Sea surface temperature fronts in the Levantine Basin of the Mediterranean Sea

Fronts are ubiquitous features in the ocean, having significant implications for oceanic and atmospheric environments, including; water masses, currents, ocean-atmosphere interactions, and ecosystems, particularly through cross-front exchanges of water masses, materials and biota. In this work, we investigate thermal fronts in the Levantine Basin of the Mediterranean Sea, using remotely sensed sea surface temperature data. First, a frontal detection algorithm is used to determine the fronts. Then the spatial and temporal variability of the fronts are presented. A specific focus lies on the fronts associated with the Asia Minor boundary current, due to its frontal instabilities and associated eddy activity. Detected fronts are used as a basis to investigate these features and their contribution to cross-frontal exchanges. Further work includes identification of in-situ data gaps in existing observatories around fronts to provide an effective monitoring strategy of fronts in the region.

 

This work has been produced benefiting from the 2236 Co-Funded Brain Circulation Scheme2 (CoCirculation2) of TÜBITAK (Project No: 121C411). However, the entire responsibility of the publication belongs to the owner of the publication. The financial support received from TÜBITAK does not mean that the content of the publication is approved in a scientific sense by TÜBITAK.