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Ann. Geophys., 24, 443-452, 2006
www.ann-geophys.net/24/443/2006/
© European Geosciences Union 2006
The anomalous warming of summer 2003 in the surface layer of the Central Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean)
S. Sparnocchia1, M. E. Schiano2, P. Picco3, R. Bozzano4, and A. Cappelletti5
1CNR-ISMAR-TS, Viale R. Gessi 2, 34123 Trieste, Italy
2CNR-ISMAR-SP, Forte S. Teresa, 19036 Pozzuolo di Lerici (SP), Italy
3ENEA-CRAM, Forte S. Teresa, 19036 Pozzuolo di Lerici (SP), Italy
4CNR-ISSIA-GE, Via dei Marini 6, 16149 Genova, Italy
5ENEA-PISA, Via V. Viviani 23, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Abstract. Meteorological and sea temperature data from the ODAS Italia 1 buoy
(Ligurian Sea, Western Mediterranean) are used to study the anomalous
warming of summer 2003 at sea. The event was related to the record heat wave
that interested much of Europe from June to September of that year. The data
show that the anomalous warming was prevalently confined to within a few
meters below the sea surface. On the contrary, the temperatures in the
underlying layers were lower than usual. The limited vertical propagation of
heat is ascribed to the high temperature difference that arose between the
surface and the deeper layers due to protracted calm weather conditions. The
degree of penetration of heat deduced from the observations is
consistent with that computed on the basis of an energetic argument, wherein
the wind constitutes the sole supply of kinetic energy, while the heating is
viewed as the source of potential energy that must be "subtracted" by
mixing. The results support the hypothesis that the scanty energy from the
wind is mainly responsible for the development of the temperature anomaly at
the sea surface.
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