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Synchronous intensification and warming of Antarctic Bottom Water outflow from the Weddell Gyre

Synchronous intensification and warming of Antarctic Bottom Water outflow from the Weddell Gyre
Synchronous intensification and warming of Antarctic Bottom Water outflow from the Weddell Gyre
Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), the densest water in the global overturning circulation, has warmed in recent decades, most notably in the Atlantic. Time series recorded within the boundary currents immediately upstream and downstream of the most significant outflow of AABW from the Weddell Sea indicate that raised outflow temperatures are synchronous with stronger boundary current flows. These changes occur rapidly in response to changes in wind forcing, suggesting that barotropic dynamics and the response of the bottom Ekman layer are significant. The observed synchronicity indicates that the previously?detected weakening of the export of the colder forms of AABW from the Weddell Sea need not be associated with a reduction in the total flux of AABW exported via this route. These points need careful consideration when attributing the observed AABW warming in the Atlantic, and when determining its contribution to global heat budgets and sea level rise.
0094-8276
L03603
Meredith, Michael P.
25fd5f1c-f3ed-40a2-af59-5a7074a25fcd
Gordon, Arnold L.
17579e7b-ea0c-4eeb-bab3-2cab03d701a7
Naveira Garabato, Alberto C.
97c0e923-f076-4b38-b89b-938e11cea7a6
Abrahamsen, E. Povl
fedecbff-9554-480b-a743-8ecf32fdb2f7
Huber, Bruce A.
b759efb4-5f25-4c5f-80cf-fc707d687299
Jullion, Loïc
e72025ed-bc3d-4c9f-a78e-4b41cb1c6da9
Venables, Hugh J.
076cfe85-e2f9-4e69-8793-0ab225e7fadd
Meredith, Michael P.
25fd5f1c-f3ed-40a2-af59-5a7074a25fcd
Gordon, Arnold L.
17579e7b-ea0c-4eeb-bab3-2cab03d701a7
Naveira Garabato, Alberto C.
97c0e923-f076-4b38-b89b-938e11cea7a6
Abrahamsen, E. Povl
fedecbff-9554-480b-a743-8ecf32fdb2f7
Huber, Bruce A.
b759efb4-5f25-4c5f-80cf-fc707d687299
Jullion, Loïc
e72025ed-bc3d-4c9f-a78e-4b41cb1c6da9
Venables, Hugh J.
076cfe85-e2f9-4e69-8793-0ab225e7fadd

Meredith, Michael P., Gordon, Arnold L., Naveira Garabato, Alberto C., Abrahamsen, E. Povl, Huber, Bruce A., Jullion, Loïc and Venables, Hugh J. (2011) Synchronous intensification and warming of Antarctic Bottom Water outflow from the Weddell Gyre. Geophysical Research Letters, 38 (3), L03603. (doi:10.1029/2010GL046265).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW), the densest water in the global overturning circulation, has warmed in recent decades, most notably in the Atlantic. Time series recorded within the boundary currents immediately upstream and downstream of the most significant outflow of AABW from the Weddell Sea indicate that raised outflow temperatures are synchronous with stronger boundary current flows. These changes occur rapidly in response to changes in wind forcing, suggesting that barotropic dynamics and the response of the bottom Ekman layer are significant. The observed synchronicity indicates that the previously?detected weakening of the export of the colder forms of AABW from the Weddell Sea need not be associated with a reduction in the total flux of AABW exported via this route. These points need careful consideration when attributing the observed AABW warming in the Atlantic, and when determining its contribution to global heat budgets and sea level rise.

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More information

Published date: 2011
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 179495
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/179495
ISSN: 0094-8276
PURE UUID: 6861e9d3-c4b4-4e56-8fc5-29e8561f4b21
ORCID for Alberto C. Naveira Garabato: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6071-605X

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Date deposited: 01 Apr 2011 12:51
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:51

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Contributors

Author: Michael P. Meredith
Author: Arnold L. Gordon
Author: E. Povl Abrahamsen
Author: Bruce A. Huber
Author: Loïc Jullion
Author: Hugh J. Venables

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