The Atlantic Overturning Circulation: more evidence of variability and links to climate
The Atlantic Overturning Circulation: more evidence of variability and links to climate
A unique feature of the Atlantic Ocean is the presence of regions in the Labrador Sea and Nordic Seas where surface water can convect and sink to deep levels. This process of deep water formation and the related northward transport of warm surface water are components of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which annually transports in excess of 1 PW of heat northward through the northern subtropics. Between 26°N and Greenland much of this heat flux enters the atmosphere where it is then transported eastward by the atmospheric circulation and is responsible for the mild U.K. and European climate. Coupled models suggest that one of the consequences of anthropogenic climate change will be a slowing of the AMOC and an alteration of the ocean's role in climate (e.g., Cheng et al. 2013). Observing, quantifying, and understanding the detailed mechanisms controlling AMOC variability, its present circulation, and past behaviors, and the extent to which changes in the AMOC are predictable all remain preeminent scientific challenges for the twenty-first century.
ES163-ES166
Carton, J.A.
f39bbf79-955e-4411-9657-0bd48e174dd9
Cunningham, S.A.
cf4b95d7-742f-43bd-8b99-c64fe50241ae
Frajka-Williams, E.
da86044e-0f68-4cc9-8f60-7fdbc4dc19cb
Kwon, Y.-O.
34f36a91-e89b-4281-8833-12c0718f9a86
Marshall, D.P.
3d2963e3-8001-44b6-97f3-c150cc4c3466
Msadek, R.
56269308-a56b-428c-9967-42bd24a2a8f9
August 2014
Carton, J.A.
f39bbf79-955e-4411-9657-0bd48e174dd9
Cunningham, S.A.
cf4b95d7-742f-43bd-8b99-c64fe50241ae
Frajka-Williams, E.
da86044e-0f68-4cc9-8f60-7fdbc4dc19cb
Kwon, Y.-O.
34f36a91-e89b-4281-8833-12c0718f9a86
Marshall, D.P.
3d2963e3-8001-44b6-97f3-c150cc4c3466
Msadek, R.
56269308-a56b-428c-9967-42bd24a2a8f9
Carton, J.A., Cunningham, S.A., Frajka-Williams, E., Kwon, Y.-O., Marshall, D.P. and Msadek, R.
(2014)
The Atlantic Overturning Circulation: more evidence of variability and links to climate.
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 95 (8), .
(doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00234.1).
Abstract
A unique feature of the Atlantic Ocean is the presence of regions in the Labrador Sea and Nordic Seas where surface water can convect and sink to deep levels. This process of deep water formation and the related northward transport of warm surface water are components of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), which annually transports in excess of 1 PW of heat northward through the northern subtropics. Between 26°N and Greenland much of this heat flux enters the atmosphere where it is then transported eastward by the atmospheric circulation and is responsible for the mild U.K. and European climate. Coupled models suggest that one of the consequences of anthropogenic climate change will be a slowing of the AMOC and an alteration of the ocean's role in climate (e.g., Cheng et al. 2013). Observing, quantifying, and understanding the detailed mechanisms controlling AMOC variability, its present circulation, and past behaviors, and the extent to which changes in the AMOC are predictable all remain preeminent scientific challenges for the twenty-first century.
Text
2014_bams_Carton_etal_USAMOC.pdf
- Version of Record
More information
Published date: August 2014
Organisations:
Physical Oceanography
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 370279
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/370279
ISSN: 0003-0007
PURE UUID: defc8701-4cb1-4879-931b-d11bd2a971e0
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 21 Oct 2014 09:12
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:35
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
J.A. Carton
Author:
S.A. Cunningham
Author:
E. Frajka-Williams
Author:
Y.-O. Kwon
Author:
D.P. Marshall
Author:
R. Msadek
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics