Surface, intermediate, and deep-water processes and their interaction in time and space drive the major ocean circulation of the Mediterranean Sea. All major forcing mechanisms, such as surface wind forcing, buoyancy fluxes, lateral mass exchange, and deep convection determining the global oceanic circulation are present in this body of water. Deep and intermediate water masses are formed in different areas of the ocean layers and they drive the Mediterranean thermohaline cell, which further shows important analogies with the global ocean conveyor belt. The Mediterranean Sea: Temporal Variability and Spatial Patterns is a comprehensive volume that investigates the temporal and spatial variability patterns in the ocean basin.

Volume highlights include:

• Discussions of state-of-the-art physical and biogeochemical properties of the Mediterranean Sea
• Multiple physical ocean circulation processes, both in time and spatial scales (basin, sub-basin, and mesoscale)
• How different regional phenomena in the sea influence the biogeochemistry of the basin and the ocean dynamics
• Spatio-temporal variability of the surface circulation in the western Mediterranean
• Deep-water variability and inter-basin interactions in the eastern Mediterranean Sea
• Understanding the link between global ocean circulation patterns and the global climate

The Mediterranean Sea will be a valuable resource for geoscientists, oceanographers, and meteorologists.