Internal waves in the Strait of Gibraltar and their role in the vertical mixing processes within the Bay of Algeciras

Abstract

This article presents some of the results of an oceanographic survey carried out in the Bay of Algeciras (Strait of Gibraltar) as part of a research project intended to assess the environmental quality of the Bay. One of the most interesting findings was the step-like patterns presented by density profiles within the Bay, which were indicative of notable vertical mixing activity there. The analysis of the observations indicates that those mixing processes may be explained by the interaction between the local internal tide dynamics and the large amplitude internal waves entering the Bay, which seem to originate from the Camarinal Sill region.