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General description
Monitoring station located in the Western part of Gibraltar Strait. The objective of the station is to obtain time series of interchanged flows in Gibraltar Strait, specially of the exit flow. Hydrological properties of this flow are being also monitored
Site history
The station was created in 2004 (September) in the framework of the project of the National Plan REN03-01608/MAR (acronym INGRES).
Geographical information
LOCATION:
Western part of Gibraltar Strait
ALTITUDE: -350 m
COORDINATES: 35 51’ 42’’N 5 58’ 41’’ W
Contact information
CONTACT PERSON:
Jesús García Lafuente
INSTITUTION:
Universidad de Málaga, Grupo Oceanografía Física (GOFIMA).
ADDRESS:
ETSI Telecomunicación
Campus Teatinos s/n
29017 Málaga
PHONE: (+34) 95 213 27 21
E-MAIL: glafuente@ctima.uma.es
Current research topics
Experimental phase. Data acquisition and preprocessing to calculate the interchanged flows. Comparison with historic measurements. Daily, fortnightly and seasonal variability of the tide.
Current data
DATA GUARANTEED ON A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE:
Parameters in the table above. The continuity of the measurements will depend on the funding. The group is applying in the next official call of the National Plan to ensure funding.
DATA FORMAT:
Matlab
Data access
Data will be available on request.
Facilities
An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) of RDI instruments that will be replaced by another ADCP Doppler (Nortek brand) by the end of 2006.
Temperature and salinity SeaCat sensors.
Aanderaa Ponctual Currentmeters that complete the measurements of the ADCP.
Diverse material: buoys, chains, etc.
Research projects and funding institutions
Project REN03-01608/MAR. European CARBOCEAN Project (responsible of the ICMAN in Cádiz: Dr. Javier Ruiz)
On-going collaborations
Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Marine Sciences Institute of Andalucía (ICMAN-CSIC), University of Cádiz.
Main references
Bascheck, B, Send, U., García Lafuente, J. and Candela, J. 2001. Transport estimates in the Strait of Gibraltar with a tidal inverse model. Journal of Geophysical Research, 106, C12, 31033-31044.
Delgado, J., García Lafuente, J. and Vargas, J. M. 2001: A simple model for submaximal exchange through the Strait of Gibraltar. Scientia Marina, 65(4), 313-322.
Echevarria, F., García Lafuente, J., Bruno, M., Gorsky, G., Goutx, M., Gonzalez, N., Garcia, C.M., Gomez, F., Vargas, J.M., Picheral, M., Striby, L., Varela, M., Alonso, J.J., Reul, A., Cozar, A., Prieto, L., Sarhan, T., Plaza, F. and Jimenez Gomez, F., 2002: Physical-biological coupling in the Strait of Gibraltar. Deep Sea Research., 49, 19, 4115-4130.
García Lafuente, J., Vargas, J.M., Baschek, B., Candela, J., Plaza, F. and Sarhan, T. 2000. Tides in the eastern section of the Strait of Gibraltar. Journal of Geophysical Research, 105, C6, 14197-14213.
García Lafuente, J., 2001: Consideraciones sobre los flujos intercambiados a través del Estrecho de Gibraltar. Variaciones estacionales. En Análisis de variables y simulación numérica del intercambio de masas de agua a través del Estrecho de Gibraltar, editores F. Ortegón y J.J. Alonso, Cádiz, ISBN 84-7786-757-7, pp. 135-148.
García-Lafuente, J., Álvarez, E., Vargas, J.M. and Ratsimandresy, W,. 2002. Subinertial variability in the flow through the Strait of Gibraltar Journal of Geophysical Research, 107, C10, 32.1-32.9, (DOI: 10.1029/2001JC0011004).
García-Lafuente, J., Delgado, J. and Criado, F., 2002. Inflow interruption by meteorological forcing in the Strait of Gibraltar. Geophysical Research Letters, 29, 20.1-20.4 (DOI 10.1029/2002GL015446).
García Lafuente J., Delgado, J., Vargas, J. M., Sarhan, T., Vargas, M. and Plaza, F., 2002. Low frequency variability of the exchanged flows through the Strait of Gibraltar during CANIGO. Deep Sea Research., 49, 19, 4051-4067.
García Lafuente, J. and Vargas, J.M., 2003. Recent observations of the exchange flows through the Strait of Gibraltar and their fluctuations at different time scales en Recent Research Developments in Geophysics, Vol. 5, 73-84. KERALA, INDIA.
Vargas, J.M., García-Lafuente, J., Candela, J. and Sánchez Román, A. 2005. Fortnightly and monthly variability of the exchange through the Strait of Gibraltar. Remitido a Progress in Oceanography.
Some Data
Currents series along the axe of the Strait measured in the sampling point between the 9th Nov – 2nd Dic 2004.
Positive values (warm colours) indicate a current (cm/s) toward the interior of the Mediterranean Sea, negative values (cold colours) indicate a current toward the Atlantic Ocean. The graphic above shows hourly values. It can be noticed that it is typical the inversion of the currents in the higher part, but it is not in the part nearest to the bottom of the sea (where the Mediterranean water goes out); it can be noticed as well that the currents can reach a value very high.
The graphic below represents the lowest frequency variability that it is obtained from the graphic above after eliminating the sign of the tide. The structure in two layers is very clear (the black line is the line of null speed). The beat that appears both in the position of the black line and in its intensities is a reflex of the Strait answer to meteorological forces over the Mediterranean Sea. This point has a capacity to show the changes that occurs in all the Mediterranean basin that makes of it a very important point for the observation of the possible changes that can be produced in the Mediterranean Sea.
Versión en castellano