G. Civitarese

Water mass properties and chemical signatures in the central Mediterranean region

During the last 15 years, the knowledge of Mediterranean physical dynamics as well as of atmospheric forcing underwent a tremendous improvement because of the action within several international programs and the development of remote sensing and modelling approaches. Curiously, it is still very difficult to build up a climatological database for chemical and basic biological parameters for the whole basin because most of the data published in the open literature were preferentially related to meso- to small-scale processes. Within the European Union project Mass Transfer and Ecosystem Response (MATER), systematic measurements of routine chemical parameters, such as dissolved oxygen and nutrients, have been conducted. They will fill the existing gap between physical and chemical information. In this paper, we analyze the hydrographic data from a cruise conducted in the fall 1996 in the Central Mediterranean region and report, for the first time, on oxygen and nutrient concentrations, ranges and distributions. The joint analysis of T–S properties and chemical data also allows a better definition of water mass characteristics in this crucial area and hints at basic mechanisms relevant to water mass transformation and biological production in the basin. D 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Experiment in eastern Mediterranean probes origin of deep water masses

During the last decade the oceanography community has focused much attention on the Mediterranean Sea. One reason for the growing interest is that the Mediterraneans impact on the Northern Atlantic Ocean is more significant than previously realized. The warm, salty Mediterranean water tongue exits the Gibraltar Straits and spreads throughout the North Atlantic at all depths between 1000 and 2500 m. The second reason for the surge in interest is the well-recognized role of the Mediterranean Sea as a laboratory for studying ocean processes that are important in global climate dynamics [Malanotte-Rizzoli and Robinson, 1991; Malanotte-Rizzoli and Robinson, 1994].

Long-term sustained observing system for climatic variability studies in the Mediterranean

Abstract During the CIESM workshop (Monaco, 22–24 April 2002) entitled “Monitoring Hydro- logical Trends in the Mediterranean”, the review of existing data sets and analyses has revealed important variability in the dynamics and hydrological characteristics, in the past century, ranging from interannual to decadal time scales. These variations are related mainly to local forcing and larger scale atmospheric parameters (NAO, ENSO, Indian monsoon). Moreover, abrupt events contribute to modification of the Mediter- ranean conveyor belt, also influencing the biogeochemical environment and the Mediter- ranean outflow in the Atlantic Ocean. The participating scientists have agreed on the need of a sustained multi-component long-term monitoring system based on both oceanographic and atmospheric observations and modelling. The group also proposed an expansion and strengthening of the ongoing relevant large operational programs by a “climatic approach” component.