"Impact of the increased salinity of incoming Atlantic waters on the dynamics and characteristics of the Mediterranean Sea (study using numerical model)"

Postgraduate Thesis uoadl:2279677 693 Read counter

Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Φυσική Ωκεανογραφία
Library of the School of Science
Deposit date:
2017-11-21
Year:
2017
Author:
Vassalos Konstantinos
Supervisors info:
Σαράντης Σοφιανός, επίκουρος καθηγητής, τμήμα φυσικής, Ε.Κ.Π.Α
Έλενα Φλόκα, αναπληρώτρια καθηγήτρια, τμήμα φυσικής, Ε.Κ.Π.Α
Μαρία Χατζάκη, επίκουρη καθηγήτρια, τμήμα γεωλογίας, Ε.Κ.Π.Α
Original Title:
"Επίδραση της αυξημένης αλατότητας των εισερχόμενων ατλαντικών νερών στη δυναμική και τα χαρακτηριστικά της Μεσογείου θάλασσας (μελέτη με χρήση αριθμητικού μοντέλου)"
Languages:
Greek
Translated title:
"Impact of the increased salinity of incoming Atlantic waters on the dynamics and characteristics of the Mediterranean Sea (study using numerical model)"
Summary:
The Mediterranean Sea is an area of great interest mainly because of its role in the global thermohaline circulation. Observations over the last decade show changes in the thermohaline characteristics of the incoming, through the Strait of Gibraltar, Atlantic waters (AW). This work studies the response of the Mediterranean Sea to the continuously increased salinity of the AW through numerical simulations. We use POM (Princeton Ocean Model) to conduct two experiments with runtime of 40 years: 1) the Reference experiment and 2) the increased salinity experiment in which we increase salinity in the western boundary of the Mediterranean by 0.04 yr-1. The differences between the two experiments show a salinity increase (maximum of +0.3 in 0-100m), a decrease in temperature (maximum -0.1⁰C in 100m-400m) and a density increase (maximum +0.2Kg/m3 in 0-100m) throughout the whole water column. Circulation shows small, but notable displacements of cyclonic/anti-cyclonic features, which appear to be more prominent in the western part of the basin. Western Mediterranean seems to respond to the salinity changes faster than the Eastern Mediterranean, both at the surface and at depth, not only because it is adjacent to Gibraltar but also because of the possible intensification of the deep water formation mechanism located in the Gulf of Lions. Increased salinity experience shows significant changes in the thermohaline characteristics and circulation compared to the reference experience after only 40 years. Given the role of the Mediterranean Sea in the global thermohaline circulation and considering the result of this work, the new state in which the Mediterranean is showing after 40 years should probably affect the long term changes of the global ocean under a changing climate.
Main subject category:
Science
Other subject categories:
Geology
Keywords:
Physical oceanography, mediterranean sea, numerical modelling, increased salinity
Index:
No
Number of index pages:
0
Contains images:
No
Number of references:
26
Number of pages:
62
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