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Ann. Geophys., 26, 1-6, 2008
www.ann-geophys.net/26/1/2008/
© European Geosciences Union 2008
Evidence of a dense water vein along the Libyan continental margin
G. P. Gasparini1, A. Bonanno2, S. Zgozi3, G. Basilone2, M. Borghini1, G. Buscaino2, A. Cuttitta2, N. Essarbout3, S. Mazzola2, B. Patti2, A. B. Ramadan3, K. Schroeder1, T. Bahri4, and F. Massa4
1CNR – ISMAR, Sezione di La Spezia, Italy
2CNR – IAMC, Sezione di Mazara del Vallo, Italy
3Marine Biology Research Centre (MBRC), Tajura, Libya
4FAO – MedSudMed Project, Rome, Italy
Abstract. For the first time it was possible to investigate a still poorly known
region of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Libyan continental margin. An
oceanographic cruise, performed during summer 2006, revealed an important
and novel feature: a dense vein flowing along the continental slope. The
paper describes the vein evolution with some insights on its dynamic and
furnishes an estimate of its transport, which results to be comparable with
the Adriatic Deep Water production rate. The cascading into a steep canyon
which incises the continental shelf suggests that the vein may play an
important role in ventilating the deep layers of the Ionian Sea.
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