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Full article: PDF Observation of an abrupt disruption of the long-term
warming trend at the Balearic Sea, western Mediterranean Sea, in summer 2005 Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Gijón, Gijón, Spain Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain Abstract: The properties of the Western Mediterranean
Deep Water in a wide area located at the western boundary of the
Mediterranean Sea, including the Balearic Sea, have revealed intense changes
when observed in summer 2005. Between February and June 2005, a temperature
drop of 0.14°C reverted dramatically the progressive warming trend of 0.011°C
yr−1 that had been observed since
1996, in the waters below 600 dbar north of the Balearic channels. A similar
temperature drop has been observed east of the Minorca Island, below the Levantine
Intermediate Water and down to 1500 dbar. In the deepest levels, a complex
thermohaline structure, which implies different waters masses as sources, was
tracked more than 400 km along the western boundary of the Mediterranean Sea,
from Barcelona to the Algerian Basin. It is suggested that the changes may be
linked to the severe 2004/2005 winter occurred at the northwestern
Mediterranean Sea. Citation: |
