Permanent Thermohaline Staircases in the Tyrrhenian Sea
Abstract The longest historical time series (14 years, from 2003 to 2016) of temperature and salinity of thermohaline staircases with highly homogeneous and reliable data ever observed is here presented and studied. The thermohaline staircase system of the central Tyrrhenian Sea is due to double dif...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081747 |
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| author | S. Durante K. Schroeder L. Mazzei S. Pierini M. Borghini S. Sparnocchia |
| author_facet | S. Durante K. Schroeder L. Mazzei S. Pierini M. Borghini S. Sparnocchia |
| author_sort | S. Durante |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The longest historical time series (14 years, from 2003 to 2016) of temperature and salinity of thermohaline staircases with highly homogeneous and reliable data ever observed is here presented and studied. The thermohaline staircase system of the central Tyrrhenian Sea is due to double diffusion in salt finger regime, and our study reveals its conservative behavior, oscillating among slightly different shapes, passing through merging processes, with a systematic upward drift of the interfaces. Data also show enhanced salt finger processes after 2010, near the bottom, promoted by the ingression from the Western Mediterranean of a new denser water mass due to the Western Mediterranean Transition. Our results are relevant for studying the mixing in the intermediate and deep region and open the way for modeling and theoretical follow‐up studies aimed to reproduce and explain these observations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9f30257ea9954ea8b375909784cf80fc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-9f30257ea9954ea8b375909784cf80fc2025-08-20T03:49:45ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072019-02-014631562157010.1029/2018GL081747Permanent Thermohaline Staircases in the Tyrrhenian SeaS. Durante0K. Schroeder1L. Mazzei2S. Pierini3M. Borghini4S. Sparnocchia5ISMAR – CNR Trieste ItalyISMAR – CNR Venezia ItalyISMAR – CNR La Spezia ItalyScience and Technology Department Parthenope University of Naples Napoli ItalyISMAR – CNR La Spezia ItalyISMAR – CNR Trieste ItalyAbstract The longest historical time series (14 years, from 2003 to 2016) of temperature and salinity of thermohaline staircases with highly homogeneous and reliable data ever observed is here presented and studied. The thermohaline staircase system of the central Tyrrhenian Sea is due to double diffusion in salt finger regime, and our study reveals its conservative behavior, oscillating among slightly different shapes, passing through merging processes, with a systematic upward drift of the interfaces. Data also show enhanced salt finger processes after 2010, near the bottom, promoted by the ingression from the Western Mediterranean of a new denser water mass due to the Western Mediterranean Transition. Our results are relevant for studying the mixing in the intermediate and deep region and open the way for modeling and theoretical follow‐up studies aimed to reproduce and explain these observations.https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081747persistent thermohaline staircasesdouble diffusionsalt fingersTyrrhenian Seastaircases mergingdiapycnal mixing |
| spellingShingle | S. Durante K. Schroeder L. Mazzei S. Pierini M. Borghini S. Sparnocchia Permanent Thermohaline Staircases in the Tyrrhenian Sea Geophysical Research Letters persistent thermohaline staircases double diffusion salt fingers Tyrrhenian Sea staircases merging diapycnal mixing |
| title | Permanent Thermohaline Staircases in the Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_full | Permanent Thermohaline Staircases in the Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_fullStr | Permanent Thermohaline Staircases in the Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_full_unstemmed | Permanent Thermohaline Staircases in the Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_short | Permanent Thermohaline Staircases in the Tyrrhenian Sea |
| title_sort | permanent thermohaline staircases in the tyrrhenian sea |
| topic | persistent thermohaline staircases double diffusion salt fingers Tyrrhenian Sea staircases merging diapycnal mixing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL081747 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sdurante permanentthermohalinestaircasesinthetyrrheniansea AT kschroeder permanentthermohalinestaircasesinthetyrrheniansea AT lmazzei permanentthermohalinestaircasesinthetyrrheniansea AT spierini permanentthermohalinestaircasesinthetyrrheniansea AT mborghini permanentthermohalinestaircasesinthetyrrheniansea AT ssparnocchia permanentthermohalinestaircasesinthetyrrheniansea |