Sea Surface Winds over the Mediterranean Basin from Satellite Data (2000–04) Meso- and Local-Scale Features on Annual and Seasonal Time Scales

• Published in: Journal of applied meteorology and climatology Vol. 46; no. 6; pp. 814 - 827
• Main Authors: Zecchetto, S., De Biasio, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA American Meteorological Society 01.06.2007
• Subjects: Atmospheric circulation; Cyclones; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Mediterranean climates; Meteorology; Mistral; Orography; Remote sensing systems; Seas; Seasonal variations; Seasons; Studies; Vorticity; Wind; Wind velocity; Winds and their effects; East Mediterranean; Black Sea; Mediterranean Basin; time series analysis; Spatial variability; Wind field; Marine atmosphere; Space remote sensing; Regional scope; Satellite observation; Mountain induced disturbance; Scatterometer; annual variations; Orography; QuikSCAT satellite; Observation data; Mediterranean Sea; seasonal variations; Surface wind
• ISSN: 1558-8424; 1558-8432
• DOI: 10.1175/JAM2498.1

This paper investigates the mean spatial features of the winds in the Mediterranean and Black Seas using the wind fields observed by the SeaWinds scatterometer. Five years (2000–04) of data have been analyzed on annual and seasonal basis, with particular attention paid to the meso- and local scales. The fields show the existence of structured regional wind systems—in particular, the mistral in the western Mediterranean and the etesians in the Levantine Basin, which are characterized, respectively, by high wind variability and moderate steadiness and by low wind variability and high steadiness. Estimated seasonal mean wind stressτfields show that the values falling in the top range 0.15 <τ< 0.20 N m−2affect a large portion of the Mediterranean Basin in winter, in the belt extending from the Gulf of Lion up to the Levantine Basin and the northern Black Sea. In the other seasons, only few regions experience such high values ofτ. The analysis of the wind vorticity shows and quantifies the main cyclonic and anticyclonic circulations, and the study of the joint features of wind stress and vorticity has identified the strongest and most persisting local-scale wind circulations produced by the interaction between the wind flow and the orography. They occur at the lee side of Sardinia–Corse and Crete–Rhodos Islands and persist in all seasons, with some seasonal variation in strength and extent. The areas affected by the orographic disturbances are characterized by high values of wind stress and by a structure of vorticity showing alternating areas of cyclonic and anticyclonic circulations, whose strength is comparable to those of the regional-scale cyclones.