@article{fdi:010068340,
  title = {{E}stimating dense water volume and its evolution for the year 2012-2013 in the {N}orthwestern {M}editerranean {S}ea : an observing system simulation experiment approach},
  author = {{W}aldman, {R}. and {S}omot, {S}. and {H}errmann, {M}arine and {T}estor, {P}. and {E}stournel, {C}. and {S}evault, {F}. and {P}rieur, {L}. and {M}ortier, {L}. and {C}oppola, {L}. and {T}aillandier, {V}. and {C}onan, {P}. and {D}ausse, {D}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {N}orthwestern {M}editerranean ({NWM}ed) {S}ea includes one of the best observed ocean deep convection sites in the {W}orld. {A}n observing system simulation experiment ({OSSE}) is developed to provide a methodology for estimating observing network errors. {I}t is applied to quantify dense water volumes in the {NWM}ed during 2012-2013 with their observation error from {MOOSE} network. {R}esults from the {OSSE} show low spatiotemporal sampling errors, which confirms {MOOSE} network ability to measure dense waters. {H}owever, results are highly sensitive to instrumental stability. {T}he dense water volume is then estimated in observations from four ship cruises between summers 2012 and 2013. {A} large seasonal cycle is found, maximal in spring 2013 and dominated by the area west of 6.5 degrees {E}. {T}he dense water volume (sigma 0>29.11kg/m3) is stable between summer 2012 (13.30.6x1013m3) and winter 2013 (13.71.3x1013m3). {I}t increases dramatically in spring 2013 (17.70.9x1013m3) due to an intense convective event, and it finally decreases rapidly in summer 2013 (15.10.6x1013m3) due to restratification and spreading. {W}e estimate an open-sea dense water formation ({DWF}) rate of 1.4 +/- 0.3{S}v between summer 2012 and spring 2013 over the studied area, extrapolated to 2.3 +/- 0.5{S}v over the whole {NWM}ed {S}ea and for the optimal timing. {T}his is to our knowledge the highest measured {DWF} rate, suggesting winter 2013 was exceptionally convective. {T}he observed restratification rate between spring and summer 2013 is -0.8 +/- 0.4{S}v. {T}his study provides robust quantifications of deep convection during an exceptional event that will allow to evaluate numerical simulations.},
  keywords = {ocean deep convection ; {M}editerranean {S}ea ; {OSSE} ; {MEDITERRANEE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {G}eophysical {R}esearch : {O}ceans},
  volume = {121},
  numero = {9},
  pages = {6696--6716},
  ISSN = {2169-9275},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1002/2016jc011694},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010068340},
}