Observations of the Mediterranean inflow into the Black Sea

Abstract

The Mediterranean inflow issuing from the Bosphorus Strait has been documented to enter the Black Sea essentially confined in a 10-km long channel which is a continuation of the strait over the adjacent shelf. The width of the channel is between 500 and 1000 m. A 3.5-km-long sill, with a depth of 60 m, is situated in the channel at its beginning, just north of the end of the strait. The Mediterranean water flows into the Black Sea essentially on a continuous basis throughout the year, but it may be interrupted for short durations under unusually strong and persistent winds. After exiting from the channel, the Mediterranean inflow spreads in a thin layer above the bottom and continues in a generally northerly direction towards the shelf break.