The characteristics of tides and their effects on the general circulation of the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The effects of tides on the Mediterranean Sea's general circulation, with a particular focus on the horizontal and vertical currents, are investigated using twin simulations with and without tides. Amplitudes of tides in the region are typically low, but an analysis of the potential and kinetic energy demonstrates that tides have effects across many spatial and temporal scales in the basin, including non-linear effects in short periods (less than 1 d) with high kinetic energy peaks at near-inertial basin modes and tidal frequencies. Internal tidal waves are also revealed below 100 m. Tides are found to amplify several basin modes of the Mediterranean Sea, broaden several tidal frequency energy spectra bands, and interact energetically with near-inertial waves. Tides increase the mixed layer depth in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly in the deep and intermediate water formation areas of the western Mediterranean Basin and eastern Mediterranean Basin. The addition of tides in the cases considered does also enhance Western Mediterranean Deep Water formation.