Factors Regulating the Air–Sea Heat Fluxes Regime over the Aegean Sea

Abstract

Abstract The authors examine the impact of low-frequency atmospheric forcings on the air–sea heat fluxes over the Aegean Sea. The correlation between the air–sea heat flux components and three established [North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), east Atlantic–western Russian pattern (EAWR), and North Sea–Caspian pattern (NCP)] and two testing climatic indices of potential effect over the eastern Mediterranean Sea region underlines significant discrepancies between the radiative (shortwave and longwave radiation) and the turbulent (sensible and latent heat) components. The NAO index affects the air–sea heat fluxes over the Aegean Sea region much less than the two innovative indices, the “Mediterranean index” and the “Eastern Europe index,” which play more effective roles. Moreover, the influence of the sea level atmospheric pressure (SLP) variability over an extended area (Europe and North Africa) on surface fluxes regime is investigated. The SLP anomalies are corroborated as a prominent regulating factor of the air–sea heat fluxes over the Aegean Sea region, especially during the cold season of the year. The analysis of the extreme values in the heat exchange anomalies for the period 1958–2001 highlights the role of SLP field on determining the air–sea heat fluxes regime, mainly during winter, when, occasionally, large amounts of heat loss from the sea surface trigger the mechanism of intermediate- and deep-water formation. It is suggested that wind regime and turbulent components are the modulators of the net air–sea heat flux anomalies throughout the year.