Tore seamount study

Tore is a very deep seamount system or ridge located west of Iberian Peninsula which encloses a crater in the middle
possibly resulting from a meteorite impact.
This submerged crater isolates a water column 1200 m thick
from the external deep water mass. The aim is to investigate if the deeper part of the crater may be ventilated. Preliminary results of the study are presented. The seamount dynamical context is analyzed and
results of some exploratory experiments are described. Significant flow rectification is observed, and the role of different factors like baroclinic tides in mixing the Tore slopes and enclosed abyss (crater) are discussed. The relevance of numerical options in the simulation of abyssal circulation and mixing processes is discussed.
Alvaro Peliz (Univ. Lisbon)