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In oceanography, a mediterranean sea (/ˌmɛdɪtəˈreɪniən/ MED-ih-tə-RAY-nee-ən) is a mostly enclosed sea that has limited exchange of water with outer oceans and whose water circulation is dominated by salinity and temperature differences rather than by winds or tides. The eponymous Mediterranean Sea, for example, is almost completely enclosed by Africa, Asia, and Europe.
List of mediterranean seas by ocean
Atlantic Ocean
- The Arctic Ocean (a.k.a. the Arctic Mediterranean Sea)
- The American Mediterranean Sea (the combination of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico)
- Baffin Bay
- The Baltic Sea
- The namesake Mediterranean Sea (including the Adriatic Sea, the Aegean Sea (including the Sea of Crete and the Thracian Sea), the Alboran Sea, the Balearic Sea, the Black Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, the Sea of Azov, the Sea of Marmara, and the Tyrrhenian Sea)
Indian Ocean
- The Persian Gulf
- The Red Sea
Pacific Ocean
- The Australasian Mediterranean Sea (including the Banda Sea, the Java Sea, the Sulawesi Sea, and the Sulu Sea)
List of mediterranean seas by type
There are two types of mediterranean sea.
Concentration basin
A concentration basin has a higher salinity than the outer ocean due to evaporation, and its water exchange consists of inflow of the fresher oceanic water in the upper layer and outflow of the saltier mediterranean water in the lower layer of the connecting channel.
- The Eurafrican Mediterranean Sea (a concentration basin as a whole, but the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea are dilution basins (see below) owing to the Po River, and the Danube, Dnieper, and Don rivers respectively)
- The Persian Gulf
- The Red Sea
Dilution basin
A dilution basin has a lower salinity due to freshwater gains such as rainfall and rivers, and its water exchange consists of outflow of the fresher mediterranean water in the upper layer and inflow of the saltier oceanic water in the lower layer of the channel. Renewal of deep water may not be sufficient to supply oxygen to the bottom.
- The Adriatic Sea
- The American Mediterranean Sea
- The Arctic Ocean (a.k.a. the Arctic Mediterranean Sea)
- The Australasian Mediterranean Sea
- Baffin Bay
- The Baltic Sea
- The Black Sea
Exceptions
- Hudson Bay is so shallow it functions like a huge estuary.
- Having shallow channels and deep basins, the Sea of Japan could form a mediterranean sea, but the strong currents from the Pacific prevent it from having an independent water circulation.
See also
- Inland sea
- Marginal sea
References
- Kämpf, Jochen (2010). "5.5.2: Mediterranean Seas". Advanced Ocean Modelling: Using Open-Source Software. Heidelberg: Springer Science & Business Media. p. 138. ISBN 9783642106101. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
Mediterranean seas of the Indian Ocean are the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, and the Australasian Mediterranean Sea, including the Banda, Java, Sulawesi, and Sulu seas, being connected with the Pacific Ocean.
- Tomczak, M.; Godfrey, J. Stuart (2003). "Chapter 7: Arctic oceanography; the path of North Atlantic Deep Water" (PDF). Regional oceanography: an introduction (2nd ed.). Delhi: Daya. ISBN 8170353068. OCLC 52613155. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
- General oceanography : an introduction (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley. 1980. p. 501. ISBN 0471021024. OCLC 6200221.
- The Oceans Their Physics, Chemistry, and General Biology. pp. 15, 35 and 637–643.
- Tang, Charles C. L; Ross, Charles K.; Yao, Tom; Petrie, Brian; DeTracey, Brendan M.; Dunlap, Ewa (2004-12-01). "The circulation, water masses and sea-ice of Baffin Bay". Progress in Oceanography. 63 (4): 183–228. Bibcode:2004PrOce..63..183T. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2004.09.005. ISSN 0079-6611. "Baffin Bay is a mediterranean sea connected through restrictive straits to the Arctic Ocean and the Labrador Sea/Atlantic Ocean"
- Sofianos, Sarantis S.; Johns, William E. (2007). "Observations of the summer Red Sea circulation". Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. 112 (C6). Bibcode:2007JGRC..112.6025S. doi:10.1029/2006jc003886. ISSN 0148-0227.
- "Hudson Bay Estuaries". pew.org. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
Further reading
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Mediterranean seas news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2024 Learn how and when to remove this message In oceanography a mediterranean sea ˌ m ɛ d ɪ t e ˈ r eɪ n i e n MED ih te RAY nee en is a mostly enclosed sea that has limited exchange of water with outer oceans and whose water circulation is dominated by salinity and temperature differences rather than by winds or tides The eponymous Mediterranean Sea for example is almost completely enclosed by Africa Asia and Europe List of mediterranean seas by oceanAtlantic Ocean The Arctic Ocean a k a the Arctic Mediterranean Sea The American Mediterranean Sea the combination of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico Baffin Bay The Baltic Sea The namesake Mediterranean Sea including the Adriatic Sea the Aegean Sea including the Sea of Crete and the Thracian Sea the Alboran Sea the Balearic Sea the Black Sea the Ionian Sea the Ligurian Sea the Sea of Azov the Sea of Marmara and the Tyrrhenian Sea Indian Ocean The Persian Gulf The Red SeaPacific Ocean The Australasian Mediterranean Sea including the Banda Sea the Java Sea the Sulawesi Sea and the Sulu Sea List of mediterranean seas by typeThere are two types of mediterranean sea Concentration basin A concentration basin has a higher salinity than the outer ocean due to evaporation and its water exchange consists of inflow of the fresher oceanic water in the upper layer and outflow of the saltier mediterranean water in the lower layer of the connecting channel The Eurafrican Mediterranean Sea a concentration basin as a whole but the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea are dilution basins see below owing to the Po River and the Danube Dnieper and Don rivers respectively The Persian Gulf The Red SeaDilution basin A dilution basin has a lower salinity due to freshwater gains such as rainfall and rivers and its water exchange consists of outflow of the fresher mediterranean water in the upper layer and inflow of the saltier oceanic water in the lower layer of the channel Renewal of deep water may not be sufficient to supply oxygen to the bottom The Adriatic Sea The American Mediterranean Sea The Arctic Ocean a k a the Arctic Mediterranean Sea The Australasian Mediterranean Sea Baffin Bay The Baltic Sea The Black SeaExceptionsHudson Bay is so shallow it functions like a huge estuary Having shallow channels and deep basins the Sea of Japan could form a mediterranean sea but the strong currents from the Pacific prevent it from having an independent water circulation See alsoOceans portalInland sea Marginal seaReferencesKampf Jochen 2010 5 5 2 Mediterranean Seas Advanced Ocean Modelling Using Open Source Software Heidelberg Springer Science amp Business Media p 138 ISBN 9783642106101 Retrieved 2017 09 05 Mediterranean seas of the Indian Ocean are the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea and the Australasian Mediterranean Sea including the Banda Java Sulawesi and Sulu seas being connected with the Pacific Ocean Tomczak M Godfrey J Stuart 2003 Chapter 7 Arctic oceanography the path of North Atlantic Deep Water PDF Regional oceanography an introduction 2nd ed Delhi Daya ISBN 8170353068 OCLC 52613155 Retrieved 23 May 2019 General oceanography an introduction 2nd ed New York Wiley 1980 p 501 ISBN 0471021024 OCLC 6200221 The Oceans Their Physics Chemistry and General Biology pp 15 35 and 637 643 Tang Charles C L Ross Charles K Yao Tom Petrie Brian DeTracey Brendan M Dunlap Ewa 2004 12 01 The circulation water masses and sea ice of Baffin Bay Progress in Oceanography 63 4 183 228 Bibcode 2004PrOce 63 183T doi 10 1016 j pocean 2004 09 005 ISSN 0079 6611 Baffin Bay is a mediterranean sea connected through restrictive straits to the Arctic Ocean and the Labrador Sea Atlantic Ocean Sofianos Sarantis S Johns William E 2007 Observations of the summer Red Sea circulation Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans 112 C6 Bibcode 2007JGRC 112 6025S doi 10 1029 2006jc003886 ISSN 0148 0227 Hudson Bay Estuaries pew org Retrieved 2019 05 23 Further readingThis section is empty You can help by adding to it February 2025
