scholarly journals Variability of mesoscale features in the Mediterranean Sea from XBT data analysis

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Fusco ◽  
G. M. R. Manzella ◽  
A. Cruzado ◽  
M. Gačić ◽  
G. P. Gasparini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Thermal Structure ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Levantine Basin ◽  
Thermal Features ◽  
Main Circulation ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. During the period 1998–2000, the Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project, aiming to build a forecasting system for the physical state of the sea, has been carried out. A ship-of-opportunity programme sampled the Mediterranean upper ocean thermal structure by means of eXpendable Bathy-Thermographs (XBTs), along seven tracks, from September 1999 to May 2000. The tracks were designed to detect some of the main circulation features, such as the stream of surface Atlantic water flowing from the Alboran Sea to the Eastern Levantine Basin. The cyclonic gyres in the Liguro-Provenal Basin, the southern Adriatic and Ionian Seas and the anticyclonic gyres in the Levantine Basin were also features to be detected. The monitoring system confirmed a long-term persistence of structures (at least during the entire observing period), which were previously thought to be transient features. In particular, in the Levantine Basin anticyclonic Shikmona and Ierapetra Gyres have been observed during the monitoring period. In order to identify the major changes in the thermal structures and the dynamical implications, the XBT data are compared with historical measurements collected in the 1980s and 1990s. The results indicate that some thermal features are being restored to the situation that existed in the 1980s, after the changes induced by the so-called "Eastern Mediterranean Transient". Key words. Oceanography: physical (eddies and mesoscale processes; general circulation; instruments and techniques)

scholarly journals High resolution nested model for the Cyprus, NE Levantine Basin, eastern Mediterranean Sea: implementation and climatological runs

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Zodiatis ◽  
R. Lardner ◽  
A. Lascaratos ◽  
G. Georgiou ◽  
G. Korres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Coastal Shelf ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. A high resolution nested flow model for the coastal, shelf and open sea areas of the Cyprus Basin, NE Levantine, eastern Mediterranean Sea is implemented to fulfil the objectives of the Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project, funded by the EU. The Cyprus coastal ocean model is nested entirely within a coarse regional grid model of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, using the MODB climatology for initialisation and the ECMWF perpetual year surface forcing. The nested simulations of the Cyprus model were able to reproduce, with greater detail, flow features similar to those of the coarse grid regional model. The project results show the feasibility of the approach for the development of an operational forecasting system in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly in the Cyprus coastal/shelf sea area. Key words. Oceanography: general (descriptive and regional oceanography; numerical modelling) Oceanography: physical (general circulation)

scholarly journals The Adriatic Sea modelling system: a nested approach

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 345-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Zavatarelli ◽  
N. Pinardi
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Dense Water Formation ◽  
Main Circulation ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
Modelling System ◽  
Circulation Characteristics

Abstract. A modelling system for the Adriatic Sea has been built within the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project. The modelling system consists of a hierarchy of three numerical models (whole Mediterranean Sea, whole Adriatic Sea, Northern Adriatic Basin) coupled among each other by simple one-way, off-line nesting techniques, to downscale the larger scale flow field to highly resolved coastal scale fields. Numerical simulations have been carried out under climatological surface forcing. Simulations were aimed to assess the effectiveness of the nesting techniques and the skill of the system to reproduce known features of the Adriatic Sea circulation phenomenology (main circulation features, dense water formation,flow at the Otranto Strait and coastal circulation characteristics over the northern Adriatic shelf), in view of the pre-operational use of the modelling system. This paper describes the modelling system setup, and discusses the simulation results for the whole Adriatic Sea and its northern basin, comparing the simulations with the observed climatological circulation characteristics. Results obtained with the northern Adriatic model are also compared with the corresponding simulations obtained with the coarser resolution Adriatic model. Key words. Oceanography: general (continental shelf processes; numerical modelling) – Oceanography: physical (general circulation)

The new CYCOFOS forecasting at coastal, sub-regional and regional scales in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Zodiatis ◽  
Robin Lardner ◽  
Marios Nikolaidis ◽  
Sarantis Sofianos ◽  
Vasilis Vervantis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Sea Waves ◽  
Statistical Validation ◽  
Hydrodynamical Models ◽  
Levantine Basin ◽  
Modeling Systems ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
The Mediterranean

<p>The Cyprus coastal ocean forecasting system, known as CYCOFOS has been providing operational hydrodynamical and sea state forecasts in the Eastern Mediterranean since early 2002. Recently, it has been improved with the implementation of new hydrodynamic and new wave modeling systems with the objective of targeting higher resolution domains, at coastal, sub-regional and regional scales in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. For the new CYCOFOS hydrodynamic modeling system a novel parallel version of the well established POM has been implemented. The new CYCOFOS hydrodynamical models covers the entire Eastern Mediterranean with a resolution of 2 km and the Levantine Basin with a resolution of ~600 m, both nested in the Copernicus Marine Environmental Monitoring Service of the Mediterranean Forecasting Center-CMEMS Med MFC. For sea waves forecasting, CYCOFOS has implemented  the new ECMWF wave model WAM CY46R1 in the Mediterranean and the Black seas at a higher resolution of 5 km. The CYCOFOS hydrodynamical models received an extended cal/val against the parent model, Argo profiles and satellite SST time series, while in-situ wave data gathered by the HERMES buoy monitoring network in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea were used for statistical validation of the new CYCOFOS wave forecasts. The new CYCOFOS validated modeling systems,  provide higher resolution quality controlled forecasting data suiting the needs for : a) down-streaming applications supporting risk assessment for offshore platforms in the Levantine Basin and studies concerning the coastal erosion in the Eastern Mediterranean (Albania, Cyprus, Greece) and the Black Sea (Bulgaria) in the framework of the HERMES project, and b) further hierarchical downscaling applications for the development of the COASTAL CRETE operation forecasting system at a higher resolution in the Eastern Mediterranean (Crete, Greece).</p>

scholarly journals Operational ocean models in the Adriatic Sea: a skill assessment

Ocean Science ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Chiggiato ◽  
P. Oddo
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Mean Squared Error ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Skill Assessment ◽  
Regional Models ◽  
Operational Systems ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. In the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System (MFS) project, the performance of regional numerical ocean forecasting systems is assessed by means of model-model and model-data comparison. Three different operational systems considered in this study are: the Adriatic REGional Model (AREG); the Adriatic Regional Ocean Modelling System (AdriaROMS) and the Mediterranean Forecasting System General Circulation Model (MFS-GCM). AREG and AdriaROMS are regional implementations (with some dedicated variations) of POM and ROMS, respectively, while MFS-GCM is an OPA based system. The assessment is done through standard scores. In situ and remote sensing data are used to evaluate the system performance. In particular, a set of CTD measurements collected in the whole western Adriatic during January 2006 and one year of satellite derived sea surface temperature measurements (SST) allow to asses a full three-dimensional picture of the operational forecasting systems quality during January 2006 and to draw some preliminary considerations on the temporal fluctuation of scores estimated on surface quantities between summer 2005 and summer 2006. The regional systems share a negative bias in simulated temperature and salinity. Nonetheless, they outperform the MFS-GCM in the shallowest locations. Results on amplitude and phase errors are improved in areas shallower than 50 m, while degraded in deeper locations, where major models deficiencies are related to vertical mixing overestimation. In a basin-wide overview, the two regional models show differences in the local displacement of errors. In addition, in locations where the regional models are mutually correlated, the aggregated mean squared error was found to be smaller, that is a useful outcome of having several operational systems in the same region.

scholarly journals Comparison between XBT data and TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimetry in the Ligurian-Tyrrhenian area

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Vignudelli ◽  
P. Cipollini ◽  
F. Reseghetti ◽  
G. Fusco ◽  
G. P. Gasparini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Project ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Tyrrhenian Sea ◽  
Satellite Altimeter ◽  
Ligurian Sea ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
Computational Errors

Abstract. From September 1999 to December 2000, eXpendable Bathy-Thermograph (XBT) profiles were collected along the Genova-Palermo shipping route in the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project (MFSPP). The route is virtually coincident with track 0044 of the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimeter, crossing the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian basins in an approximate N–S direction. This allows a direct comparison between XBT and altimetry, whose findings are presented in this paper. XBT sections reveal the presence of the major features of the regional circulation, namely the eastern boundary of the Ligurian gyre, the Bonifacio gyre and the Modified Atlantic Water inflow along the Sicily coast. Twenty-two comparisons of steric heights derived from the XBT data set with concurrent realizations of single-pass altimetric heights are made. The overall correlation is around 0.55 with an RMS difference of less than 3 cm. In the Tyrrhenian Sea the spectra are remarkably similar in shape, but in general the altimetric heights contain more energy. This difference is explained in terms of oceanographic signals, which are captured with a different intensity by the satellite altimeter and XBTs, as well as computational errors. On scales larger than 100 km, the data sets are also significantly coherent, with increasing coherence values at longer wavelengths. The XBTs were dropped every 18–20 km along the track: as a consequence, the spacing scale was unable to resolve adequately the internal radius of deformation (< 20 km). Furthermore, few XBT drops were carried out in the Ligurian Sea, due to the limited north-south extent of this basin, so the comparison is problematic there. On the contrary, the major features observed in the XBT data in the Tyrrhenian Sea are also detected by TOPEX/Poseidon. The manuscript is completed by a discussion on how to integrate the two data sets, in order to extract additional information. In particular, the results emphasize their complementariety in providing a dynamically complete description of the observed structures. Key words. Oceanography: general (descriptive and regional oceanography) Oceanography: physical (sea level variations; instruments and techniques)

scholarly journals The improvements of the ships of opportunity program in MFS-TEP

Ocean Science ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. R. Manzella ◽  
F. Reseghetti ◽  
G. Coppini ◽  
M. Borghini ◽  
A. Cruzado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Dense Water ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Water Formation ◽  
Dense Water Formation ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
Opportunity Program ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. The Ships Of Opportunity Program in the Mediterranean Sea was established at the end of 1999, in the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System – Pilot Project (MFS-PP). Many improvements have been made in data collection, transmission and management. Calibration of selected XBTs and a comparison of XBTs vs. CTDs during some research cruises have assured the quality of the data. Transmission now allows receiving data in full resolution by using GSM or satellite telecommunication services; management is offering access to high quality data and view services. The effects of technological and methodological improvements in the observing system are assessed in terms of capability to represent the most important circulation features. The improved methodologies have been tested during the Mediterranean Forecasting System – Toward Environmental Prediction (MFS-TEP) – Targeted Operational Period (MFS-TOP), lasting from September 2004 to February 2005. In spite of the short period of measurements, several important aspects of the Mediterranean Sea circulation have been verified, such as eddies and gyres in the various sub-basins, and dense water formation processes in some of them (vertical homogeneous profiles of about 13°C down to ~800 m in the Provençal, and of about 14.9°C down to ~300 m in the Levantine have allowed defining an index of dense water formation).

scholarly journals Operational ocean models in the Adriatic Sea: a skill assessment

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 2087-2116
Author(s):  
J. Chiggiato ◽  
P. Oddo
Keyword(s):  
General Circulation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Regional Models ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Operational Systems ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Dimensional Picture

Abstract. In the framework of the Mediterranean Forecasting System project (MFS) sub-regional and regional numerical ocean forecasting systems performance are assessed by mean of model-model and model-data comparison. Three different operational systems have been considered in this study: the Adriatic REGional Model (AREG); the AdriaROMS and the Mediterranean Forecasting System general circulation model (MFS model). AREG and AdriaROMS are regional implementations (with some dedicated variations) of POM (Blumberg and Mellor, 1987) and ROMS (Shchepetkin and McWilliams, 2005) respectively, while MFS model is based on OPA (Madec et al., 1998) code. The assessment has been done by means of standard scores. The data used for operational systems assessment derive from in-situ and remote sensing measurements. In particular a set of CTDs covering the whole western Adriatic, collected in January 2006, one year of SST from space born sensors and six months of buoy data. This allowed to have a full three-dimensional picture of the operational forecasting systems quality during January 2006 and some preliminary considerations on the temporal fluctuation of scores estimated on surface (or near surface) quantities between summer 2005 and summer 2006. In general, the regional models are found to be colder and fresher than observations. They eventually outperform the large scale model in the shallowest locations, as expected. Results on amplitude and phase errors are also much better in locations shallower than 50 m, while degraded in deeper locations, where the models tend to have a higher homogeneity along the vertical column compared to observations. In a basin-wide overview, the two regional models show some dissimilarities in the local displacement of errors, something suggested by the full three-dimensional picture depicted using CTDs, but also confirmed by the comparison with SSTs. In locations where the regional models are mutually correlated, the aggregated mean-square-error has been found to be lower, which is a useful outcome of having several operational systems in the same region.

scholarly journals Diversity and Distribution of the Dinoflagellates Brachidinium, Asterodinium and Microceratium (Brachidiniales, Dinophyceae) in the open Mediterranean Sea

2011 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
The South ◽  
Levantine Basin ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
Local Species ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
First Time

Diversity and Distribution of the DinoflagellatesBrachidinium, AsterodiniumandMicroceratium(Brachidiniales, Dinophyceae) in the open Mediterranean SeaBrachidiniacean dinoflagellates have been investigated in the open waters of the Mediterranean Sea, along a transect from the south of France to the south of Cyprus (20 June-18 July 2008).BrachidiniumandKarenia papilionaceaoften co-occurred,B. capitatumpredominating in the surface waters. The highest abundance ofBrachidiniumwere found in the upper 25min the western Mediterranean with amaximum (24 cells L-1) at a depth of 5 m in the Balearic Sea.Asterodinium(up to 4 cells L-1) was recorded below of deep chlorophyll maxima. The genusMicroceratium, only known from the tropical Indo-Pacific region, is reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea.Microceratiumwas found below 100min the eastern Mediterranean Sea, with the highest abundance of 8 cells L-1at 125 m depth, in the Levantine Basin. This study also illustrates for the first time specimens under the division ofBrachidiniumandMicroceratium. This first occurrence ofMicroceratiumin the Mediterranean Sea should be considered an indicator of climate warming. However, it should not be considered a non-indigenous taxon.Microceratiumis the ‘tropical morphotype’, the adaptation of a local species (a life stage ofKarenia - Brachidinium - Asterodinium) to the tropical environmental conditions that prevail in summer in the open Mediterranean Sea.

Five new sponge species (Porifera: Demospongiae) of subtropical or tropical affinities from the coast of Lebanon (eastern Mediterranean)

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 1539-1552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Vacelet ◽  
Ghazi Bitar ◽  
Sophie Carteron ◽  
Helmut Zibrowius ◽  
Thierry Perez
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
West African ◽  
Sponge Species ◽  
Levantine Basin ◽  
West African Coast ◽  
African Coast ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Lessepsian Migrants ◽  
The Tropics

Five new species of sponges are described from the coast of Lebanon in the eastern Mediterranean, Levantine Basin. Euryspongia raouchensis (Dysideidae), Liosina blastifera (Dictyonellidae) and Niphates toxifera (Niphatidae) belong to genera that are new for the Mediterranean but widely distributed in the tropics. Cinachyrella levantinensis (Tetillidae) and Ciocalypta carballoi (Halichondriidae) are described in genera with a restricted distribution in the Mediterranean, which have affinities with species from the Atlantic West African coast. These species do not appear to be lessepsian migrants, but are interpreted as remnants of an ancient thermophilous fauna that survived in the easternmost part of the Mediterranean.

scholarly journals Mediterranean Coral Provinces as a Sponge Diversity Reservoir: Is There a Mediterranean Cold-Water Coral Sponge Fauna?

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreu Santín ◽  
Jordi Grinyó ◽  
Maria Jesús Uriz ◽  
Claudio Lo Iacono ◽  
Josep Maria Gili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cold Water ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Atlantic Water ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspots ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Sponge Diversity ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Water Coral

Cold-water coral reefs (CWC) are known to be biodiversity hotspots, however, the sponge assemblages found to dwell within these habitats haven not been studied in depth to date in the Mediterranean Sea. The present article provides the first insight on the associated sponge fauna of the recently discovered CWC communities on the Catalan Margin and, to a lesser extent, the Cabliers Coral Mound Province, while also reviewing the current knowledge of the sponge fauna dwelling in all the Mediterranean CWC provinces. In regards to the studied areas, some rare species are cited for the first time in the Mediterranean or redescribed, while two of them, Hamacantha (Hamacantha) hortae sp. nov. and Spongosorites cabliersi sp. nov. are new to science. At a basin scale, Mediterranean CWC appear as poriferan biodiversity hotspots, yet current diversity values on each site rather represent a small fraction of its actual fauna. Additionally, the existence of an endemic sponge fauna exclusively dwelling on CWC is refuted. Nonetheless, the sponge fauna thriving in Mediterranean CWC appears to be unique, and different from that of other Atlantic regions. Finally, with the current knowledge, the sponge fauna from the Mediterranean CWC is grouped in three distinguishable clusters (Alboran Sea, Western and Eastern Mediterranean), which appears to be determined by the basins water circulation, specially the Levantine Intermediate Water and the Atlantic Water following a western-eastern pattern from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Adriatic Sea. Overall, sponge living in Mediterranean CWC are still poorly explored in most areas, yet they appear to be good candidates for biogeographical studies.Zoobank Registration: LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E58A3DFF-EDC5-44FC-A274-1C9508BF8D15.

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