Mediterranean Water 



The intrusion of Mediterranean water at OS 

 DELTA occurs between 800 and 1000 meters in 

 depth according to Gorton (1967) and is easily 

 recognizable as an increase in salinity, usually 

 with a corresponding increase in temperature. 



Using the salinity maximum as an indication 

 of the core of the Mediterranean water intrusion 

 the means and standard deviations of the depth, 

 temperature, salinity, and sigma-t of the salinity 

 maximum were computed (Table 4). The water 

 column from 500 to 1500 meters was considered 

 since the intrusion would be expected at between 

 800 and 1000 meters. The depth of the core of 



Mediterranean water was between 700 and 1100 

 meters. The results are in excellent agreement 

 with Defant (1961) and Sverdrup, et al. (1942) 

 for the characteristics of Mediterranean water. 

 By Defant's T-S curve of the core of Mediter- 

 ranean water, the T-S characteristics of the core 

 of Mediterranean water for the cruises on OS 

 DELTA indicated 20% to 30% Mediterranean 

 water. According to Sverdrup, et al. (1942) 

 Mediterranean water should spread along the 

 sigma-t surfaces between 27.6 and 27.8. The 

 sigma-t values for the core of Mediterranean 

 water for all cruises on OS DELTA were within 

 the sigma-t range of Sverdrup, et al., except for 

 cruise D37 at about 27.52 (Table 4). 



Table 4. The iieans and standard deviations of the depth, temperature, salinity, and sigma-t 

 of the Mediterranean salinity maximum found on Ocean Station PELTA, August 1968 to 

 August 1969. 



* Stations taken with a Salinity-Temperature-Depth STD sensor. 



Bottle spacing on Nansen casts was very poor 

 for determining the T-S characteristics of Medi- 

 terranean water on OS DELTA. Bottles were 

 placed at 600, 800, 1000, and 1500 meters. Un- 

 less the cast was shallow or deep it would be 

 difficult to pick up Mediterranean water at be- 

 tween 700 and 1100 meters. This is one reason 

 why only a small number of the stations on any 

 particular cruise showed Mediterranean water 

 present (Table 4). 



Stations taken with an STD gave a continuous 

 sampling of the water column as the underwater 

 unit descended. Cruises D26, D27, D32, and D37 

 were all taken using an STD. Only by use of 



the STD is it possible to pinpoint the Medi- 

 terranean water intrusion. 



Cruises D26 and D27 did not show any Medi- 

 terranean water present. On cruise D32, as was 

 previously mentioned, the maximum intrusion of 

 Subarctic Intermediate (SAI) water occurred. 

 This made it very difficult to delineate Mediter- 

 ranean water. Several stations, 8 of 42, showed 

 very little influence of SAI. It was possible to 

 pick out the Mediterranean intrusion on these 

 stations. This water can be seen as a salinity 

 and temperature maximum at about 900 meters. 

 Station 10, cruise D32, is a good example (6^18). 



