Regulating Agents Of The Mass Transport Between The Ligurian And The Tyrrhenian Seas Across The Corsica Channel

The Corsica Channel (CC) connects the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas. Warm Tyrrhenian water flows through the CC into the Ligurian, where it joins the Liguro-Provençal Current (LPC). The LPC flows westwards into the Gulf of Lion, i.e. one of the world's most active sites for deep water formation (DWF). Understanding the CC behaviour can delineate the contribution of the Liguro-Tyrrhenian system to the western Mediterranean DWF. Several agents have been held responsible for driving the seasonal and interannual variability of the CC flow. This study describes the variability of the Liguro-Tyrrhenian system, starting from the analysis of a 25-year long water transport timeseries, in the CC. Sea Level Anomaly (SLA), sea surface stress (tx), Sea Surface Pressure (SSP) and wind fields are investigated in relationship with the CC transport