Current and density observations on a flow through a contraction and over a bottom elevation at the southern edge of the Cycladic Plateau in the Aegean Sea – East Mediterranean

A CTD/ADCP/surface-drifter survey in fall 2004 reveals the behaviour of a mesoscale unidirectional flow coming from the Cretan sea in the south with depths ~1000m and entering a channel-like area of the Cycladic shelf in the north, that forms a contraction which leads to a bottom elevation (sill depth ~100m), and finally returning into the Cretan Sea in the lee-side of the sill. The flow decelerates/accelerates upstream/downstream of the sill. The along-stream density contours near the sill bottom are raised prior to reaching the sill, while they deepen in the lee side of it indicating supercriticality. The long-wavelength internal wave speeds with realistic stratification and no-rotation are higher than the section averaged flow speeds and indicate subcriticality. A key element in this apparent paradox is the large height of the sill that potentially increases the body (drag) force exerted on the flow by the sill while flow blocking is also observed upstream of the sill.