Graph of the Day: Mediterranean Sea Surface Temperature, 1990-2008

Global climatic changes may affect Mediterranean water by increasing sea level and changing the distribution of surface and deep water salinity and temperature. Rising sea level would destroy parts of protective sand belt along Mediterranean coast especially of the Egyptian delta coast which have elevations less than two meters above sea level. In addition to that this delta coast sand belt is weekend due to reduction of river sediment flow after construction of Aswan high dam in 1964. Rising in sea level will make this delta vulnerable to salt water intrusion, flooding, and erosion so it is expected to sink in the near future. After destroying of this sand belt, groundwater will be saline and about 4500 km2 of good farmland will be lost. Furthermore natural gas projects will be destroyed and more than 6 million people will be displaced. In addition, coastal freshwater lagoons will be altered (threatening one-third of Egypt’s fisheries). Changing the distribution of surface and deep water salinity and temperature will affect the current system in the Mediterranean which is very important for navigational process. Preliminary studies showed that the exchange through the Gibraltar strait can be modeled as a baroclinic two layer exchanges. Descriptive statistical analyses of sea level data showed that the sea level is increased with time within the whole Mediterranean Basin. In addition, there is a simple change in water temperature and salinity. Sea temperature (Figure 1a) and salinity (Figure 1b) changes affect current system in the Mediterranean and so the navigation processes. …

Mediterranean Sea present and future climate and problems related to Nile Delta Coast