
Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea
An Introductory Guide
- 1st Edition - October 16, 2022
- Imprint: Elsevier
- Editors: Katrin Schroeder, Jacopo Chiggiato
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 2 3 6 9 2 - 5
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 2 3 6 9 3 - 2
Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea: An Introductory Guide provides a comprehensive but concise introduction to the physical oceanography of one of the most fascinating marginal… Read more

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Request a sales quoteOceanography of the Mediterranean Sea: An Introductory Guide provides a comprehensive but concise introduction to the physical oceanography of one of the most fascinating marginal seas, the Mediterranean Sea. The book is primarily focused on the state-of-the-art understanding of the physical functioning of the Mediterranean Sea, while embracing the fundamentals of associated geological and chemical processes.
Written by multiple scientists active over many years in the Mediterranean marine community, the book provides a broad overview on the information needed to get a robust background on the physical oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea for students in oceanography, climate science, marine geology and chemistry or scientists unfamiliar with the region.
- Provides a comprehensive but concise introduction to the physical oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea
- Presents the existing links between climate, ocean, biogeochemical cycles and geological evolution at the Mediterranean scale
- Presents clear examples of the Mediterranean region, as well as comparisons with other regions globally
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- List of contributors
- About the editors
- Chapter 1. Introduction
- 1.1. The Mediterranean Sea, a “miniature ocean”
- 1.2. Book structure and contents
- 1.3. Learning objectives at a glance
- Chapter 2. Mediterranean Sea evolution and present-day physiography
- 2.1. Origin of the Mediterranean Sea
- 2.2. Dimensions and seafloor topography
- 2.3. Sedimentation on continental margins
- 2.4. Concluding remarks
- Chapter 3. Mediterranean climate: past, present and future
- 3.1. General climate and morphological characteristics of the Mediterranean basin
- 3.2. Instrumental observations, satellites, and reanalyses
- 3.3. Climate models and their evolution
- 3.4. Heat and moisture balance at Mediterranean regional scale and relation to surface climate
- 3.5. The atmospheric circulation of the subtropics and mid-latitudes
- 3.6. Evolution of Mediterranean climate
- Chapter 4. The forcings of the Mediterranean Sea and the physical properties of its water masses
- 4.1. The forcings of the Mediterranean Sea
- 4.2. The thermohaline properties of the Mediterranean water masses
- 4.3. Other water mass tracers
- Chapter 5. Mediterranean Sea level
- 5.1. General concepts about sea level
- 5.2. Techniques for measuring sea level
- 5.3. Past evolution of Mediterranean Sea level
- 5.4. Future projections of Mediterranean Sea level
- Chapter 6. Surface wave and sea surface dynamics in the Mediterranean
- 6.1. General concepts about waves, definitions and phenomenology
- 6.2. Tides and seiches
- 6.3. Marine storms and coastal floods in the Mediterranean Sea
- 6.4. Wind generated waves
- 6.5. Tsunamis
- Chapter 7. Dense and deep water formation processes and Mediterranean overturning circulation
- 7.1. General concepts
- 7.2. Dense/deep water characteristics and formation rates
- 7.3. Observations of deep/dense water formation in the Mediterranean Sea
- 7.4. Theory of dense/deep water formation processes: general concepts
- 7.5. Numerical modeling of deep/dense water formation
- 7.6. The Mediterranean overturning circulation: structure and dynamics
- 7.7. Concluding remarks
- Chapter 8. Fronts, eddies and mesoscale circulation in the Mediterranean Sea
- 8.1. General concepts
- 8.2. Mediterranean Sea mesoscale variability derived from satellite altimetry
- 8.3. Eddies, fronts and vertical velocity
- 8.4. Future perspectives
- Chapter 9. Recent changes in the Mediterranean Sea
- 9.1. General concepts about Mediterranean water masses and their circulation
- 9.2. Changes observed in the Eastern Mediterranean water masses
- 9.3. Changes observed in the Western Mediterranean water masses
- 9.4. Long-term trends and climate change
- 9.5. Impact on the Mediterranean-Atlantic system
- Chapter 10. Mediterranean observing and forecasting systems
- 10.1. The emergence of operational oceanography in the Mediterranean Sea
- 10.2. The framework for ocean observing and the essential ocean variables
- 10.3. Observing systems operating in the Mediterranean Sea
- 10.4. Forecasting the Mediterranean Sea
- 10.5. Data management and distribution
- 10.6. Concluding remarks
- Chapter 11. Mediterranean Sea general biogeochemistry
- 11.1. Dissolved oxygen distribution and ventilation
- 11.2. Dissolved nutrients: forms, sources, distribution, and dynamics
- 11.3. Dissolved organic matter: relevance, distribution, and dynamics
- 11.4. Inorganic carbon chemistry and acidification in the Mediterranean Sea: concepts, particularities, and distribution
- 11.5. Identifying Mediterranean Sea water masses using biogeochemistry
- 11.6. Future projections and threats to Mediterranean biogeochemistry
- Chapter 12. Active geological processes in the Mediterranean Sea
- 12.1. General concepts
- 12.2. Sedimentary processes from the coast to the deep sea
- 12.3. Submarine and insular volcanoes
- 12.4. Cold seeps: diversity, distribution and controls
- 12.5. Geohazards and ecosystems
- Chapter 13. The Mediterranean Sea in the Anthropocene
- 13.1. General concepts
- 13.2. Reduction of seafloor integrity
- 13.3. Modification of coastal lithosomes
- 13.4. Man-made alterations of the Mediterranean hydrological cycle
- 13.5. The load of human activities in changing Mediterranean biogeochemical dynamics
- 13.6. Dynamic of pollutants in the Mediterranean Sea
- 13.7. Plastisphere in the Mediterranean Sea
- 13.8. Concluding remarks
- Index
- Edition: 1
- Published: October 16, 2022
- Imprint: Elsevier
- No. of pages: 584
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780128236925
- eBook ISBN: 9780128236932
KS
Katrin Schroeder
JC