RT journal article
T1 Submesoscale, tidally-induced biogeochemical patterns in the Strait of Gibraltar
A1 Ramírez Romero, Eduardo
A1 Macías Moy, Diego
A1 Bruno Mejías, Miguel
A1 Reyes Reyes, María Manuela
A1 Navarro Almendros, Gabriel
A1 García Jiménez, Carlos Manuel
A2 Biología
A2 Física Aplicada
K1 forced subinertial flows
K1 western alboran sea
K1 Camarinal sill
K1 water masses
K1 main sill
K1 in-situ
K1 variability
K1 model
K1 phytoplankton
K1 generation
AB Tidal forcing and its fortnightly variation are known to be one of the main regulating agents of physical and biogeochemical signatures in the Strait of Gibraltar and surrounding areas. Samples obtained during spring and neap tides in the region were analyzed to determine the influence of this tidal variation on the submesoscale distribution of water masses and biological elements. During spring tides, strong and intermittent mixing processes between Mediterranean and Atlantic waters occur in the vicinity of the Camarinal Sill together with an eastward advection of those mixed waters into the Alboran Sea. Furthermore, the intense suction of surface coastal waters into the main channel of the strait was detected as chlorophyll patches in the Alboran Sea during spring tides. In contrast, the most characteristic phenomenon during neap tides was the arrival of pulses of relatively nutrient-rich North Atlantic Central Waters to the surface regions of the Alboran Sea. In addition, traces of the suction of coastal waters were observed for the first time during neap tides. Therefore, our results show that submesoscale processes are crucial in the dynamics of the Strait of Gibraltar, and they must be considered for the correct description of the biogeochemical features of Alboran Sea, especially during an inactive period of the coastal upwelling.
YR 2012
FD 2012-02-22
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/19750
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/19750
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 13-nov-2026