The role of air–sea heat flux for marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea

Denaxa, Dimitra; Korres, Gerasimos; Bonino, Giulia; Masina, Simona; Hatzaki, Maria

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-11-2024

Articles | Volume 4-osr8

https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-11-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Report:

8th edition of the Copernicus Ocean State Report (OSR8)

https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-11-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 4-osr8

30 Sep 2024

| OSR8 | Chapter 3.3

| 30 Sep 2024 | OSR8 | Chapter 3.3

The role of air–sea heat flux for marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea

Dimitra Denaxa, Gerasimos Korres, Giulia Bonino, Simona Masina, and Maria Hatzaki

Data sets

Mediterranean Sea - High Resolution L4 Sea Surface Temperature Reprocessed EU Copernicus Marine Service Product https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00173

editerranean Sea High Resolution and Ultra High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature Analysis EU Copernicus Marine Service Product https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00172

Mediterranean Sea Physics Reanalysis EU Copernicus Marine Service Product https://doi.org/10.25423/CMCC/MEDSEA_MULTIYEAR_PHY_006_004_E3R1

Mediterranean Sea Physics Analysis and Forecast EU Copernicus Marine Service Product https://doi.org/10.25423/CMCC/MEDSEA_ANALYSISFORECAST_PHY_006_013_EAS7

ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1940 to present H. Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

Short summary

We investigate the air–sea heat flux during marine heatwaves (MHWs) in the Mediterranean Sea. Surface heat flux drives 44 % of the onset and only 17 % of the declining MHW phases, suggesting a key role of oceanic processes. Heat flux is more important in warmer months and onset phases, with latent heat dominating. Shorter events show a weaker heat flux contribution. In most cases, mixed layer shoaling occurs over the entire MHW duration, followed by vertical mixing after the MHW end day.