Seasonal variability of the levantine intermediate waters in the Western Mediterranean-Algerian/Provençal basin

The Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) circulation in the Algerian basin is studied by mean of an analysis of the Mediterranean Oceanic Data Base (MODB). The results show that LIW circulates in the area following two seasonal branches: the first going northward along the western Sardinian coast and the second directly westward in the middle of the Algerian/Provençal basin. This background information will be useful for future design of operational monitoring, networks in the region. © 1997 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.