Temporal evolution of physical and chemical characteristics of the water column in the Easternmost Levantine basin (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) from 2002 to 2010

Nurit Kress; Isaac Gertman; Barak Herut

doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2013.11.016

Temporal evolution of physical and chemical characteristics of the water column in the Easternmost Levantine basin (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) from 2002 to 2010

Nurit Kress, Isaac Gertman, Barak Herut

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The continuing effect of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient event on the distribution of physical and chemical parameters in the Easternmost Levantine basin was documented from 2002 to 2010 in the open sea and at the continental slope. By mid-2002, the deep waters had already changed, exhibiting a mid-depth layer, the old Adriatic Deep Water (ADWo), with minimum salinity, temperature (Min_Sal/T), minimum dissolved oxygen (Min_Ox) and maximum nutrient (Max_Nut) concentrations above the younger Cretan Sea Ouflow water. Min_Sal/T values at the ADWo increased from 2002 to 2010, the depth range narrowed, shallowed and was eroded. The maximum silicic acid layer (>9μmolkg^-1) was positioned with the Min_Sal/T, while the Min_Ox and maximum nitrate and phosphate layers (<175, >5.5 and >0.2μmolkg^-1, respectively) were shallower (by up to 500m) due to chemical oxidation of organic matter at the upper layers. Nutrient concentrations at the base of the nutricline increased with time, concurrently with a widening and shallowing of the deep chlorophyll-a maximum layer and increase in concentration. Since 2008 at the slope and 2010 at the open sea, chlorophyll-a concentrations increased also at and near the surface, indicating a possible change in the phytoplankton community. A gradual increase in salinity at the upper layers was detected since 2006.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	6-13
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of Marine Systems
Volume	135
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2013.11.016
State	Published - Jul 2014
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors thank the captain and crew of the R/V Shikmona and the research assistants at the Marine Chemistry, Physical Oceanography and Data Center departments at IOLR for their dedicated work at sea and in the laboratory. We acknowledge the comments of two anonymous reviewers that helped improve the manuscript. The research was funded by the Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures and by the SESAME Project, EC Contract No. GOCE-036949 in the framework of the European Commission's Sixth Framework Program under the priority ‘Sustainable Development, Global Change, and Ecosystems’.

Keywords

Chlorophyll-a
Dissolved oxygen
Eastern mediterranean transient
Levantine basin
Nutrients
Physical parameters

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Oceanography
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Aquatic Science

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10.1016/j.jmarsys.2013.11.016

Cite this

@article{b074301ba70f43ac94e47079150b4c12,

title = "Temporal evolution of physical and chemical characteristics of the water column in the Easternmost Levantine basin (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) from 2002 to 2010",

abstract = "The continuing effect of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient event on the distribution of physical and chemical parameters in the Easternmost Levantine basin was documented from 2002 to 2010 in the open sea and at the continental slope. By mid-2002, the deep waters had already changed, exhibiting a mid-depth layer, the old Adriatic Deep Water (ADWo), with minimum salinity, temperature (MinSal/T), minimum dissolved oxygen (MinOx) and maximum nutrient (MaxNut) concentrations above the younger Cretan Sea Ouflow water. MinSal/T values at the ADWo increased from 2002 to 2010, the depth range narrowed, shallowed and was eroded. The maximum silicic acid layer (>9μmolkg-1) was positioned with the MinSal/T, while the MinOx and maximum nitrate and phosphate layers (<175, >5.5 and >0.2μmolkg-1, respectively) were shallower (by up to 500m) due to chemical oxidation of organic matter at the upper layers. Nutrient concentrations at the base of the nutricline increased with time, concurrently with a widening and shallowing of the deep chlorophyll-a maximum layer and increase in concentration. Since 2008 at the slope and 2010 at the open sea, chlorophyll-a concentrations increased also at and near the surface, indicating a possible change in the phytoplankton community. A gradual increase in salinity at the upper layers was detected since 2006.",

keywords = "Chlorophyll-a, Dissolved oxygen, Eastern mediterranean transient, Levantine basin, Nutrients, Physical parameters",

author = "Nurit Kress and Isaac Gertman and Barak Herut",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank the captain and crew of the R/V Shikmona and the research assistants at the Marine Chemistry, Physical Oceanography and Data Center departments at IOLR for their dedicated work at sea and in the laboratory. We acknowledge the comments of two anonymous reviewers that helped improve the manuscript. The research was funded by the Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures and by the SESAME Project, EC Contract No. GOCE-036949 in the framework of the European Commission's Sixth Framework Program under the priority {\textquoteleft}Sustainable Development, Global Change, and Ecosystems{\textquoteright}.",

year = "2014",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1016/j.jmarsys.2013.11.016",

language = "English",

volume = "135",

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journal = "Journal of Marine Systems",

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AU - Gertman, Isaac

AU - Herut, Barak

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank the captain and crew of the R/V Shikmona and the research assistants at the Marine Chemistry, Physical Oceanography and Data Center departments at IOLR for their dedicated work at sea and in the laboratory. We acknowledge the comments of two anonymous reviewers that helped improve the manuscript. The research was funded by the Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures and by the SESAME Project, EC Contract No. GOCE-036949 in the framework of the European Commission's Sixth Framework Program under the priority ‘Sustainable Development, Global Change, and Ecosystems’.

PY - 2014/7

Y1 - 2014/7

N2 - The continuing effect of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient event on the distribution of physical and chemical parameters in the Easternmost Levantine basin was documented from 2002 to 2010 in the open sea and at the continental slope. By mid-2002, the deep waters had already changed, exhibiting a mid-depth layer, the old Adriatic Deep Water (ADWo), with minimum salinity, temperature (MinSal/T), minimum dissolved oxygen (MinOx) and maximum nutrient (MaxNut) concentrations above the younger Cretan Sea Ouflow water. MinSal/T values at the ADWo increased from 2002 to 2010, the depth range narrowed, shallowed and was eroded. The maximum silicic acid layer (>9μmolkg-1) was positioned with the MinSal/T, while the MinOx and maximum nitrate and phosphate layers (<175, >5.5 and >0.2μmolkg-1, respectively) were shallower (by up to 500m) due to chemical oxidation of organic matter at the upper layers. Nutrient concentrations at the base of the nutricline increased with time, concurrently with a widening and shallowing of the deep chlorophyll-a maximum layer and increase in concentration. Since 2008 at the slope and 2010 at the open sea, chlorophyll-a concentrations increased also at and near the surface, indicating a possible change in the phytoplankton community. A gradual increase in salinity at the upper layers was detected since 2006.

AB - The continuing effect of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient event on the distribution of physical and chemical parameters in the Easternmost Levantine basin was documented from 2002 to 2010 in the open sea and at the continental slope. By mid-2002, the deep waters had already changed, exhibiting a mid-depth layer, the old Adriatic Deep Water (ADWo), with minimum salinity, temperature (MinSal/T), minimum dissolved oxygen (MinOx) and maximum nutrient (MaxNut) concentrations above the younger Cretan Sea Ouflow water. MinSal/T values at the ADWo increased from 2002 to 2010, the depth range narrowed, shallowed and was eroded. The maximum silicic acid layer (>9μmolkg-1) was positioned with the MinSal/T, while the MinOx and maximum nitrate and phosphate layers (<175, >5.5 and >0.2μmolkg-1, respectively) were shallower (by up to 500m) due to chemical oxidation of organic matter at the upper layers. Nutrient concentrations at the base of the nutricline increased with time, concurrently with a widening and shallowing of the deep chlorophyll-a maximum layer and increase in concentration. Since 2008 at the slope and 2010 at the open sea, chlorophyll-a concentrations increased also at and near the surface, indicating a possible change in the phytoplankton community. A gradual increase in salinity at the upper layers was detected since 2006.

KW - Chlorophyll-a

KW - Dissolved oxygen

KW - Eastern mediterranean transient

KW - Levantine basin

KW - Nutrients

KW - Physical parameters

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DO - 10.1016/j.jmarsys.2013.11.016

M3 - Article

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SN - 0924-7963

VL - 135

SP - 6

EP - 13

JO - Journal of Marine Systems

JF - Journal of Marine Systems

ER -

Temporal evolution of physical and chemical characteristics of the water column in the Easternmost Levantine basin (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) from 2002 to 2010

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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