HR: 16:45h
AN: OS52E-10    [PDF]
TI: Spreading phase of Deep Convection in the Western Mediterranean Sea : Interaction with Bottom Topography
AU: * Pierre, T
EM: ptestor@ifm.uni-kiel.de
AF: Institut f\"ur Meereskunde an der Universit\"at Kiel, FB 1: Ozeanzirkulation und Klima, PO II D\"usternbrooker Weg 20, Kiel, 24 105 Germany
AU: Uwe, S
EM: usend@ifm.uni-kiel.de
AF: Institut f\"ur Meereskunde an der Universit\"at Kiel, FB 1: Ozeanzirkulation und Klima, PO II D\"usternbrooker Weg 20, Kiel, 24 105 Germany
AB: This study is mainly based on results from the first large scale profiling floats experiment initiated in the Mediterranean Sea and supported by EEC MAST3 program. CTD profiles and lagrangian observations of ocean circulations carried out with 17 profiling floats have been realized in the Western Mediterranean Sea from November 1997 to August 2002. 7 of them where launched in the so-called MEDOC area in March 1999. They confirm that Deep Water formation occurred and reached the bottom this year and subsequently document the spreading of the newly-formed waters during this year. In particular, beside of small lens-like eddies (SCVs) transporting the newly-formed deep waters far from the convection area, a bottom layer about 100-200 m average thickness and composed of newly formed waters is observed to spread from the convection site over the whole basin. Such bottom anomalies are observed until late November 1999 associated with typical velocities order of 5 cm/s. This bottom layer more likely originates from interactions between the deep water formation processes and the bottom topography when deep convection reaches the bottom.
DE: 4283 Water masses
DE: 4504 Air/sea interactions (0312)
DE: 4536 Hydrography
DE: 4568 Turbulence, diffusion, and mixing processes
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2004 Ocean Sciences Meeting