Hydrography of the bays along the eastern coast of the Aegean sea

Seasonal and interannual variability of the local hydrography and the water masses in the bays (Saros, Edremit, Çandarlı, İzmir, Kuşadası, Güllük and Gökova Bays) along the eastern coast of Aegean Sea are investigated using the data sets collected until 2010. The data covers the last major deep-water formation episode, and the EMT relaxation period. The concurrently intensive monitoring in Saros Bay, İzmir Bay and Gökova Bay have been conducted in spring 2001 and winter 2002.Aegean Sea hydrology and water mass characteristics influence the water masses of the bays. The data suggests that the Saros Bay (North Aegean Sea), Edremit, Çandarlı and İzmir Bays (Central Aegean Sea) and Kuşadası, Güllük and Gökova Bays (South Aegean Sea) are the bays that have different physical processes inside and different water masses. They have their own dynamics independent from the Aegean Sea. At the same time they are occasionally influenced by the Aegean Sea?s physical processes from time to time.Besides the analysis of physical properties the time evolution of water masses inside the bays are investigated. The bays data shows the relaxation period of Eastern Mediterranean Transient (EMT) which continued well until the winter 2000. It is known that this variability depends on the changing climate over the Mediterranean area.Our analysis reveals that the dense water formation in the Central Aegean Sea is considerably connected to the anomalous decrease in winter atmospheric temperature during EMT relaxation period. The isopycnal levels started to increase again and reached its maximum in the summer 2007 after relaxation period. The outcropping of isopycnals could have been a sign of a new formation of very dense water in the Aegean Sea.