographic and expendable current profiler (XCP) data taken during the Gulf of Cadiz Expedition in September 1988 are analyzed to diagnose the mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow. The overall structure of the outflow is consistent with that described in the historical literature (Heezen and Johnson, 1969). This data shows that the overflow transport doubles from .85 Sv to 1.9 Sv, and that the velocity weighted salinity decreases from 37.8 pss to 36.7 pss in the first 60 km of the path. The core salinity of the neutrally buoyant outflow near Cape St. Vincent is 36.6 pss, which indicates that most of the mixing has taken place close to the Strait in the initial descent of the outflow. Cross stream variations in the overflow T/S properties increase as the flow spreads from 10 km to 90 km wide. The outflow begins with less than a 0.5°C across-stream variation in temperature in the Strait with the saltiest, coldest water to the south and slightly fresher and warmer outflow to the north. As the outflow spreads, the northern near-shelf flow follows a path higher in the water column and mixes with warmer North Atlantic water than does the deeper offshore flow. Within the first 100 km, the cross stream variation in temperature on an isopycnal becomes more than a 2°C. The flow eventually settles along two preferred isopycnals: 27.5 and 27.8 (Zenk 1975b). The spreading of the flow contains both a barotropic and baroclinic character. The average change in angle above and below the maximum velocity of the outflow is 8°while at the edges of the flow the average direction of the outflow diverges by as much as 50°. Gradient Richardson numbers less than 1/4 are found in the interface (up to 50 m thick) between westward flowing Mediterranean water and eastward flowing North Atlantic water, even though there is a strong ... |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Baringer, Molly O. |
author_facet |
Baringer, Molly O. |
author_sort |
Baringer, Molly O. |
title |
Mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow |
title_short |
Mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow |
title_full |
Mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow |
title_fullStr |
Mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mixing and dynamics of the Mediterranean outflow |
title_sort |
mixing and dynamics of the mediterranean outflow |
publisher |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution |
publishDate |
1993 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5581 |
op_coverage |
Gulf of Cadiz |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_source |
doi:10.1575/1912/5581 |
op_relation |
WHOI Theses https://hdl.handle.net/1912/5581 doi:10.1575/1912/5581 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1575/1912/5581 |
op_publisher_place |
Woods Hole, MA |
_version_ |
1766130804530872320 |