Circulation in the Algerian Basin during June 1986

Abstract

Hydrographic measurements, made in the Algerian Basin during June 1986 as part of the Western Mediterranean Circulation Experiment, together with satellite infrared images, are used to describe the flow of major water types in the region. Modified Atlantic Water flows eastward along the Algerian coast as the Algerian Current to 4°E, where it breaks into a series of eddies and spreads far offshore. It then flows partly northward into the Ligurian‐Provencal Basin and partly eastward through the Strait of Sardinia. The subsurface Levantine Intermediate Water turns sharply northward after flowing westward through the Strait of Sardinia and forms a narrow vein along the Sardinian Coast. Winter Intermediate Water flows southward around the Balearic Islands. Its eastern branch recirculates back to the north, whereas part of the western branch contributes to the Algerian Current by flowing eastward beneath the Modified Atlantic Water. Two large, long‐lived eddies are confirmed in the area. The easternmost of these, and other features with unresolved horizontal structure between Sardinia and Menorca, extend from the surface through the pycnocline.