Mechanism of horizontal mass- and salt-exchange between the waters of continental slope and central part of the Black Sea

Estimation of horizontal salt transfer from the central part of the Black Sea to the continental slope is carried out based on numerical modeling. A box hydrodynamic model of the Black Sea based on the POM model is used. Horizontal transport caused by seasonal variability of vertical velocity in the central part of the Black Sea and horizontal turbulent diffusion is considered. In this work we demonstrate that, in the 0- to 30-m layer on average for the year, there is an outflow of salty water under the impact of both factors. In the surface layer, the transport caused by seasonal variability contributes significantly (30%). In the 80- to 150-m layer on average over the year, the waters from the continental slope arrive into the central part of the basin; they are characterized by higher salinity due to the inflow of the Marmara Sea waters across the Bosporus Strait.