Winter 2009. A new step in the Western Mediterranean Transition

39th CIESM Congress, Venise, Italie.-- 1 page, 1 figure
The signal of Deep Water Formation (DWF) activity in winter 2009 has been tracked through the HydroChanges (HC) time series, particularly in the classical MEDOC point (HCM: 42°N, 5°E) and on the Catalan continental rise (HCC: 41°28’N, 3°40.4’E), and from CTD data obtained during three cruises during 2009. The results pointed out to an absence of cascading and a new step towards a salinisation of the WMDW newly formed by open sea convection in the western side of NW Mediterranean. The updated data reveal that older WMDW, slightly colder and less saline, has been displaced towards the SE. The salinity of the newly formed WMDW after winter 2009 was ~ 0.005 higher than the previous one, with a potential density increase of 0.002-0.004 kg/m3