<p>The Adriatic Sea is one of the key areas of Dense Shelf Water (DSW) formation in the Mediterranean Sea. The North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW) forms in the northernmost part of the Adriatic Sea through winter cooling and flows southward driven by its excess density with respect to the ambient water, impacting the slope and the deep basin of the South Adriatic Margin (SAM) through a process of “cascading”.<br>Our finding complements previous views of the NAdDW impact, recognising that part of this water mass, due to its high kinetic energy imparted by the atmosphere during the formation phase, remains trapped on the shelf flowing as a contour-parallel bottom current.<br>Similar shallow-water contourite systems can be expected aside other areas of DSW cascading.</p
