5e134210-d79f-4c80-800a-47cee33c115d Copernicus Marine Service product specification CMEMS servicedesk.cmems@mercator-ocean.eu http://marine.copernicus.eu/ 2025-11-17T10:57:57.058438Z ISO 19139, MyOcean profile 0.2 2 false WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) EPSG Mediterranean Water Mass Formation Rates from Reanalysis OMI_EXTREME_WMF_MEDSEA_area_averaged_mean 2020-06-18 3.4 2025-11-25 ef932fc0-04e7-4a25-b7b2-08a2d85d4039 '''DEFINITION''' The Mediterranean water mass formation rates are evaluated in 4 areas as defined in the Ocean State Report issue 2 (OSR2, von Schuckmann et al., 2018) section 3.4 (Simoncelli and Pinardi, 2018): (1) the Gulf of Lions for the Western Mediterranean Deep Waters (WMDW); (2) the Southern Adriatic Sea Pit for the Eastern Mediterranean Deep Waters (EMDW); (3) the Cretan Sea for Cretan Intermediate Waters (CIW) and Cretan Deep Waters (CDW); (4) the Rhodes Gyre, the area of formation of the so-called Levantine Intermediate Waters (LIW) and Levantine Deep Waters (LDW). Annual water mass formation rates have been computed using daily mixed layer depth estimates (density criteria Δσ = 0.01 kg/m3, 10 m reference level) considering the annual maximum volume of water above mixed layer depth with potential density within or higher the specific thresholds specified in Table 1 then divided by seconds per year. Annual mean values are provided using the Mediterranean 1/24o eddy resolving reanalysis (Escudier et al. 2020, 2021). Time spans from 1987 to the year preceding the current one [-1Y], operationally extended yearly. '''CONTEXT''' The formation of intermediate and deep water masses is one of the most important processes occurring in the Mediterranean Sea, being a component of its general overturning circulation. This circulation varies at interannual and multidecadal time scales and it is composed of an upper zonal cell (Zonal Overturning Circulation) and two main meridional cells in the western and eastern Mediterranean (Pinardi and Masetti 2000). The objective is to monitor the main water mass formation events using the eddy resolving Mediterranean Sea Reanalysis (MEDSEA_MULTIYEAR_PHY_006_004, Escudier et al. 2020, 2021) and considering Pinardi et al. (2015) and Simoncelli and Pinardi (2018) as references for the methodology. The Mediterranean Sea Reanalysis can reproduce both Eastern Mediterranean Transient and Western Mediterranean Transition phenomena and catches the principal water mass formation events reported in the literature. This will permit constant monitoring of the open ocean deep convection process in the Mediterranean Sea and a better understanding of the multiple drivers of the general overturning circulation at interannual and multidecadal time scales. Deep and intermediate water formation events reveal themselves by a deep mixed layer depth distribution in four Mediterranean areas: Gulf of Lions, Southern Adriatic Sea Pit, Cretan Sea and Rhodes Gyre. '''KEY FINDINGS''' The Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW) formation events in the Gulf of Lion appear to be larger after 1999 consistently with Schroeder et al. (2006, 2008) related to the Eastern Mediterranean Transient event. This modification of WMDW after 2005 has been called Western Mediterranean Transition. WMDW formation events are consistent with Somot et al. (2016) and the event in 2009 is also reported in Houpert et al. (2016). The Eastern Mediterranean Deep Water (EMDW) formation in the Southern Adriatic Pit region displays a period of water mass formation between 1988 and 1993, in agreement with Pinardi et al. (2015), in 1996, 1999 and 2000 as documented by Manca et al. (2002). Weak deep water formation in winter 2006 is confirmed by observations in Vilibić and Šantić (2008). An intense deep water formation event is detected in 2012-2013 (Gačić et al., 2014). Last years are characterized by large events starting from 2017 (Mihanovic et al., 2021). Cretan Intermediate Water formation rates present larger peaks between 1989 and 1993 with the ones in 1992 and 1993 composing the Eastern Mediterranean Transient phenomena. The Cretan Deep Water formed in 1992 and 1993 is characterized by the highest densities of the entire period in accordance with Velaoras et al. (2014). The Levantine Deep Water formation rate in the Rhode Gyre region presents the largest values between 1992 and 1993 in agreement with Kontoyiannis et al. (1999). '''DOI (product):''' https://doi.org/10.48670/mds-00318 E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information MED-CMCC-LECCE-IT P0M0D0H/P0M0D0H N/A https://documentation.marine.copernicus.eu/IMG/OMI_EXTREME_WMF_MEDSEA_area_averaged_mean.png Oceanographic geographical features GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0 2009-09-22 numerical-model Discipline 2023-03-16 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.discipline.myocean.discipline water_mass_formation_rate Climate and Forecast Standard Names 2017-04-04 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.parameter.myocean.ocean-variables multi-year Temporal scale 2024-07-26 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.temporal-scale.myocean.temporal-scale marine-resources coastal-marine-environment weather-climate-and-seasonal-forecasting marine-safety Area of benefit 2025-07-29 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.area-of-benefit.myocean.area-of-benefit mediterranean-sea Reference Geographical Areas 2024-07-26 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.reference-geographical-area.myocean.reference-geographical-area N/A Processing level 2024-07-26 geonetwork.thesaurus.local.processing-level.myocean.processing-level In-Situ TS Profiles Sea Level Model assimilation 2016-02-03 geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.myocean.model-assimilation See Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service Data commitments and licence at: http://marine.copernicus.eu/web/27-service-commitments-and-licence.php No limitations on public access Escudier R., Clementi E., Cipollone A., Pistoia J., Drudi M., Grandi A., Lyubartsev V., Lecci R., Aydogdu A., Delrosso D., Omar M., Masina S., Coppini G., Pinardi N. 2021. A High Resolution Reanalysis for the Mediterranean Sea. Frontiers in Earth Science, Vol.9, pp.1060, DOI:10.3389/feart.2021.702285. 2019-05-08 Escudier, R., Clementi, E., Omar, M., Cipollone, A., Pistoia, J., Aydogdu, A., Drudi, M., Grandi, A., Lyubartsev, V., Lecci, R., Cretí, S., Masina, S., Coppini, G., & Pinardi, N. (2020). Mediterranean Sea Physical Reanalysis (CMEMS MED-Currents) (Version 1) set. Copernicus Monitoring Environment Marine Service (CMEMS). https://doi.org/10.25423/CMCC/MEDSEA_MULTIYEAR_PHY_006_004_E3R1 2019-05-08 Gačić, M., Civitarese, G., Kovačević, V., Ursella, L., Bensi, M., Menna, M., et al. 2014. Extreme winter 2012 in the Adriatic: an example of climatic effect on the BiOS rhythm. Ocean Sci. 10, 513–522. doi: 10.5194/os-10-513-2014 2019-05-08 Houpert, L., de Madron, X.D., Testor, P., Bosse, A., D’Ortenzio, F., Bouin, M.N., Dausse, D., Le Goff, H., Kunesch, S., Labaste, M., et al. 2016. Observations of open-ocean deep convection in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea: seasonal and inter- annual variability of mixing and deep water masses for the 2007-2013 period. J Geophys Res Oceans. 121:8139–8171. doi:10.1002/ 2016JC011857. 2019-05-08 Kontoyiannis, H., Theocharis, A., Nittis, K. 1999. Structures and characteristics of newly formed water masses in the NW levantine during 1986, 1992, 1995. In: Malanotte-Rizzoli P., Eremeev V.N., editor. The eastern Mediterranean as a laboratory basin for the assessment of contrasting ecosys- tems. NATO science series (series 2: environmental secur- ity), Vol. 51. Springer: Dordrecht. 2019-05-08 Manca, B., Kovacevic, V., Gačić, M., Viezzoli, D. 2002. Dense water formation in the Southern Adriatic Sea and spreading into the Ionian Sea in the period 1997–1999. J Mar Sys. 33/ 34:33–154. 2019-05-08 Mihanović, H., Vilibić, I., Šepić, J., Matić, F., Ljubešić, Z., Mauri, E., Gerin, R., Notarstefano, G., Poulain, P.-M.. 2021. Observation, preconditioning and recurrence of exceptionally high salinities in the Adriatic Sea. Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol. 8, https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2021.672210 2019-05-08 Pinardi, N., Zavatarelli, M., Adani, M., Coppini, G., Fratianni, C., Oddo, P., ... & Bonaduce, A. 2015. Mediterranean Sea large-scale low-frequency ocean variability and water mass formation rates from 1987 to 2007: a retrospective analysis. Progress in Oceanography, 132, 318-332 2019-05-08 Schroeder, K., Gasparini, G.P., Tangherlini, M., Astraldi, M. 2006. Deep and intermediate water in the western Mediterranean under the influence of the eastern Mediterranean transient. Geophys Res Lett. 33. doi:10. 1028/2006GL02712. 2019-05-08 Schroeder, K., Ribotti, A., Borghini, M., Sorgente, R., Perilli, A., Gasparini, G.P. 2008. An extensive western Mediterranean deep water renewal between 2004 and 2006. Geophys Res Lett. 35(18):L18605. doi:10.1029/2008GL035146. 2019-05-08 Simoncelli, S. and Pinardi, N. 2018. Water mass formation processes in the Mediterranean sea over the past 30 years. In: Copernicus Marine Service Ocean State Report, Issue 2, Journal of Operational Oceanography, 11:sup1, s13–s16, DOI: 10.1080/1755876X.2018.1489208. 2019-05-08 Somot, S., Houpert, L., Sevault, F., Testor, P., Bosse, A., Taupier-Letage, I., Bouin, M.N., Waldman, R., Cassou, C., Sanchez-Gomez, E., et al. 2016. Characterizing, modelling and under- standing the climate variability of the deep water formation in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea. Clim Dyn. 1–32. doi:10.1007/s00382-016-3295-0. 2019-05-08 Velaoras, D., Krokos, G., Nittis, K., Theocharis, A. 2014. Dense intermediate water outflow from the Cretan Sea: a salinity driven, recurrent phenomenon, connected to thermohaline circulation changes. J Geophys Res Oceans. 119:4797–4820. doi:10.1002/2014JC009937. 2019-05-08 Vilibić, I., Šantić, D. 2008. Deep water ventilation traced by Synechococcus cyanobacteria. Ocean Dyn 58:119–125. doi:10.1007/s10236-008-0135-8. 2019-05-08 Von Schuckmann K. et al. (2018) Copernicus Marine Service Ocean State Report, Journal of Operational Oceanography, 11:sup1, S1-S142, DOI: 10.1080/1755876X.2018.1489208 2019-05-08 213653b4-b400-48ec-8d8e-e32d5714cd3b efd18110-9482-4a47-9f13-9d7a62b15e2a 252f2dc1-7479-4c32-908e-bdf1009d3d1d eng oceans bounding box -6.00 36.00 30.00 46.00 0 1987-01-01 0 0.0 display priority: 99999 observation vertical level number: 1 temporal resolution: annual mean false Grid NetCDF-4 Classic model http://stac.marine.copernicus.eu/metadata/OMI_EXTREME_WMF_MEDSEA_area_averaged_mean/omi_extreme_wmf_medsea_area_averaged_mean_202511/dataset.stac.json WWW:STAC omi_extreme_wmf_medsea_area_averaged_mean For accessing native data and Analysis-ready Cloud-optimized data services, consult this STAC metadata endpoint COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services 2010-12-08 See the referenced specification The myOcean products depends on other products for production or validation. The detailed list of dependencies is given in ISO19115's aggregationInfo (ISO19139 Xpath = "gmd:MD_Metadata/gmd:identificationInfo/gmd:aggregationInfo[./gmd:MD_AggregateInformation/gmd:initiativeType/gmd:DS_InitiativeTypeCode/@codeListValue='upstream-validation' or 'upstream-production']")