Adriatic Sea Warming: Scientist Explains Why Croatia's Risk of Meteotsunamis is Growing

The Adriatic Sea is experiencing an increase in meteotsunamis, also known as meteorological tsunamis. While Dr. Natalija Dunić from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split notes that the number of such events this year is slightly higher, she cautions against defining a long-term trend based on a single year's data. However, she emphasizes that the conditions preceding meteotsunamis are likely to become more frequent in the future.

These extreme sea-level oscillations can be influenced by various weather conditions, including warmer seas and severe storms. Dunić explained that warm seas can foster the development of large storms, and the passage of strong weather fronts can create pressure fluctuations that ultimately trigger meteotsunamis. "Warm sea favors the development of large storms, and when a strong front passes through a certain area, pressure oscillations can occur which can ultimately cause meteotsunamis," she stated.

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Warm sea favors the development of large storms, and when a strong front passes through a certain area, pressure oscillations can occur which can ultimately cause meteotsunamis.

Marine heatwaves, though less discussed, are also a growing concern. This summer, warnings were issued for a marine heatwave in the Mediterranean, with sea surface temperatures more than three degrees Celsius above the usual average. Croatia's Adriatic Sea is also recording record surface temperatures. Dunić likened marine heatwaves to atmospheric heatwaves, noting their similar mechanisms but significantly longer duration, potentially lasting for weeks or months.

Scientists are actively working to measure, record, and investigate the causes of these phenomena. The energy from the atmosphere directly heats the sea, but warmer water masses can also contribute to rising temperatures. In the Adriatic, this can come from the eastern Mediterranean. Dunić highlighted that research into the physical causes of this warming, particularly in deeper sea layers which cool more slowly than the surface, is a relatively new and crucial area of study for the region.

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As happens in the atmosphere with a sudden increase in temperature, the same happens in the sea, only there it can last for weeks or months.