Circulation, Heat, and Freshwater Transport at 36°N in the Atlantic

Atmospheric and oceanic freshwater transport during weak Atlantic overturning circulation

Oceanic and atmospheric freshwater transports are analyzed in a numerical experiment where induced freshwater in the North Atlantic slowed the thermohaline circulation (THC). During times of weak Atlantic overturning circulation, it is found that the Intertropical Convergence Zone moves southward and trade winds at tropical latitudes increase, resulting in enhanced water vapor export out of the...

On the freshwater forcing and transport of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation

The ‘conveyor belt’ circulation of the Atlantic Ocean transports large amounts of heat northward, acting as a heating system for the northern North Atlantic region. It is widely thought that this circulation is driven by atmospheric freshwater export from the Atlantic catchment region, and that it transports freshwater northward to balance the loss to the atmosphere. Using results from a simple...

Impact of slowdown of Atlantic overturning circulation on heat and freshwater transports

Recent measurements of the strength of the Atlantic overturning circulation at 26∘N show a 1 year drop and partial recovery amid a gradual weakening. To examine the extent and impact of the slowdown on basin wide heat and freshwater transports for 2004–2012, a box model that assimilates hydrographic and satellite observations is used to estimate heat transport and freshwater convergence as resi...

Sensitivity of the oceanic heat transport to the strength of the Atlantic overturning circulation

The Sensitivity of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation to Freshwater Forcing at Eddy-Permitting Resolutions

The effect of increasing horizontal resolution is examined to assess the response of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) to freshwater perturbations. Versions of a global climate model with horizontal resolutions ranging from 1.8° (latitude) 3.6° (longitude) to 0.2° 0.4° are used to determine if the AMOC response to freshwater forcing is robust to increasing resolution. In th...