Some new observations on the long-term salinity changes in the Adriatic Sea

Abstract

      In order to explain salinity fluctuations in the open Middle Adriatic, the data series for station Stončica have been analyzed by the principal component technique. The results were compared to the meteorological factors. The conclusion is that salinity fluctuations in the surface layer (0-20 m) were correlated with the water flux, while the intermediate layer (30-100 m) responded to the pres­sure gradient between the northern and the southern Adriatic, which is the indication for the water advection from the Mediterranean. To describe the advection mechanism, additional attention was paid to the pressure field, analyzing frequency of cyclones and anticyclones over the larger area (from 70W-40E and 20N-80N).