Chapter 4
The Oceanographic and Climatic Context
Manuel Vargas-Yáñez, M. Carmen García-Martínez, Francina Moya,
Rosa Balbín, and José Luis López-Jurado
4.1 Introduction
The Alboran Sea is the westernmost sub-basin of the Western Mediterranean
(WMED), being connected with the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar.
Therefore, it is the first region of the Mediterranean Sea receiving the Atlantic Water
(AW) flowing through the Strait, from the nearby Gulf of Cadiz, and the last basin
that the Mediterranean waters cross before exiting to the Atlantic Ocean. As a
consequence of its location, the Alboran Sea is filled by a large number of water
masses. On one hand, two Atlantic water masses, Surface Atlantic Water (SAW) and
North Atlantic Central Water (NACW), can be distinguished, at least in the westernmost sector of the Alboran Sea (Naranjo et al. 2015). On the other hand, all the
Mediterranean waters, both those formed in the WMED and in the Eastern Mediterranean (EMED), must eventually outflow (Millot 2009). Therefore, all these water
masses should be present in the Alboran Sea. In fact, these water masses formed in
the WMED can be clearly identified and their presence in the Alboran Sea has been
described in the scientific literature. On the contrary, some of the water masses
formed in the EMED can be distinguished in the Alboran Sea, whereas others have
lost their signature.
The formations of the Mediterranean waters and their circulation are the result of
the climatic conditions within the Mediterranean Sea, which is characterized by a
freshwater deficit and a net heat loss through its surface. These conditions produce a
thermohaline circulation that can be summarized in a very simple way as AW
M. Vargas-Yáñez (*) · M. C. García-Martínez · F. Moya
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Fuengirola (Málaga),
Spain
e-mail: manolo.vargas@ieo.es; mcarmen.garcia@ieo.es; francina.moya@ieo.es
R. Balbín · J. L. López-Jurado
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
e-mail: rosa.balbin@ieo.es; lopez.jurado@ieo.es
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. C. Báez et al. (eds.), Alboran Sea - Ecosystems and Marine Resources,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65516-7_4
85
The Oceanographic and Climatic Context
Manuel Vargas-Yáñez, M. Carmen García-Martínez, Francina Moya,
Rosa Balbín, and José Luis López-Jurado
4.1 Introduction
The Alboran Sea is the westernmost sub-basin of the Western Mediterranean
(WMED), being connected with the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar.
Therefore, it is the first region of the Mediterranean Sea receiving the Atlantic Water
(AW) flowing through the Strait, from the nearby Gulf of Cadiz, and the last basin
that the Mediterranean waters cross before exiting to the Atlantic Ocean. As a
consequence of its location, the Alboran Sea is filled by a large number of water
masses. On one hand, two Atlantic water masses, Surface Atlantic Water (SAW) and
North Atlantic Central Water (NACW), can be distinguished, at least in the westernmost sector of the Alboran Sea (Naranjo et al. 2015). On the other hand, all the
Mediterranean waters, both those formed in the WMED and in the Eastern Mediterranean (EMED), must eventually outflow (Millot 2009). Therefore, all these water
masses should be present in the Alboran Sea. In fact, these water masses formed in
the WMED can be clearly identified and their presence in the Alboran Sea has been
described in the scientific literature. On the contrary, some of the water masses
formed in the EMED can be distinguished in the Alboran Sea, whereas others have
lost their signature.
The formations of the Mediterranean waters and their circulation are the result of
the climatic conditions within the Mediterranean Sea, which is characterized by a
freshwater deficit and a net heat loss through its surface. These conditions produce a
thermohaline circulation that can be summarized in a very simple way as AW
M. Vargas-Yáñez (*) · M. C. García-Martínez · F. Moya
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Fuengirola (Málaga),
Spain
e-mail: manolo.vargas@ieo.es; mcarmen.garcia@ieo.es; francina.moya@ieo.es
R. Balbín · J. L. López-Jurado
Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
e-mail: rosa.balbin@ieo.es; lopez.jurado@ieo.es
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. C. Báez et al. (eds.), Alboran Sea - Ecosystems and Marine Resources,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65516-7_4
85