North Adriatic Dense Water: lessons learned since the pioneering work of Mira Zore-Armanda 60 years ago

Abstract

This review first pays tribute to the famous Croatian oceanographer, Mira Zore-Armanda, and her seminal work on the Adriatic water masses in 1963, and emphasises the importance of the densest Mediterranean water mass: North Adriatic Dense Water (NAddW). This water mass is generated through substantial wintertime surface cooling and evaporation over the wide northern Adriatic and is known to (1) influence the Adriatic-Ionian thermohaline circulation, (2) bring oxygen and carbon to the deep Adriatic layers and, (3) more generally, have a substantial impact on the physics and biogeochemistry of the whole Adriatic. Second, the NAddW physics, from preconditioning, through generation and spreading, to accumulation in Adriatic depressions, is reviewed. Then, the temporal evolution of the NAddW properties influenced and connected to (1) basin-wide interannual and decadal variability and (2) trends towards warmer and saltier source characteristic due to ongoing climate change, is discussed. The importance of long-term observations and atmosphere-ocean modelling in event, decadal and climate studies is then presented. Finally, a review of the identified gaps and perspectives for future research is concluding this article.