Premium
A possible influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the circulation of the western Mediterranean Sea
Author(s) -
Vignudelli S.,
Gasparini G. P.,
Astraldi M.,
Schiano M. E.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl900038
Subject(s) - mediterranean sea , climatology , oceanography , north atlantic oscillation , mediterranean climate , current (fluid) , boundary current , circulation (fluid dynamics) , structural basin , geology , ocean current , thermohaline circulation , mediterranean basin , north atlantic deep water , atmospheric circulation , geography , paleontology , physics , archaeology , thermodynamics
A current time series spanning from 1985 to 1996 in the Corsica Channel shows that seasonal and interannual variabilities are stable components of the circulation of the northern part of the Western Mediterranean Sea. For the first time these characteristics are related to the state of the North Atlantic Oscillation during winter. We have found that this large‐scale control is mainly maintained through the air‐sea interaction processes which take place in the Northern Basin. These results provide new elements for a consistent explanation of the major features of the basin circulation, such as the seasonal increase of the boundary current and Deep Water Formation.