Abstract
Abstract A three-dimensional primitive equation model is used to investigate the physical processes governing the exchanges of water between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean at the level of the Strait of Gibraltar. The circulation is driven by connecting two reservoirs filled with waters of different densities. The motion starts from rest and is initiated by removing the dam separating them at the initial time. The results are in agreement with observations. In the strait, the light Atlantic water flows into the Mediterranean Basin in the surface layer while the denser Mediterranean water moves toward the ocean as a deep current. After a spinup time interval of three days, the flow transport in the strait reaches a quasi-stationary value of 0.9 Sv (Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1). As it enters the Alboran Sea the flow of Atlantic water experiences a transition regime where the surface current is transformed into a shallow buoyant jet. After several days of integration, this flow intrudes into the Alboran Bas...
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