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Oceanographic signals at the Benthic Boundary Layer in the Mediterranean Sea
Author(s)
Type
Poster session
Language
English
Status
Published
Conference Name
Issued date
2007
Conference Location
Vienna, Austria
Abstract
The Benthic Boundary Layer (BBL) is considered a quite homogeneous environment
where a wide variety of processes (chemical, physical, geological and biological) occur
often producing front structures or inducing turbulence phenomena. The typical
stratification of these zones can be interrupted by episodic events which effects can
diffuse to the ocean interior exploiting by local current and mixing processes.
According to hydrodynamic definition, the BBL thickness may vary from few millimetres
up to 100 metres depending on the friction intensity with the sea bed and the
stability of water column above it. Generally in deep-sea condition, the BBL thickness
is defined by the ratio between the friction velocity and the Coriolis parameter
according to the Ekman scale.
In the latest years several experiments have been carried out in the deep water of
Mediterranean Sea, focusing on the survey and study of benthic processes following
a multidisciplinary approach.
Benthic observatories, such as SN-1 and GEOSTAR, allow to record long time-series
of geochemical, seismological, geomagnetic, geodetic and oceanographic data and
allow to understand the dynamics and evolution of the processes though comparison
and interpolation of different types of signals.
From a oceanographic point of view, the technology of these benthic observatories
brings the possibility to observe and measure directly the hydrological properties at
the seafloor collecting data for long-time series and with high sampling rate.
The observatories deployed in Mediterranean Sea, have provided good information
about variations and oscillations of hydrological parameters in deep water where the monitoring is almost lacking.
In some cases it has been possible to link these deep-sea datasets with upper data
collected by ship-handled system during the same period or during different cruises.
This allows to have a more complete idea of the linkage between surface, intermediate
and bottom sea.
Hence the multidisciplinary approach represents a very important aspect for this kind
of study, because it allows not only a cross check of functionality among all the instruments
but also an important tool to recognise and better understand possible nonphysical-
oceanographic phenomena.
where a wide variety of processes (chemical, physical, geological and biological) occur
often producing front structures or inducing turbulence phenomena. The typical
stratification of these zones can be interrupted by episodic events which effects can
diffuse to the ocean interior exploiting by local current and mixing processes.
According to hydrodynamic definition, the BBL thickness may vary from few millimetres
up to 100 metres depending on the friction intensity with the sea bed and the
stability of water column above it. Generally in deep-sea condition, the BBL thickness
is defined by the ratio between the friction velocity and the Coriolis parameter
according to the Ekman scale.
In the latest years several experiments have been carried out in the deep water of
Mediterranean Sea, focusing on the survey and study of benthic processes following
a multidisciplinary approach.
Benthic observatories, such as SN-1 and GEOSTAR, allow to record long time-series
of geochemical, seismological, geomagnetic, geodetic and oceanographic data and
allow to understand the dynamics and evolution of the processes though comparison
and interpolation of different types of signals.
From a oceanographic point of view, the technology of these benthic observatories
brings the possibility to observe and measure directly the hydrological properties at
the seafloor collecting data for long-time series and with high sampling rate.
The observatories deployed in Mediterranean Sea, have provided good information
about variations and oscillations of hydrological parameters in deep water where the monitoring is almost lacking.
In some cases it has been possible to link these deep-sea datasets with upper data
collected by ship-handled system during the same period or during different cruises.
This allows to have a more complete idea of the linkage between surface, intermediate
and bottom sea.
Hence the multidisciplinary approach represents a very important aspect for this kind
of study, because it allows not only a cross check of functionality among all the instruments
but also an important tool to recognise and better understand possible nonphysical-
oceanographic phenomena.
References
Boundreau B.P. & Jørgensen B.B. (2001) - The Benthic
Boundary Layer, transport processes and biogeochemictry-
OXFORD PRESS
Richards K.J. (1990) - Physical processes in the benthic
boundary layer - Phil. Trnas. R. Soc. Lond A 331, 3-13
EtiopeG. et al. (2006) - The Benthic Boundary Layer: geochemical
and ocenagraphic data from the GEOSTAR-2
Observatory - Annals of Geophysics, Vol. 49, N 2/3
Marinaro G., et al. (2006) - Monitoring of a methaneseeping
pockmark by cabled benthic observatory (Patras
Gulf , Greece)- Geo-Mar Lett D01
Boundary Layer, transport processes and biogeochemictry-
OXFORD PRESS
Richards K.J. (1990) - Physical processes in the benthic
boundary layer - Phil. Trnas. R. Soc. Lond A 331, 3-13
EtiopeG. et al. (2006) - The Benthic Boundary Layer: geochemical
and ocenagraphic data from the GEOSTAR-2
Observatory - Annals of Geophysics, Vol. 49, N 2/3
Marinaro G., et al. (2006) - Monitoring of a methaneseeping
pockmark by cabled benthic observatory (Patras
Gulf , Greece)- Geo-Mar Lett D01
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