The seas and oceans that communicate with the Mediterranean Sea are many and contribute in different ways to the particular properties of this sea.
The Mediterranean Sea is located between western Asia, southern Europe and northern Africa. This location defines the hydrographic sources with which it is communicated.
Strait of Gibraltar, which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean
In general, the Mediterranean Sea communicates directly with a single ocean, the Atlantic Ocean. As for rivers, there are many who communicate with this sea, the River Nile of Egypt and the River Po of Italy are some of them.
The rivers that connect with the Mediterranean Sea come from different parts of Europe. Among the countries that have rivers that flow into the Mediterranean are Spain, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, among others.
Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea
The Atlantic Ocean is the only ocean that communicates directly with the Mediterranean Sea. The waters of the Atlantic enter through the Strait of Gibraltar and mix with the surface waters of the Mediterranean.
The entry of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean is of extreme importance since it allows to recover the level that is lost by effects of evaporation.
There is also a flow from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, although it is much smaller than the flow entering the Mediterranean from the Atlantic. This flow helps maintain balance in Mediterranean sea levels.
Rivers that connect with the Mediterranean Sea
They are more than 300 the great rivers that, through the almost 46000 km of rivera, connect with the Mediterranean Sea. However, this estimate only considers rivers with a length greater than or equal to 100 km.
On the European side, the countries with the most rivers that flow into the Mediterranean Sea are Spain, France, Italy and Turkey.
On the African side, there are rivers of nations such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, among others.
Among the largest rivers communicating with the Mediterranean are: the Nile River of Egypt; with a length of 3800 km; the Al Arab River of Sudan with 800 km in length; the river Menderes of Turkey with 548 km of length; the Tiber River of Italy with a length of 405 km, among many others.
Incidence of connections in the characteristics of the Mediterranean Sea
The concentration of various chemicals and even living organisms in the Mediterranean Sea is strongly influenced by the waters that flow through the rivers and the Atlantic Ocean.
Several studies show that nutrients such as phosphorus, or even radioactive particles present in the sea rather than occur in the Mediterranean basin, come from various European and African countries and are transported through the rivers.
On the other hand, the currents that leave the Atlantic Ocean influence some of the organisms present in the Mediterranean Sea.
It is estimated that 87% of the dinoflagellates found in the Atlantic Ocean are also found in the Mediterranean because of the communication between these bodies of water.
References
- Broecker W. Gerard. R. Natural Radiocarbon in the Mediterranean Sea, Limnology and Oceanography. 1969; 14 (6): 883-888
- Ludwig W. Water and nutrient flows from major Mediterranean and Black Sea rivers: Past and future trends and their implications for the basin-scale budgets. Global Biochemical Cycles. 2010; 24 (4). 1-14
- Marie J. et al. River Versus Atmospheric Input of Material to the Mediterranean Sea: an Overview. Marine Chemistry. 1989; 28 (1-3): 159-182.
- Millot C. Circulation in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Marine System. 1999; 20 (1): 423-442
- Osborn S. On the Geography of the Bed of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London. 1870; 15 (1): pp. 28-40
- Osborn S. The Geography of the Bed of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and Mediterranean Sea. The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London 1871; 41: 46-58.