OS Ocean Science OS Ocean Sci. 1812-0792 Copernicus Publications Göttingen, Germany 10.5194/os-9-789-2013 The Mediterranean Sea system: a review and an introduction to the special issue Tanhua T. 1 Hainbucher D. 2 Schroeder K. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7991-9121 3 Cardin V. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4710-6844 4 Álvarez M. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5075-9344 5 Civitarese G. 4 GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Department of Chemical Oceanography, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany ZMAW, Institut für Meereskunde, University of Hamburg, Bundesstraße 53, 20146 Hamburg, Germany CNR – ISMAR, Institute for Marine Science, Arsenale – Tesa 104 Castello 2737/F, 30122 Venezia, Italy OGS – Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/c, 34018 Sgonico (Trieste), Italy IEO, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro de A Coruña, Apdo. 130, 15001 A Coruña, Spain 06 09 2013 9 5 789 803 Copyright: © 2013 T. Tanhua et al. 2013 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This article is available from https://os.copernicus.org/articles/9/789/2013/os-9-789-2013.html The full text article is available as a PDF file from https://os.copernicus.org/articles/9/789/2013/os-9-789-2013.pdf

The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed sea characterized by high salinities, temperatures and densities. The net evaporation exceeds the precipitation, driving an anti-estuarine circulation through the Strait of Gibraltar, contributing to very low nutrient concentrations. The Mediterranean Sea has an active overturning circulation, one shallow cell that communicates directly with the Atlantic Ocean, and two deep overturning cells, one in each of the two main basins. It is surrounded by populated areas and is thus sensitive to anthropogenic forcing. Several dramatic changes in the oceanographic and biogeochemical conditions have been observed during the past several decades, emphasizing the need to better monitor and understand the changing conditions and their drivers. During 2011 three oceanographic cruises were conducted in a coordinated fashion in order to produce baseline data of important physical and biogeochemical parameters that can be compared to historic data and be used as reference for future observational campaigns. In this article we provide information on the Mediterranean Sea oceanographic situation, and present a short review that will serve as background information for the special issue in Ocean Science on "Physical, chemical and biological oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea". An important contribution of this article is the set of figures showing the large-scale distributions of physical and chemical properties along the full length of the Mediterranean Sea.

 References Álvarez, M., Sanleón-Bartolomé, H., Tanhua, T., Mintrop, L., Luchetta, A., Cantoni, C., Schroeder, K., and Civitarese, G.: The CO<sub>2</sub> system in the Mediterranean Sea: a basin wide perspective, Ocean Sci. Discuss., 10, 1447–1504, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-1447-2013, 2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-1447-2013, 2013</a>. Astraldi, M., Balopoulos, S., Candela, J., Font, J., Gacic, M., Gasparini, G. P., Manca, B., Theocharis, A., and Tintore, J.: The role of straits and channels in understanding the characteristics of Mediterranean circulation, Prog. Oceanogr., 44, 65–108, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0079-6611(99)00021-X">https://doi.org/10.1016/S0079-6611(99)00021-X</a>, 1999. Baschek, B., Send, U., Lafuente, J. G., and Candela, J.: Transport estimates in the Strait of Gibraltar with a tidal inverse model, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 31033–31044, https://doi.org/10.1029/2000jc000458, 2001. Bensi, M., Rubino, A., Cardin, V., Hainbucher, D., and Mancero-Mosquera, I.: Structure and variability of the abyssal water masses in the Ionian Sea in the period 2003-2010, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 118, 931–943, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2012JC008178">https://doi.org/10.1029/2012JC008178</a>, 2013. Bergamasco, A. and Malanotte-Rizzoli, P.: The circulation of the Mediterranean Sea: a historical review of experimental investigations, Adv. Oceanogr. Limnol., 1, 11–28, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19475721.2010.491656">https://doi.org/10.1080/19475721.2010.491656</a>, 2010. Béthoux, J. P., Gentili, B., Raunett, J., and Tailiez, D.: Warming trend in the western Mediterranean deep water, Nature, 347, 660–662, 1990. Béthoux, J. P., Morin, P., Chaumery, C., Connan, O., Gentili, B., and Ruiz-Pino, D. P.: Nutrient in the Mediterranean Sea, mass balance and statistical analysis of concentrations with respect to environmental change, Mar. Chem., 63, 155–169, 1998. Béthoux, J. P., Morin, P., and Ruiz-Pino, D. P.: Temporal trends in nutrient ratios: chemical evidence of Mediterranean ecosystem chages driven by human activity, Deep-Sea Res. II, 49, 2007–2016, 2002. Bignami, F., Salusti, E., and Schiarini, S.: Observations on a bottom vein of dense water in the Southern Adriatic and Ionian Seas, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 7249–7259, 1990. Bonnet, S., Grosso, O., and Moutin, T.: Planktonic dinitrogen fixation along a longitudinal gradient across the Mediterranean Sea during the stratified period (BOUM cruise), Biogeosciences, 8, 2257–2267, https://doi.org/0.5194/bg-8-2257-2011, 2011. Borzelli, G. L. E., Gačić, M., Cardin, V., and Civitarese, G.: Eastern Mediterranean Transient and reversal of the Ionian Sea circulation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L15108, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2009gl039261">https://doi.org/10.1029/2009gl039261</a>, 2009. Bryden, H. L. and Kinder, T. H.: Steady two-layer exchange through the Strait of Gibraltar, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. A, 38, Supplement 1, S445–S463, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0198-0149(12)80020-3">https://doi.org/10.1016/s0198-0149(12)80020-3</a>, 1991. Bryden, H. L., Candela, J., and Kinder, T. H.: Exchange through the Strait of Gibraltar, Prog. Oceanogr., 33, 201–248, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0079-6611(94)90028-0">https://doi.org/10.1016/0079-6611(94)90028-0</a>, 1994. Cardin, V., Bensi, M., and Pacciaroni, M.: Variability of water mass properties in the last two decades in the South Adriatic Sea with emphasis on the period 2006-2009, Cont. Shelf. Res., 31, 951–965, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2011.03.002">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2011.03.002</a>, 2011. CIESM: Designing Med-SHIP: a program for repeated oceanographic surveys, CIESM Workshop Monographs, edited by: Briand, F., CIESM, Monaco, 2012. Civitarese, G., Gacic, M., Vetrano, A., Boldrin, A., Bregant, D., Rabitti, S., and Souvermezoglou, E.: Biogeochemical fluxes through the Strait of Otranto (eastern Mediterranean), Cont. Shelf. Res., 18, 773–789, 1998. Civitarese, G., Gačić, M., Lipizer, M., and Eusebi Borzelli, G. L.: On the impact of the Bimodal Oscillating System (BiOS) on the biogeochemistry and biology of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas (Eastern Mediterranean), Biogeosciences, 7, 3987–3997, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-3987-2010">https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-7-3987-2010</a>, 2010. Gačić, M., Kovacevic, V., Manca, B. B., Papageorgiou, E., Poulain, P. M., Scarazzato, P., and Vetrano, A.: Thermohaline properties and circulation in the Strait of Otranto, in: Dynamic of Mediterranean straits and channels, edited by: Briand, F., 2, 117–145, 1996. Gačić, M., Borzelli, G. L. E., Civitarese, G., Cardin, V., and Yari, S.: Can internal processes sustain reversals of the ocean upper circulation? The Ionian Sea example, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L09608, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010gl043216">https://doi.org/10.1029/2010gl043216</a>, 2010. Gačić, M., Civitarese, G., Eusebi Borzelli, G. L., Kovacevic, V., Poulain, P. M., Theocharis, A., Menna, M., Catucci, A., and Zarokanellos, N.: On the relationship between the decadal oscillations of the northern Ionian Sea and the salinity distributions in the eastern Mediterranean, J. Geophys. Res., 116, C12002, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011jc007280">https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jc007280</a>, 2011. Gačić, M., Schroeder, K., Civitarese, G., Cosoli, S., Vetrano, A., and Eusebi Borzelli, G. L.: On the relationship among the Adriatic-Ionian Bimodal Oscillating System (BiOS), the Eastern Mediterranean salinity variations and the Western Mediterranean thermohaline cell, Ocean Science, 9, 83–90, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/os-9-83-2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/os-9-83-2013</a>, 2013. García-Lafuente, J., Sánchez-Román, A., Naranjo, C., and Sánchez-Garrido, J. C.: The very first transformation of the Mediterranean outflow in the Strait of Gibraltar, J. Geophys. Res., 116, C07010, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011jc006967">https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jc006967</a>, 2011. Gascard, J. C.: Mediterranean deep water formation, baroclinic instability and oceanic eddies, Oceanol. Acta, 1, 315–330, 1978. Hainbucher, D.: Cruise Report RV POSEIDON Cruise P414, <a href="http://www.geomar.de/fileadmin/content/zentrum/ze/fs/Poseidon_Berichte_2011_PDF/POS414_Hainbucher.pdf">http://www.geomar.de/fileadmin/content/zentrum/ze/fs/Poseidon_Berichte_2011_PDF/POS414_Hainbucher.pdf</a>, 2012. Hainbucher, D., Rubino, A., and Klein, B.: Water mass characteristics in the deep layers of the western Ionian Basin observed during May 2003, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L05608, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2005GL025318">https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL025318</a>, 2006. Huertas, I. E., Rios, A. F., Garcia-Lafuente, J., Navarro, G., Makaoui, A., Sanchez-Roman, A., Rodriguez-Galvez, S., Orbi, A., Ruiz, J., and Perez, F. F.: Atlantic forcing of the Mediterranean oligotrophy, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 26, Gb2022, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011gb004167">https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gb004167</a>, 2012. Ibello, V., Cantoni, C., Cozzi, S., and Civitarese, G.: First basin-wide experimental results on N-2 fixation in the open Mediterranean Sea, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L03608, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2009gl041635">https://doi.org/10.1029/2009gl041635</a>, 2010. Josey, S. A.: Changes in the heat and freshwater forcing of the eastern Mediterranean and their influence on deep water formation, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 1–15, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2003jc001778">https://doi.org/10.1029/2003jc001778</a>, 2003. Kanarska, Y. and Maderich, V.: Modelling of seasonal exchange flows through the Dardanelles Strait, Estuarine, Coast. Shelf Sci., 79, 449–458, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2008.04.019">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2008.04.019</a>, 2008. Kassis, D., Nittis, K., and Perivoliotis, L.: Hydrodynamic variability based on the multi-parametric POSEIDON Pylos observatory of the south Ionian Sea, Ocean Sci. Discuss., 10, 883–921, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-883-2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-883-2013</a>, 2013. Killworth, P. D.: Deep convection in the deep ocean, Rev. Geophys., 21, 1–26, 1983. Klein, B., Roether, W., Manca, B. B., Bregant, D., Beitzel, V., Kovacevic, V., and Luchetta, A.: The large deep water transient in the Eastern Mediterranean, Deep-Sea Res. I, 46, 371–414, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0637(98)00075-2">https://doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0637(98)00075-2</a>, 1999. Klein, B., Roether, W., Civitarese, G., Gacic, M., Manca, B. B., and d'Alcala, M. R.: Is the Adriatic returning to dominate the production of Eastern Mediterranean Deep Water?, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 3377–3380, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2000gl011620">https://doi.org/10.1029/2000gl011620</a>, 2000. Klein, B., Roether, W., Kress, N., Manca, B. B., d'Alcala, M. R., Souvermezoglou, E., Theocharis, A., Civitarese, G., and Luchetta, A.: Accelerated oxygen consumption in eastern Mediterranean deep waters following the recent changes in thermohaline circulation, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 8107, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2002jc001454">https://doi.org/10.1029/2002jc001454</a>, 2003. Krahmann, G. and Schott, F.: Longterm increases in Western Mediterranean salinities and temperatures: anthropogenic and climatic sources, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 4209–4212, 1998. Kress, N., Manca, B. B., Klein, B., and Deponte, D.: Continuing influence of the changed thermohaline circulation in the eastern Mediterranean on the distribution of dissolved oxygen and nutrients: Physical and chemical characterization of the water masses, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 8109, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2002JC001397">https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JC001397</a>, 2003. Krom, M. D., Brenner, S., Kress, N., and Gordon, L. I.: Phosphorous limitation of primary prodauction in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Limnol. Oceanogr., 36, 424–443, 1991. Krom, M. D., Herut, B., and Mantoura, R. F. C.: Nutrient budget for the Eastern Mediterranean: Implications for phosphorus limitation, Limnol. Oceanogr., 49, 1582–1592, 2004. Krom, M. D., Woodward, E. M. S., Herut, B., Kress, N., Carbo, P., Mantoura, R. F. C., Spyres, G., Thingstad, T. F., Wassmann, P., Wexels-Riser, C., Kitidis, V., Law, C. S., and Zodiatis, G.: Nutrient cycling in the south east Levantine basin of the eastern Mediterranean: results from a phosphorus starved system, Deep-Sea Res. II, 52, 2879–2896, 2005. Lascaratos, A., Roether, W., Nittis, K., and Klein, B.: Recent changes in deep water formation and spreading in the eastern Mediterranean Sea: a review, Prog. Oceanogr., 44, 5–36, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6611(99)00019-1">https://doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6611(99)00019-1</a>, 1999. Malanotte-Rizzoli, P. and Hecht, A.: Large-Scale properties of the Eastern Mediterranean: A review, Oceanol. Acta, 11, 323–335, 1988. Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., Manca, B. B., Ribera d'Alcala, M., Theocharis, A., Bergamasco, A., Bregant, D., Budillon, G., Civitarese, G., Georgopoulos, D., Michelato, A., Sansone, E., Scarazzato, P., and Souvermezoglou, E.: A synthesis of the Ionian Sea hydrography, circulation and water mass pathways during POEM-Phase I., Prog. Oceanogr., 39, 153–204, 1997. Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., Manca, B., d'Alcala, R., Theocharis, A., Brenner, S., Budillon, G., and Özoy, E.: The Eastern Mediterranean in the 80s and in the 90s: the big transition in the intermediate and deep circulations, Dynam. Atmos. Oceans, 29, 365–395, 1999. Mapelli, F., Varela, M. M., Barbato, M., Alvariño, R., Fusi, M., Álvarez, M., Merlino, G., Daffonchio, D., and Borin, S.: Biogeography of planktonic microbial communities across the whole Mediterranean Sea, Ocean Sci. Discuss., 10, 291–319, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-291-2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-291-2013</a>, 2013a. Mapelli, F., Varela, M. M., Barbato, M., Alvariño, R., Hernando-Morales, V., Fusi, M., Álvarez, M., Merlino, G., Daffonchio, D., Teira, E., and Borin, S.: Corrigendum to "Biogeography of planktonic bacterial communities across the whole Mediterranean Sea" published in Ocean Sci., 9, 585–595, 2013, Ocean Sci., 9, 681–681, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/os-9-681-2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/os-9-681-2013</a>, 2013b. Mariotti, A., Struglia, M. V., Zeng, N., and Lau, K. M.: The Hydrological Cycle in the Mediterranean Region and Implications for the Water Budget of the Mediterranean Sea, J. Climate, 15, 1674–1690, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<1674:thcitm>2.0.co;2">https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(2002)015<1674:thcitm>2.0.co;2</a>, 2002. Millot, C.: Circulation in the Western Mediterranean Sea, J. Mar. Systems, 20, 423–442, 1999. Millot, C. and Gerin, R.: The Mid-Mediterranean jet Artefact, Geophys. Res. Lett, 37, L12602, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010GL043359">https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL043359</a>, 2010. Millot, C. and Taupier-Letage, I.: Circulation in the Mediterranean Sea, in: The Mediterranean Sea, the Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, Springer, Berlin/Heidelberg, 29–66, 2005. Moore, W. S.: The role of submarine groundwater discharge in coastal biogeochemistry, J. Geochem. Explorat., 88, 389–393, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2005.08.082">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2005.08.082</a>, 2006a. Moore, W. S.: Radium isotopes as tracers of submarine groundwater discharge in Sicily, Cont. Shelf. Res., 26, 852–861, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2005.12.004">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2005.12.004</a>, 2006b. Nielsen, J. N.: Hydrography of the Mediterranean and adjacent waters, in: Report of the Danish Oceanographic Expedition 1908-1910 to the Mediterranean and Adjacent Waters, Copenhagen, 72–191, 1912. Ovchinnikov, I. M., Krivosheya, V. G., and Udodov, A. I.: Formation of deep eastern Mediterranean water in the Adriatic Sea, Oceanology, 25, 704–707, 1985. Pujo-Pay, M., Conan, P., Oriol, L., Cornet-Barthaux, V., Falco, C., Ghiglione, J.-F., Goyet, C., Moutin, T., and Prieur, L.: Integrated survey of elemental stoichiometry (C,N,P) from the western to eastern Mediterranean Sea, Biogeosciences, 8, 883–899, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-883-2011">https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-8-883-2011</a>, 2011. Rahav, E., Herut, B., Levi, A., Mulholland, M. R., and Berman-Frank, I.: Springtime contribution of dinitrogen fixation to primary production across the Mediterranean Sea, Ocean Sci., 9, 489-498, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/os-9-489-2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/os-9-489-2013</a>, 2013. Redfield, A. C., Ketchum, B. H., and Richards, F. A.: The influence of organisms on the composition of seawater, in: The Sea, edited by: Hill, M. N., Wiley Interscience, New York, 1963. Rhein, M.: Deep-Water Formation in the Western Mediterranean, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 6943–6959, 1995. Rhein, M., Send, U., Klein, B., and Krahmann, G.: Interbasin deep water exchange in the western Mediterranean, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 23495–23508, 1999. Robinson, A. and Golnaraghi, M.: The Physical and Dynamical Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea, in: Ocean Processes in Climate Dynamics: Global and Mediterranean Examples, edited by: Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., and Robinson, A., NATO ASI Series, Springer, the Netherlands, 255–306, 1994. Roether, W. and Lupton, J.: Tracers confirm downward mixing of Tyrrhenian Sea upper waters associated with the Eastern Mediterranean Transient, Ocean Science, 7, 91–99, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/os-7-91-2011">https://doi.org/10.5194/os-7-91-2011</a>, 2011. Roether, W. and Schlitzer, R.: Eastern Mediterranean Deep-Water Renewal on the Basis of Chlorofluoromethane and Tritium Data, Dynam Atmos Oceans, 15, 333–354, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0377-0265(91)90025-B">https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-0265(91)90025-B</a>, 1991. Roether, W. and Well, R.: Oxygen consumption in the Eastern Mediterranean, Deep-Sea Research Part I, 48, 1535–1551, 2001. Roether, W., Manca, B. B., Klein, B., Bregant, D., Georgopoulos, D., Beitzel, V., Kovacevic, V., and Luchetta, A.: Recent changes in eastern Mediterranean deep waters, Science, 271, 333–335, 1996. Roether, W., Klein, B., Beitzel, V., and Manca, B. B.: Property distributions and transient-tracer ages in Levantine Intermediate Water in the Eastern Mediterranean, J. Mar. Systems, 18, 71–87, 1998. Roether, W., Klein, B., Manca, B. B., Theocharis, A., and Kioroglou, S.: Transient Eastern Mediterranean deep waters in response to the massive dense-water output of the Aegean Sea in the 1990s, Prog. Oceanogr., 74, 540–571, 2007. Roether, W., Jean-Baptiste, P., Fourré, E., and Sültenfuß, J.: The transient distributions of nuclear weapon-generated tritium and its decay product <sup>3</sup>He in the Mediterranean Sea, 1952–2011, and their oceanographic potential, Ocean Sci. Discuss., 10, 649–690, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-649-2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-649-2013</a>, 2013a. Roether, W., Klein, B., and Hainbucher, D.: The Eastern Mediterranean Transient: Evidence for Similar Events Previously?, in: The Mediterranean Sea: Temporal Variability and Spatial Patterns, edited by: Borzelli, G. L. E., Gacic, M., Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., and Lionello, P., AGU monographs, 2013b. Rohling, E. J. and Bryden, H. L.: Man-Induced Salinity and Temperature Increases in Western Mediterranean Deep-Water, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 11191–11198, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/92jc00767">https://doi.org/10.1029/92jc00767</a>, 1992. Rubino, A. and Hainbucher, D.: A large abrupt change in the abyssal water masses of the eastern Mediterranean, Geophys. Res. Letters, 34, L23607, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2007GL031737">https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL031737</a>, 2007. Schneider, A., Tanhua, T., Körtzinger, A., and Wallace, D. W. R.: High anthropogenic carbon content in the eastern Mediterranean, J. Geophys. Res., 115, C12050, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006171">https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JC006171</a>, 2010. Schneider, A., Tanhua, T., Roether, W., and Steinfeldt, R.: Changes in ventilation of the Mediterranean Sea during the past 25 yr, Ocean Sci. Discuss., 10, 1405–1445, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-1405-2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/osd-10-1405-2013</a>, 2013. Schott, F., Visbeck, M., and Send, U.: Open ocean deep convection, Mediterranean and Greenland Seas, in: Ocean Processes on Climate Dynamics: Global and Mediterranean Examples, edited by: Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., and Robinson, A. R., Kluwer Academic, Mass., 203–225, 1993. Schroeder, K., Gasparini, G. P., Tanghelini, M., and Astraldi, M.: Deep and intermediate water in the western Mediterranean under the influence of the Eastern Mediterranean Transient, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L21607, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027121">https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027121</a>, 2006. Schroeder, K., Ribotti, A., Borghini, M., Sorgente, R., Perilli, A., and Gasparini, G. P.: An extensive western Mediterranean deep water renewal between 2004 and 2006, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L18605, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2008GL035146">https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL035146</a>, 2008. Schroeder, K., Gasparini, G. P., Borghini, M., and Delfanti, R.: Biogeochemical tracers and fluxes in the Western Mediterranean Sea, spring 2005, J. Mar. Systems, 80, 8–24, 2010a. Schroeder, K., Josey, S. A., Herrmann, M., Grignon, L., Gasparini, G. P., and Bryden, H. L.: Abrupt warming and salting of the Western Mediterranean Deep Water after 2005: Atmospheric forcings and lateral advection, J. Geophys. Res., 115, C08029, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2009JC005749">https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JC005749</a>, 2010b. Schroeder, K., Garcìa-Lafuente, J., Josey, S. A., Artale, V., Buongiorno Nardelli, B., Carrillo, A., Gačić, M., Gasparini, G. P., Herrmann, M., Lionello, P., Ludwig, W., Millot, C., Özsoy, E., Pisacane, G., Sánchez-Garrido, J. C., Sannino, G., Santoleri, R., Somot, S., Struglia, M., Stanev, E., Taupier-Letage, I., Tsimplis, M. N., Vargas-Yáñez, M., Zervakis, V., and Zodiatis, G.: Chapter 3: Circulation of the Mediterranean Sea and its variability, in: The Climate of the Mediterranean Region, from the past to the future, edited by: Lionello, P., Elsevier Insights, Amsterdam, 2012. Steinfeldt, R.: Ages and age spectra of Eastern Mediterranean Deep Water, J. Mar. Systems, 48, 67–81, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2003.03.002">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2003.03.002</a>, 2004. Stöven, T.: Ventilation processes of the Mediterranean Sea based on CFC-12 ad SF6 measurements, Diploma, Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften der Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät, Christian-Albrecht-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, 2011. Stratford, K. and Williams, R. G.: A tracer study of the formation, dispersal, and renewal of Levantine Intermediate Water, J. Geophys. Res., 102, 12539-12549, 1997. Stratford, K., Williams, R. G., and Drakopoulos, P. G.: Estimating climatological age from a model-derived oxygen-age relationship in the Mediterranean, J. Mar. Systems, 18, 215–226, 1998. Struglia, M. V., Mariotti, A., and Filograsso, A.: River Discharge into the Mediterranean Sea: Climatology and Aspects of the Observed Variability, J. Clim., 17, 4740–4751, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/jcli-3225.1">https://doi.org/10.1175/jcli-3225.1</a>, 2004. Tanhua, T., Hainbucher, D., Cardin, V., Álvarez, M., Civitarese, G., McNichol, A. P., and Key, R. M.: Repeat hydrography in the Mediterranean Sea, data from the Meteor cruise 84/3 in 2011, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 5, 289–294, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/essd-5-289-2013">https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-5-289-2013</a>, 2013. Theocharis, A., Nittis, K., Kontoyiannis, K., Papageorgiou, E., and Balopoulos, E.: Climatic changes in the Aegean Sea influence the Eastern Mediterranean thermohaline circulation (1986–1997), Geophys. Res. Letters, 26, 1617–1620, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/1999gl900320">https://doi.org/10.1029/1999gl900320</a>, 1999. Thingstad, T. F., Krom, M. D., Mantoura, R. F. C., Flaten, G. A., Groom, S., and Herut, B.: Nature of phosphorous limitation in the ultaoligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean, Science, 309, 1068–1071, 2005. Tsimplis, M. N. and Bryden, H. L.: Estimation of the transports through the Strait of Gibraltar, Deep-Sea Res. Pt. I, 47, 2219–2242, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0967-0637(00)00024-8">https://doi.org/10.1016/s0967-0637(00)00024-8</a>, 2000. Tsimplis, M. N., Zervakis, V., Josey, S. A., Peneva, E. L., Struglia, M. V., Stanev, E. V., Theocharis, A., Lionello, P., Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., Artale, V., Tragou, E., and Oguz, T.: Changes in the Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea and their Link to Climate Variability, in: Mediterranean Climate Variability, edited by: Lionello, P., Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., Boscolo, R., Elsevier publishing, 227–282, 2006. Ulbrich, U., May, W., Li, L., Lionello, P., Pinto, J. G., and Somot, S.: The Mediterranean Climate Change under Global Warming, in: Mediterranean climate variability, edited by: Lionello, P., Malanotte-Rizzoli, P., and Boscolo, R., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2006. Ünlüata, Ü., Oguz, T., Latif, M. A., and Özoy, E.: On the physical oceanography of the Turkish Straits, in: The Physical Oceanography of Sea Straits, edited by: Pratt, L. J., NATO ASI Series Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 25–61, 1990. Vargas-Yáñez, M., Moya, F., García-Martínez, M. C., Tel, E., Zunino, P., Plaza, F., Salat, J., Pascual, J., López-Jurado, J. L., and Serra, M.: Climate change in the Western Mediterranean Sea 1900–2008, J. Mar. Systems, 82, 171–176, 2010. Vetrano, A., Napolitano, E., Iacono, R., Schroeder, K., and Gasparini, G. P.: Tyrrhenian Sea circulation and water mass fluxes in spring 2004: Observations and model results, J. Geophys. Res., 115, C06023, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2009jc005680">https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jc005680</a>, 2010. Wu, P. L., Haines, K., and Pinardi, N.: Toward an understanding of deep-water renewal in the Eastern Mediterranean, J. Phys. Oceanogr., 30, 443–458, 2000. Wüst, G.: On the Vertical Circulation of the Mediterranean Sea, J. Geophys. Res., 66, 3261–3271, 1961.