Multiparametric mixing analysis of the deep waters in the Western Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The winters 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 were characterised by the formation in the north-western Mediterranean Sea of dense waters, which were significantly warmer and saltier than previously. The temperature-salinity diagrams show the presence of three different deep water types, a resident one and two newly formed ones. In order to quantitatively evaluate the filling of the deep Western Mediterranean Sea with these three different water masses from their formation region, an extended optimum multiparametric analysis (eOMP) has been performed, which permitted the estimation of the mixing fractions of the deep water masses in the area. The paper presents a comparison between the distributions of the three deep water types in 2005 and in 2006, in order to assess the spreading of the newly formed waters from their formation region.