Marine Currents

The layer represents the circulation scheme of the Atlantic and Mediterranean water bodies. The Atlantic water stream heading southeast into the Gulf of Cadiz is divided into two branches at the height of the Strait: one that turns southwest to form a large anticyclonic whirlpool covering much of the Gulf, and another that turns eastward to penetrate the Mediterranean. This mass of Atlantic Surface Water enters the Alboran Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar, constituting the “Atlantic cub” that is deflected towards the NE, forming an anticyclonic turn. The Atlantic vein that surrounds the anticyclonic turn passes south of the island of Alboran, taking the NE direction, and feeds a second anticyclonic whirlpool in the eastern part of Alboran. In some cases it continues eastwards and then deviates northwards. The Atlantic water that reaches the Cape of Gata, meets the Mediterranean that arrives in the SO direction and there is a convergence, the Atlantic being pushed towards the SE and part is retained by the eastern anticyclonic whirlpool, continuing the other towards the east. Likewise, a type of cyclonic circulation is detected, between the Atlantic jet and the coasts of Estepona, because this place is to the left of the Atlantic current, generating an outcrop of deep waters rich in nutritious salts, with high salinity values and low temperature. This fact has also been found in waters off Malaga. The intermediate Mediterranean water flows to the Strait of Gibraltar, and after its bifurcation at the height of the island of Alboran runs through the base of the continental slope to the Strait where it joins with the deep Mediterranean water. The Mediterranean flow passage takes place about 200 m deep and sinks below the Atlantic mass. Much of the Mediterranean flow undergoes an inflection to the north when entering the Gulf of Cadiz and follows the outline of the slope until in the deep part of it it is divided into the submarine canyons that exist there.