Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2009. Issue.6. Vol.1. P. 442-450
Impact of the winter atmospheric forcing on the variability of the
active layers thermohaline structure in the Вlack Sea
В.Б. Пиотух
1, А.Г. Зацепин
1, А.С. Казьмин
1, В.Г. Якубенко
2, С.В. Станичный
3, Ю.Б. Ратнер
31 Институт океанологии им. П.П. Ширшова РАН
2 Южное отделение Институт океанологии им. П.П. Ширшова РАН
3 Морской гидрофизический институт НАН Украины
Preliminary results of the study of winter atmospheric forcing (air temperature influence) on the
interannual variability of the Black Seas thermohaline structure during 1982-2008 are presented. The
study is based on the analysis of the ship hydrological measurements, satellite measurements of sea
surface temperature (SST) and reanalysis NCEP/NCAR data of surface air temperature (SAT). We find
out an existence of the stable, depth-dependent correlations between the SAT variability and
thermohaline characteristics. The heat content and mean temperature of the Cold Intermediate Layer
(CIL) show strong positive correlation with the winter-mean SAT and SST. On the contrary, the salinity
of the intermediate layers (from the thermocline to the CIL core) exhibits negative correlation with the
SAT and SST. In the main picno-halocline this correlation drops to zero. The mean CIL temperature
decreased during 1983-93 and increased for about 0.9°С during 1993-2002. An impact of the winter
atmospheric forcing depends on the background hydrodinamical conditions: it is higher in the area of the
main current rim and weakening in the central sea areas. The surface atmospheric signal relaxes
monotonously at the depths between 100m and 200m. It was shown that winter atmospheric forcing
significantly influences the formation and variability of the active layers thermohaline characteristics
and has to be accounted in the studies of interannual and decadal changes.
Keywords: Black Sea, active layer, thermohaline structure, interannual variability, atmospheric forcing, climatic signal
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