Turbulent mixing in the eddy transport of Western Mediterranean Intermediate Water to the Alboran Sea

A. Forryan, John Allen, E. Edhouse, B. Silburn, K. Reeve, E. Tesi

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Western Mediterranean Intermediate Water (WIW) is formed in winter in the North-Western Mediterranean. WIW, identifiable as a distinct temperature minimum layer between Atlantic-Mediterranean Interface waters and the denser Levantine Intermediate Water, is carried down the east coast of Spain in anticyclonic mode water eddies, or “weddies” eventually reaching the Alboran sea. A previous detailed analysis of a weddy in the vicinity of the Almeria-Oran front indicated that it could have accounted for 10% of a winter's production of WIW, but this analysis was unable to consider turbulent dissipation. In this study we present microstructure measurements across a similar observation of WIW in the vicinity of the Almeria-Oran front and show that this figure could be conservative by 15–50% due to the turbulent dissipation associated with a weddy.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalJournal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
    Volume117
    Issue numberC9
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 2012

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