Modelling nutrient cycling during the eastern Mediterranean transient event 1987-1995 and beyond

[1] Recent observations in the eastern Mediterranean have revealed not only significant changes to the temperature and salinity structure of the deep waters, but an uplifting of the thermocline which has been accompanied by altered distributions of biogeochemical species such as dissolved nutrients and oxygen. This letter presents results from a fully coupled high resolution physical and biogeochemical cycling model which reproduces the eastern Mediterranean transient event. The impact of the event on both biogeochemical tracer distributions and modelled export production between 1987 and 1995 is investigated and compared with available observations. When run on with climatological conditions after 1995, the model suggests the transient event has little impact on export production in the basin.