Ocean circulation and climate in an idealised Pangean OAGCM

Smith, R.S., Dubois, C. and Marotzke, J. (2004) Ocean circulation and climate in an idealised Pangean OAGCM. Geophysical Research Letters, 31 (8), L18207. (doi:10.1029/2004GL020643).

Record type: Article

Abstract

An idealised Pangean configuration is integrated in a coupled ocean atmosphere general circulation model to investigate the form of the ocean circulation and its impacts on the large scale climate system. A vigorous, hemispherically symmetric overturning is found, driven by deep water formation at high latitudes. Whilst the peak mass transport is around 100 Sv, a low vertical temperature gradient in the ocean means that the maximum heat transport is only 1.2 PW. The geographical change in the coupled model is found to produce a global average warming of 2°C, despite an increase in global surface albedo. This occurs through changes in the atmospheric water vapour and cloud distributions. There is also reduction in the equator-pole temperature gradient, largely attributable to the same causes, avoiding the paradox of low meridional temperature gradients without increased polar heat transport.

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