Measuring the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26°N
Measuring the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26°N
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a key role in the global climate system through its redistribution of heat. Changes in the AMOC have been associated with large fluctuations in the earth’s climate in the past and projections of AMOC decline in the future due to climate change motivate the continuous monitoring of the circulation. Since 2004, the RAPID monitoring array has been providing continuous estimates of the AMOC and associated heat transport at 26°N in the North Atlantic. We describe how these measurements are made including the sampling strategy, the accuracies of parameters measured and the calculation of the AMOC. The strength of the AMOC and meridional heat transport are estimated as 17.2 Sv and 1.22 PW respectively from April 2004 to October 2012. The accuracy of ten day (annual) transports is 1.5 Sv (0.9 Sv). Improvements to the estimation of the transport above the shallowest instruments and deepest transports (including Antarctic Bottom Water), and the use of the new equation of state for seawater have reduced the estimated strength of the AMOC by 0.6 Sv relative to previous publications. As new basinwide AMOC monitoring projects begin in the South Atlantic and sub-polar North Atlantic, we present this thorough review of the methods and measurements of the original AMOC monitoring array.
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, Ocean observing systems, Ocean circulation, Geostrophic dynamics, Heat transport, North Atlantic
91-111
McCarthy, G.D.
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Smeed, D.A.
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Johns, W.E.
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Frajka-Williams, E.
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Moat, B.I.
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Rayner, D.
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Baringer, M.O.
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Meinen, C.S.
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Collins, J.
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Bryden, H.L.
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January 2015
McCarthy, G.D.
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Smeed, D.A.
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Johns, W.E.
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Frajka-Williams, E.
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Moat, B.I.
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Rayner, D.
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Baringer, M.O.
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Meinen, C.S.
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Collins, J.
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Bryden, H.L.
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McCarthy, G.D., Smeed, D.A., Johns, W.E., Frajka-Williams, E., Moat, B.I., Rayner, D., Baringer, M.O., Meinen, C.S., Collins, J. and Bryden, H.L.
(2015)
Measuring the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26°N.
Progress in Oceanography, 130, .
(doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2014.10.006).
Abstract
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a key role in the global climate system through its redistribution of heat. Changes in the AMOC have been associated with large fluctuations in the earth’s climate in the past and projections of AMOC decline in the future due to climate change motivate the continuous monitoring of the circulation. Since 2004, the RAPID monitoring array has been providing continuous estimates of the AMOC and associated heat transport at 26°N in the North Atlantic. We describe how these measurements are made including the sampling strategy, the accuracies of parameters measured and the calculation of the AMOC. The strength of the AMOC and meridional heat transport are estimated as 17.2 Sv and 1.22 PW respectively from April 2004 to October 2012. The accuracy of ten day (annual) transports is 1.5 Sv (0.9 Sv). Improvements to the estimation of the transport above the shallowest instruments and deepest transports (including Antarctic Bottom Water), and the use of the new equation of state for seawater have reduced the estimated strength of the AMOC by 0.6 Sv relative to previous publications. As new basinwide AMOC monitoring projects begin in the South Atlantic and sub-polar North Atlantic, we present this thorough review of the methods and measurements of the original AMOC monitoring array.
Text
McCarthy_et_al_Measuring_the_AMOC_revised.pdf
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: October 2014
Published date: January 2015
Keywords:
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, Ocean observing systems, Ocean circulation, Geostrophic dynamics, Heat transport, North Atlantic
Organisations:
Physical Oceanography, Marine Physics and Ocean Climate
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 370316
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/370316
ISSN: 0079-6611
PURE UUID: 5e5d043a-33ae-43b1-8d43-87455bdd3815
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Date deposited: 21 Oct 2014 15:03
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:35
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Contributors
Author:
G.D. McCarthy
Author:
D.A. Smeed
Author:
W.E. Johns
Author:
E. Frajka-Williams
Author:
B.I. Moat
Author:
D. Rayner
Author:
M.O. Baringer
Author:
C.S. Meinen
Author:
J. Collins
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