engleski

Mediterranean Sea-Level Variability and Trends

In this chapter, we examine Mediterranean long-term (interannual to interdecadal) sea-level variability, paying particular attention to the processes responsible for the observed changes. The nucleus of the chapter focuses on mean sea-level changes and its different contributors: the steric component (changes in the density of the water column due to changes in temperature and salinity), the mass component (accounting for the addition/subtraction of both water and salt), and the atmospheric component (due to the mechanical forcing of atmospheric pressure and wind). The estimated trends indicate that Mediterranean mean sea level has been rising at a rate lower than that of the global mean sea level during the past decades because of the negative contribution of the atmospheric and steric components. Long-term changes in the seasonal cycle and in extreme events are also examined. Open issues such as the role of the Strait of Gibraltar, the uncertainties associated with the estimates of the different sea-level components, the heat and freshwater fluxes, or the land movements are briefly discussed.

sea level, Mediterranean

nije evidentirano