FILLING OF THE MARMARA SEA BY THE DARDANELLES LOWER LAYER INFLOW

The sub-halocline waters of the Marmara Sea are renewed with the incoming Dardanelles lower layer flow. As shown by observations, this inflow takes the form of a turbulent plume which first sinks down and then spreads out into the interior. A ''filling box'' model is developed to test the sensitivity of the Dardanelles-Marmara Sea system to the set of relevant environmental parameters. The seasonal variability of the Dardanelles inflow is shown to play a crucial role in the sub-halocline water mass characteristics of the Marmara Sea