A study of the sensitivity of ocean overturning circulation and climate to freshwater input in different regions of the North Atlantic

Smith, R. S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7479-7778 and Gregory, J. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1296-8644 (2009) A study of the sensitivity of ocean overturning circulation and climate to freshwater input in different regions of the North Atlantic. Geophysical Research Letters, 36. L15701. ISSN 0094-8276 doi: 10.1029/2009GL038607

Abstract/Summary

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is an important component of the climate system. Models indicate that the AMOC can be perturbed by freshwater forcing in the North Atlantic. Using an ocean-atmosphere general circulation model, we investigate the dependence of such a perturbation of the AMOC, and the consequent climate change, on the region of freshwater forcing. A wide range of changes in AMOC strength is found after 100 years of freshwater forcing. The largest changes in AMOC strength occur when the regions of deepwater formation in the model are forced directly, although reductions in deepwater formation in one area may be compensated by enhanced formation elsewhere. North Atlantic average surface air temperatures correlate linearly with the AMOC decline, but warming may occur in localised regions, notably over Greenland and where deepwater formation is enhanced. This brings into question the representativeness of temperature changes inferred from Greenland ice-core records.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/1769
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > NCAS
Uncontrolled Keywords	Thermohaline circulation; simulation; model; transports; Greenland; version; heat
Publisher	American Geophysical Union
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