The Levantine Intermediate Water in the western Mediterranean and its interactions with the Algerian Gyres: insights from 60 years of observation

Abstract

The presence of two large-scale cyclonic gyres in the Algerian Basin influences the general and eddy circulation, but their effects on water mass transfer remain poorly characterized. Our study has confirmed the presence of these gyres using the first direct current measurements of the whole water column collected during the SOMBA-GE2014 cruise, specifically designed to investigate these gyres. Using cruise sections and a climatology from 60 years of in situ measurements, we have also shown the effect of these gyres on the distribution at intermediate depth of Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) with warmer (∼ 0.15 ∘C) and saltier (∼ 0.02) characteristics in the Algerian Basin than in the Provençal Basin. The Algerian Gyres, combined with the effect of anticyclonic Algerian Eddies, also impact horizontal density gradients with sinking of the isopycnals at the gyres' centers. Temporal cross-correlation of LIW potential temperature referenced to a signal observed southwest of Sardinia reveals a timescale of transit of 4 months to get to the center of the Algerian Basin. The LIW potential temperature and salinity trends, on average in the basin interior, are estimated to be +0.0022 ± 0.0002 ∘Cyr-1 and +0.0022 ± 0.0001 yr−1, respectively, over the 1968–2017 period and accelerating to +0.048 ± 0.003 ∘Cyr-1 and +0.0076 ± 0.0009 yr−1 over the 2013–2017 period.

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