Multiscale Observations of Deep Convection in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea during Winter 2012-2013 Using Multiple Platforms

Pierre Testor (1) , Anthony Bosse (2) , Loïc Houpert (3) , Félix Margirier (1) , Laurent Mortier (1) , Hervé Le Goff (4) , Denis Dausse (4) , Matthieu Labaste (4) , Johannes Karstensen (5) , Daniel Hayes (6) , Antonio Olita (7) , Alberto Ribotti (7) , Katrin Schroeder (8) , Jacopo Chiggiato (8) , Reiner Onken (9) , Emma Heslop (10) , Baptiste Mourre (10) , Fabrizio d'Ortenzio (11) , Pierre Mayot (11) , Héloise Lavigne (11) , Orens Pasqueron de Fommervault (11) , Laurent Coppola (11) , Louis Prieur (11) , Vincent Taillandier (11) , Xavier Durrieu de Madron (12) , François Bourrin (12) , Gael Many (12) , Pierre Damien (13) , Claude Estournel (13) , Patrick Marsaleix (13) , Isabelle Taupier-Letage (14) , Patrick Raimbault (14) , Robin Waldman (15) , Marie-Noëlle Bouin (15) , Hervé Giordani (15) , Guy Caniaux (15) , Samuel Somot (15) , Véronique Ducrocq (15) , Pascal Conan (16)

1 VOG - Variabilité de l'Océan et de la Glace de mer
2 BCCR - Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research
3 SAMS - Scottish Association for Marine Science
4 DITM - Développement Instrumental et Techniques Marines
5 IFM-GEOMAR - Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften
6 Cyprus Oceanography Center
7 IAMC - CNR Institute for Coastal Marine Environment
8 ISMAR - Istituto di Science Marine
9 GKSS - Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht
10 SOCIB Balearic Islands Coastal Ocean Observing and Forecasting System
11 LOV - Laboratoire d'océanographie de Villefranche
12 CEFREM - Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditérranéens
13 LAERO - Laboratoire d'aérologie
14 MIO - Institut méditerranéen d'océanologie
15 CNRM - Centre national de recherches météorologiques
16 LOMIC - Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne

During winter 2012–2013, open‐ocean deep convection which is a major driver for the thermohaline circulation and ventilation of the ocean, occurred in the Gulf of Lions (Northwestern Mediterranean Sea) and has been thoroughly documented thanks in particular to the deployment of several gliders, Argo profiling floats, several dedicated ship cruises, and a mooring array during a period of about a year. Thanks to these intense observational efforts, we show that deep convection reached the bottom in winter early in February 2013 in a area of maximum 28 ± 3 10⁹ m². We present new quantitative results with estimates of heat and salt content at the subbasin scale at different time scales (on the seasonal scale to a 10 days basis) through optimal interpolation techniques, and robust estimates of the deep water formation rate of 2.0 ± 0.2 Sv. We provide an overview of the spatiotemporal coverage that has been reached throughout the seasons this year and we highlight some results based on data analysis and numerical modeling that are presented in this special issue. They concern key circulation features for the deep convection and the subsequent bloom such as Submesoscale Coherent Vortices (SCVs), the plumes, and symmetric instability at the edge of the deep convection area.

Domaines: Océanographie

Pierre Testor, Anthony Bosse, Loïc Houpert, Félix Margirier, Laurent Mortier, et al.. Multiscale Observations of Deep Convection in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea during Winter 2012-2013 Using Multiple Platforms. Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans, 2018, 123 (3), pp.1745-1776. ⟨10.1002/2016JC012671⟩. ⟨hal-01764125⟩