Observations of Deep Water Mixing and Spreading During Winter Convection in the Northwestern Mediterranean

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Deep winter convection far from land boundaries is an important process for transferring momentum and heat between the ocean and the atmosphere on seasonal and interannual time scales. The Gulf of Lions in the northwestern Mediterranean is one of the very few areas in the world's oceans where direct observations of this process can be made. In this region, deep convection occurs over a brief time of the order of about six weeks, when it is forced by outbreaks of cold, dry north winds known locally as the "Mistral". During the winter of 1987, the P.I. and collaborators carried out measurements of convection in the Gulf of Lions during one of the most intense Mistrals on record. Included were moored current meters and acoustic current profilers, and a variety of shipboard measurements on several cruise legs in the area. This project will support processing, analysis, and initial publication of the results of this study.