Bodies of Water

The layer represents the different bodies of water existing in the seas surrounding Andalusia. which basically are four: Atlantic, Atlantic-Mediterranean, Mediterranean and Mediterranean-Atlantic. The distinction between them is made basically according to three parameters: depth, salinity and average annual water temperatures. The dynamics of water bodies are governed by the excess of evaporation in the face of rainfall and river inputs that occur in the Mediterranean. Excess evaporation (approx. 1 m/year), produces a decrease in the level that has to be compensated by the entry of Atlantic water through the Strait of Gibraltar. The exchange of water in the Strait occurs through a system of superimposed currents and opposite senses. The Atlantic water being less dense enters the Mediterranean on the surface, leaving the Mediterranean in depth. The flows that pass through the Strait have been calculated between 1 and 2 million m3/s for each of the flows, with the surface being about 5% higher. In one year the average inflow is approximately 37,700 km3 and the outflow 36,000 km3, receiving the Mediterranean a net volume of about 1,700 km3/year. It is estimated that the total renewal of Mediterranean waters would be about 97 years.