High positive Sea Level Anomalies are currently observed in Mediterranean Sea. This situation also occurred last winter (2009-2010) where very high positive values (more than 20 cm) are observed in the eastern basin. The NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) index for both winters 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 are also largely negative (see our previous Lively Data, December 17, 2010: Cold winter and negative North Atlantic Oscillation index). If variations in sea level observed in Atlantic Ocean are correlated with the NAO index, variations in sea level observed in Mediterranean Sea are negatively correlated with this index.

Maps of Sea Level Anomalies in Mediterranean Sea for 2008 (left), 2009 (middle) and 2010 (right). Click on each map to see the date and the color scale. To draw these maps, choose Choose NRT - Mediterranean Sea - (Maps of) Sea Level Anomalies for dates after March 2010 and DT (Delayed-Time)- Mediterranean Sea  - (Maps of) Sea Level Anomalies for dates before March 2010. Limit the color scale (-20,20,0.5)(inf) in Color Fill levels, for each map to have a common scale. 

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