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On the response of the Aegean Sea to climatic variability: a review
Author(s) -
Zervakis V.,
Georgopoulos D.,
Karageorgis A. P.,
Theocharis A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international journal of climatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.58
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-0088
pISSN - 0899-8418
DOI - 10.1002/joc.1108
Subject(s) - mediterranean climate , north atlantic oscillation , climatology , mediterranean sea , thermohaline circulation , oceanography , mediterranean basin , atlantic multidecadal oscillation , geology , environmental science , geography , archaeology
The Aegean Sea is a region of special interest for the Mediterranean oceanographic community, as one of the dense‐water formation sites of the Mediterranean, driving its thermohaline circulation. Early oceanographic literature exhibits significantly varying opinions regarding the role of the Aegean as a contributor to the water masses of the eastern Mediterranean. The higher temporal and spatial resolution studies that followed the introduction of Conductivity‐Temperature‐Depth (CTD) profilers in the 1980s, revealed that the various scenarios were within the interannual variability of dense water formation in the region. A peak in this variability was the appearance of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient event in the early 1990s. This phenomenon showed that the Aegean Sea has the potential to function as a source of dense water for the eastern Mediterranean; however, it takes over this role only sporadically, depending on the meteorological conditions over the eastern Mediterranean and, possibly, central/eastern Europe. The North Atlantic oscillation appears to be a contributor to this bimodal behaviour. Palaeoceanographic information has confirmed the large sensitivity of the Aegean Sea to climatic variability. Based on the available information, possible scenarios are examined for the response of the Aegean to the current climatic trends. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society