Hot and cold marine extreme events in the Mediterranean over the period 1982-2021

Marine temperature extremes are anomalous ocean events, often persisting over several weeks or longer, with potential impacts on physical and ecological processes that encompass socio-economic implications. In recent years, a considerable effort has been directed at the development of metrics allowing an objective characterization both marine heatwaves (MHWs) cold spells (MCSs). However, majority these do not consider explicitly spatial extent events. Here, we rank evaluate relative importance extreme events thanks to metric, called activity, combines number duration, intensity extent. According this definition, in Mediterranean basin between 1982 2021, summer 2018 experienced slightly more MHW activity than 2003, documented as exceptional event. Besides, activities were higher last two decades while winter MCS 1980s-1990s. The highest occurred preferentially western strongest took place eastern Mediterranean. Moreover, mean intensity, three MHWs twice high those MCSs. long-term tendency shows accelerated increase for (about +150°C.days.10⁶km²) linear decrease MCSs -60°C.days.10⁶km²) four decades.