User:Brianfbennett/Mediterranean Water

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Mediterranean Water (MW) is a warm high salinity intermediate water mass formed in the Mediterranean Sea.

Formation
The climate over the Mediterranean Sea is warm and dry causing strong evaporation to occur which produces a dense, high salinity water mass that sinks deep to the bottom. Evaporation of the Mediterranean Sea also results in an inflow of surface water from the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar. As relatively fresh Atlantic water moves eastward it is modified through these evaporative air-sea interactions and mixing processes, and becomes more saline. The salinity at the surface where Atlantic water enters the Strait of Gibraltar increases from 36.15 to 38.6 in the eastern Levantine Basin. This higher salinity surface water sinks in the Levantine Sea where where favorable oceanic conditions and air-sea interactions lead to downward mixing.