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Temporal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26.5°N

Temporal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26.5°N
Temporal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26.5°N
The vigor of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is thought to be vulnerable to global warming, but its short-term temporal variability is unknown so changes inferred from sparse observations on the decadal time scale of recent climate change are uncertain. We combine continuous measurements of the MOC (beginning in 2004) using the purposefully designed transatlantic Rapid Climate Change array of moored instruments deployed along 26.5°N, with time series of Gulf Stream transport and surface-layer Ekman transport to quantify its intra-annual variability. The year-long average overturning is 18.7 ± 5.6 sverdrups (Sv) (range: 4.0 to 34.9 Sv, where 1 Sv = a flow of ocean water of 106 cubic meters per second). Interannual changes in the overturning can be monitored with a resolution of 1.5 Sv.
0036-8075
935-938
Cunningham, Stuart A.
07f1bd78-d92f-478b-a016-b92f530142c3
Kanzow, Torsten
b0cde526-e54c-44d6-b191-fd15d506ce06
Rayner, Darren
60eaf35c-c54e-447b-8551-efc08637d122
Baringer, Molly O.
05e0f722-83ee-4dc2-ac6e-2505c8b29f31
Johns, William E.
e09ba73d-f275-4ff3-a07c-dfb8f1622b21
Marotzke, Jochem
b4b295a3-5568-4f63-94b6-6fa92ab27cf3
Longworth, Hannah R.
af733d01-ca58-42b8-9ec7-ee34dac105c3
Grant, Elizabeth M.
e455fbcd-969c-495c-84db-05d3fc759e8b
Hirschi, Joël J.-M.
c8a45006-a6e3-4319-b5f5-648e8ef98906
Beal, Lisa M.
b07df371-9d10-44a1-8dcd-fb2af464a0a7
Meinen, Christopher S.
0f5f1e75-68ef-4d47-a303-a7566acbcdd7
Bryden, Harry L.
7f823946-34e8-48a3-8bd4-a72d2d749184
Cunningham, Stuart A.
07f1bd78-d92f-478b-a016-b92f530142c3
Kanzow, Torsten
b0cde526-e54c-44d6-b191-fd15d506ce06
Rayner, Darren
60eaf35c-c54e-447b-8551-efc08637d122
Baringer, Molly O.
05e0f722-83ee-4dc2-ac6e-2505c8b29f31
Johns, William E.
e09ba73d-f275-4ff3-a07c-dfb8f1622b21
Marotzke, Jochem
b4b295a3-5568-4f63-94b6-6fa92ab27cf3
Longworth, Hannah R.
af733d01-ca58-42b8-9ec7-ee34dac105c3
Grant, Elizabeth M.
e455fbcd-969c-495c-84db-05d3fc759e8b
Hirschi, Joël J.-M.
c8a45006-a6e3-4319-b5f5-648e8ef98906
Beal, Lisa M.
b07df371-9d10-44a1-8dcd-fb2af464a0a7
Meinen, Christopher S.
0f5f1e75-68ef-4d47-a303-a7566acbcdd7
Bryden, Harry L.
7f823946-34e8-48a3-8bd4-a72d2d749184

Cunningham, Stuart A., Kanzow, Torsten, Rayner, Darren, Baringer, Molly O., Johns, William E., Marotzke, Jochem, Longworth, Hannah R., Grant, Elizabeth M., Hirschi, Joël J.-M., Beal, Lisa M., Meinen, Christopher S. and Bryden, Harry L. (2007) Temporal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26.5°N. Science, 317 (5840), 935-938. (doi:10.1126/science.1141304).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The vigor of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is thought to be vulnerable to global warming, but its short-term temporal variability is unknown so changes inferred from sparse observations on the decadal time scale of recent climate change are uncertain. We combine continuous measurements of the MOC (beginning in 2004) using the purposefully designed transatlantic Rapid Climate Change array of moored instruments deployed along 26.5°N, with time series of Gulf Stream transport and surface-layer Ekman transport to quantify its intra-annual variability. The year-long average overturning is 18.7 ± 5.6 sverdrups (Sv) (range: 4.0 to 34.9 Sv, where 1 Sv = a flow of ocean water of 106 cubic meters per second). Interannual changes in the overturning can be monitored with a resolution of 1.5 Sv.

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Published date: 17 August 2007

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 48025
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/48025
ISSN: 0036-8075
PURE UUID: 1ab3768e-cbc9-46d1-94e3-80691a872ed8
ORCID for Harry L. Bryden: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8216-6359

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Date deposited: 22 Aug 2007
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:53

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Contributors

Author: Stuart A. Cunningham
Author: Torsten Kanzow
Author: Darren Rayner
Author: Molly O. Baringer
Author: William E. Johns
Author: Jochem Marotzke
Author: Hannah R. Longworth
Author: Elizabeth M. Grant
Author: Joël J.-M. Hirschi
Author: Lisa M. Beal
Author: Christopher S. Meinen
Author: Harry L. Bryden ORCID iD

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