The Physical Oceanography of the Alboran Sea.

The Alboran Sea is the westernmost basin of the Mediterranean Sea. Research published through 1983 is synthesized to show the important physical oceanographic features of the Alboran Sea. The upper layer of the Alboran Sea extends to about 200 m depth, and is characterized by low salinity 36.6 or less and by an energetic anticyclonic gyre, whose speeds may exceed 1 msec and which may fill most of the western Alboran. Beneath the generally eastward-flowing Atlantic Water are two Mediterranean waters. The Levantine Intermediate Water, which extends from about 200 to 600 m depth, has maxima in both salinity about 38.45 and temperature. The Levantine Water moves westward at 1-3 cmsec in a broad flow that is concentrated in the northern part of the basin. Below the Levantine Water the Western Mediterranean Deep Water has steadily decreasing salinity and temperature to values below 12.9 C potential temperature, which has been taken as a definition. The deep-water flow is concentrated as a narrow boundary current against the African slope and has a speed of 5-10 cmsec to the west. Keywords Sea water temperature Water masses circulation Ocean currents.