Comments from Sharky! (The Water)

Hello!!!

I'm happy to see so much progress! And thank you so much for your photos!!!! Now I understand why by Santa Monica beach (USA) I see strange coloured lights, there's a funfair!

So let's see what your sea looks like...(last update 27th February)

Ups! I'm afraid that some of the coordinates are not quite clear. Ins Priorat 1ºB, Col·legi Cardenal Vidal i Barraquer and Private Fenerbahçe College need to add more decimals to their coordinates. If you check on Google Earth you'll see that some of you are a bit inland and others in the middle of the sea. The Earth is a rather big planet and decimals are important!


I see that the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) you have measured is quite similar to the average of the last 14 years, except for Barcelona.  It looks like you are having a mild winter there!

And yes, there's really only one ocean interconnected. You can check it out yourself on this video!

About the currents those of the western Mediterranean have got it right, the Liguro-Provençal current passes by you doorstep. However in the case of Istanbul you are a bit far away from the Gulf Current. But you are right about the Bosphorus strait it connects the Black and Marmara seas. The Black sea receives more freshwater from rain and rivers that what it loses from evaporation, making its sea level higher than the Marmara's. The surplus of water therefore flows through the Bosphorus into the Marmara Sea. Thus two flows through the straits are formed. The upper flow leaves the Black Sea and carries surface water out of it. Meanwhile a bottom flow carries salt water, from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. (More information here >>)

QUESTION:
If you look at the average SST data of the last 14 years, in Turkey the values are persistently lower than in the wester Mediterranean. Considering that you are all at roughly the same latitude, how is it possible? Do you think the currents at the Bosphorus strait have something to do with it?

Looking forward to your comments!
(Just press on the ‘Comment’ option at the end of this post and leave your message)

And for those that haven't sent their data, send it as soon as possible and I'll update this post!

Cheers!

Sharky

Update 27th February: Hello South East High School and Ins Sunsi Mora. Thank you for your data! Looking over the SST, Ins Sunsi Mora have a bit of unusual data, are you sure that your monthly average is 27ºC?
So South East High School, thanks to the California Current have similar SST than in the Mediterranean side of Spain although you are closer to the Equator. This is very interesting!
Now we're curious about the results of SST at both ends of the Mediterranean. Fenerbahçe College has made a suggestion. Do you agree with them?
(Just press on "comments" below and leave you message!)
Best wishes! Sharky