A note about density staircases in the Gulf of Naples : 20 years of persistent weak salt-fingering layers in a coastal area

This is a short communication about the inter-annual recurring presence at the coastal site in the Gulf of Naples of density staircases visible below the mixed surface layer of the water-column, from the end of summer to the beginning of winter, each year during nearly two decades of survey (2001 to 2020). We repetitively observe sequences from 1 to 4 small vertical staircases structures (~ 3 m thick) in the density profiles (~ Δ0.2 kg.m-3), located between 10 m to 50 m deep below the seasonal mixed layer depth. We interpret these vertical structures as the result of double diffusive processes that could host salt-fingering regime (SF) due to warm salty water parcels overlying on relatively fresher and colder layers. This common feature of the Mediterranean basin (i.e., the thermohaline staircases of the Tyrrhenian sea) may sign here for the lateral intrusions of nearshore water masses. These stably stratified layers are characterized by density ratio Rρ 5.0 to 10.0, slightly higher than the critical range (1.0 - 3.0) generally expected for fully developed salt-fingers. SF mixing, such as parameterized (Zhang et al., 1998), appears to inhibit weakly the effective eddy diffusivity with negative averaged value (~ - 1e-8 m2.s-1). A quasi 5-year cycle is visible in the inter-annual variability of the eddy diffusivity associated to SF, suggesting a decadal modulation of the parameters regulating the SF regime. Even contributing weakly to the turbulent mixing of the area, we hypothesis that SF could influence the seasonal stratification by intensifying the density of deep layers. Downward transfer of salt could have an impact on the nutrient supply for the biological communities, that remains to be determined.