Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2524
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2524
14 Aug 2024
 | 14 Aug 2024

A New Vision of the Adriatic Dense Water Future under Extreme Warming

Clea Lumina Denamiel, Iva Tojčić, and Petra Pranić

Abstract. We use the Adriatic Sea and Coast (AdriSC) kilometer-scale atmosphere-ocean model to assess the impact of a far-future extreme warming scenario on the formation, spreading, and accumulation of both the North Adriatic dense Water (NAddW) over the entire basin, including the Jabuka Pit accumulation site, and the Adriatic Deep-Water (AdDW) over the Southern Adriatic Pit (SAP). Our key findings differ from previous studies that used coarser Mediterranean climate models and did not update the thresholds for dense and deep- water definitions to account for the far-future background density changes caused by warmer sea surface temperatures. We show that surface buoyancy losses at NAddW generation sites, driven by evaporation, are expected to increase by 15 % under extreme warming, despite a 25 % reduction in the intensity and spatial extent of Bora winds. As a result, future NAddW formation will remain similar to present conditions. However, the volume of dense water in the Jabuka Pit will decrease due to the increased far-future stratification. Additionally, dense water transport between the Jabuka Pit and the deepest part of the SAP will stop, as future NAddW will be lighter than the AdDW. Regarding Ionian-Adriatic exchanges, extreme warming will not affect the impact of the Bimodal Oscillation System on the Adriatic salinity variability, but future AdDW dynamics will be determined by density changes in the northern Ionian Sea. Our findings highlight the complexity of climate change impacts on Adriatic atmosphere-ocean processes and the importance of high-resolution models for more accurate far-future projections in the Adriatic Sea.

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Clea Lumina Denamiel, Iva Tojčić, and Petra Pranić

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2524', Anonymous Referee #1, 27 Aug 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Clea Denamiel, 14 Sep 2024
      • EC1: 'Reply on AC1', Karen J. Heywood, 11 Oct 2024
        • AC3: 'Reply on EC1', Clea Denamiel, 14 Oct 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2524', Anonymous Referee #2, 08 Sep 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Clea Denamiel, 14 Sep 2024

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2524', Anonymous Referee #1, 27 Aug 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Clea Denamiel, 14 Sep 2024
      • EC1: 'Reply on AC1', Karen J. Heywood, 11 Oct 2024
        • AC3: 'Reply on EC1', Clea Denamiel, 14 Oct 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2524', Anonymous Referee #2, 08 Sep 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Clea Denamiel, 14 Sep 2024
Clea Lumina Denamiel, Iva Tojčić, and Petra Pranić

Data sets

A New Vision of the Adriatic Dense Water Future under Extreme Warming Clea Denamiel https://osf.io/cxtfb/

Model code and software

AdriSC Climate Model: Evaluation Run Clea Denamiel https://osf.io/zb3cm

Video supplement

Animation of the Adriatic dense and deep- water under far-future extreme warming Clea Denamiel https://osf.io/8em3f/

Clea Lumina Denamiel, Iva Tojčić, and Petra Pranić

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Short summary
We use a high-resolution atmosphere-ocean model to project Adriatic dense water dynamics under extreme warming. We find that a 15 % increase in sea surface evaporation will offset a 25 % decrease in extreme windstorms. As a result, future dense water will form at the same rate as today but will be too light to reach the Adriatic's deepest parts, making deep-water presence reliant on exchanges with the Ionian Sea.