Northbound Lagrangian Pathways of the Mediterranean Outflow Water and the Mechanism of Time-Dependent Chaotic Advection

TL;DR

This study analyzes the pathways of Mediterranean Outflow Water over four decades, revealing the role of chaotic advection in its transport and suggesting potential predictability and future decreases in northbound flow.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of MOW pathways using reanalysis data, highlighting the significance of chaotic advection and temporal variability in transport mechanisms.

Findings

16% of MOW follow a direct northbound path within 10 years.

Over half of the transport is driven by chaotic advection, not steady currents.

Potential 15-20 year predictability in northbound transport.

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea releases approximately 1Sv of water into the North Atlantic through the Gibraltar Straits, forming the saline Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). Its impact on large-scale flow and specifically its northbound Lagrangian pathways are widely debated, yet a comprehensive overview of MOW pathways over recent decades is lacking. We calculate and analyze synthetic Lagrangian trajectories in 1980-2020 reanalysis velocity data. 16\% of the MOW follow a direct northbound path to the sub-polar gyre, reaching a 1000m depth crossing window at the southern tip of Rockall Ridge in about 10 years. Surprisingly, time-dependent chaotic advection, not steady currents, drives over half of the northbound transport. Our results suggest a potential 15-20yr predictability in the direct northbound transport, which points to an upcoming decrease of MOW northbound transport in the next couple of decades. Additionally, monthly variability appears more significant than inter-annual variability in mixing and spreading the MOW.