A box model for the paleoceanography of the Black Sea

The evolution of the Black Sea's salinity after the opening of the Bosporus about 7500 years ago is investigated using a simple two-box model. The mod el consists of watermass and salt conservation equations, and allows for ch anges in halocline depth. The paleoceanographic box model is forced by pres ent-day Mediterranean inflow and outflow, and atmospheric forcings. Analyti c solutions for the evolution of the box volumes are given. Model salinitie s reach 90% of their the present-day values in both boxes about 2,500 years after the opening of the Bosporus. The evolution of the salinities is show n to be almost independent of the evolution of the box volumes, and the res ults are compared with the existing paleoceanographic proxy records.