Cretan deep water outflow into the Eastern Mediterranean

A simple hydraulic model is used to estimate the deep water fluxes of Creta n Deep Water (CDW), through the Cretan Are Straits and into the Eastern Med iterranean Basins. The input to the model consists of the height of the dee p water reservoir above sill depth and its density difference from the over lying water masses. Data from four hydrographic cruises, which took place i n 1995, 1991 and 1987, are used to estimate the depth of the reservoir abov e the sill and the density difference. The results show a significant CDW o utflow of 0.75x10(6) m(3) s(-1) in early 1995. The outflow of CDW through K assos Strait, in the east, is 0.53x10(6) m(3) s(-1) while 0.22x10(6) m(3) s (-1) outflows through the Antikithira Strait in the west. The model results agree with fluxes estimated from current meter observations. The CDW outflow has been neither steady nor uniform during the period 1987- 95. In the Kassos Strait, the outflow commenced in 1987 and increased rapid ly until 1991; since then, it appears to have stabilised. In the Antikithir a Strait, in contrast, the outflow has increased steadily since 1987. Such modifications in the CDW outflow are associated with changes in its hydrogr aphic characteristics. The salinity of CDW increased constantly, by approxi mately 0.1, between 1987 and 1995 while its temperature warmed, between 198 7 and 1991, and then cooled. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.